Category Archives: Inside Scoop

Think Ink

Before your public wedding ceremony, you’ll gather with your officiant and immediate family for the ketubah signing. I’ll talk about this in detail in future blogs, but this traditional ceremony essentially makes the bride and groom officially married. You’re signing the Jewish version of a marriage contract, so it’s important to be sure that your ink will last all the years to come.

So how do you choose a pen that embalms your Judah Hancock into foreverness?

Avoid pens that feather or bleed. You also want to be certain that your ink won’t fade over time, even if your ketubah soaks up sunlight and UV light. Waterproof pens are also a good idea because someone in your family will be crying tears of joy (I have my money down on a mom). Therefore, you should make sure to use an archival pigment ink pen, which you can find at any framing or art store.

Brands we recommend:

As you sign your ketubah, be sure the ink has dried before wrapping or rolling it up. You’d hate to smear your document!

And never, ever use a felt tip pen like a Sharpie because it will bleed into the paper and potentially damage any art on your ketubah. Leave any damages to the appropriate glass portion of the ceremony!

jewish-wedding-ketubah-signing

Images courtesy of Eight20 Photography. Ketubah designed by Rachel Deitsch.

Here’s A Grape Idea!

It’s a scene out of a movie… or “America’s Funniest Home Videos” depending how sick your sense of humor is.  During the wedding ceremony, a beautiful bride in a sparkling white gown receives her groom’s bar mitzvah Kiddush cup. She looks up at her handsome groom, feels butterflies and blushes over the excitement of the day, and just as she prepares to make contact with the cup, she presses her lips lightly on the surface to make sure that her lipstick stays in tact, and then it happens.

Red wine drips onto her perfectly pressed and clean dress and the crimson liquid continues to streak down every bead and patch of lace like rain drops on a windshield. It’s ruined. The dress is catastrophically ruined and the bride must go on with the evening in a wine tie-dyed shmata on the best day of her life, and no club soda will ever get out this stain.

Do we blame the ever-so-cared-for lipstick? The dashing groom and his distractingly handsome appearance? A faulty Kiddush cup? No. Because if the couple had selected white wine, this would have still happened, but it wouldn’t have mattered.

“But, dear Wedding Yentas, the go-to Manischewitz is red!!”

Not all Manischewitz and kosher wines are red, my young grasshoppersteins. There is white kosher wine and not only is it colorless, it is G.O.O.D.

No really, it’s delicious. You’ll want to stay under that chuppah and get married all evening, it’s that good. Keep it around for Passover and welcome Elijah an extra dozen times. That’s how yummy it is. We were advised to purchase white kosher wine on our wedding day and I’m so glad we did. We didn’t have any spillage issues, but it sure took my mind off any worry that wine would dribble on my dress. Not to mention, it helped make the kisses that much sweeter!

L’Chaim!

It’s A Nice Day For A Long Weekend Wedding

Jewish brides all over America are looking for the most sought-after disguise. They’re not searching for masks and camouflage. Hollywood-style sunglasses and hair extensions are not on the bride’s “must have” list. American Jewish brides are clamoring for a day and not just any day. A Sunday.  Jewish brides are booking  Memorial Day Weekend, Labor Day Weekend, and President’s Day Weekend. What do these weekends have in common? The Monday off.  In Jewish Wedding Planning 101, a traditional Jewish bride knows she can’t have a wedding ceremony before sundown on a Saturday due to Shabbat laws. Therefore, if a Jewish bride wants wedding photos in daylight, she must move her wedding to a Sunday. And when the Jewish bride and her guests want to party like it’s 5771, a Monday sans work and any other obligations is ideal.  I’ve already set aside my 3-day weekends for my friends’ Jewish weddings and they did the same for mine (shout out to Memorial Weekend 2008!).

So, if you are looking into ideal Sunday night weddings for your own planning purposes, whether you’re the bride or a guest, here’s a peek into upcoming long weekends where the Manischewitz pours into the wee hours of Monday:

2010:

Memorial Day Weekend: Sunday, May 30th

Independence Day Weekend: Sunday, July 4th

Labor Day Weekend: Sunday, September 5th

Columbus Day Weekend: Sunday, October 10th

2011:

President’s Day Weekend: Sunday, February 20th

Memorial Day Weekend: Sunday, May 29th

Independence Day Weekend: Sunday, July 3rd

Labor Day Weekend: Sunday, September 4th

Columbus Day Weekend: Sunday, October 9th

2012:

President’s Day Weekend: Sunday, February 19th

Memorial Day Weekend: Sunday, May 27th

Labor Day Weekend: September, 2nd

Columbus Day Weekend: Sunday, October 7th