Real Jewish Weddings | Philadelphia, PA

During junior year of college, Marissa’s good friend Georgia met Ben in a Philosophy class. Georgia was attached but felt that Ben was just too awesome not to date, so she made it her mission to set Ben up with one of her nearest and dearest. Though her set-up attempts were unsuccessful, Marissa and Ben did become friends along the way. After graduation, Marissa and Ben found themselves living just blocks away from each other in Philadelphia and with similar work schedules, which included Fridays off every week. Those Fridays turned in to standing lunch dates, which turned in to 7th grade style flirting, and soon enough, a full- fledged relationship.

For their wedding, Marissa and Ben were excited to share their Philadelphia home and their family traditions. Marissa is Jewish and Ben is Quaker. The ceremony included a chuppah (which Ben built himself), Jewish wedding prayers (performed by Marissa’s dad with the Kiddush cup from his own Bar Mitzvah), and the breaking of the glass (courtesy of ModernTribe, recommended by the Wedding Yentas), all within a Quaker silent meaningful worship. As part of the Quaker ceremony, Marissa and Ben exchanged their own vows without an officiant, also known as “self-uniting” marriage and then there was a period of silence in which attendees were invited to speak if they felt moved to do so. The silence was then broken along with the glass and a hearty “Mazel Tov” from the crowd! Marissa and Ben also mixed traditions with a Quaker wedding certificate decorated with Ketubeh-like embellishments. Similar to the Ketubah, the Quaker certificate is signed by the bride and groom, but in addition to the signatures of two additional loved ones, every attendee of the wedding signs it as everyone in attendance is considered to be part of upholding the marriage.

Mazel tov, Marissa and Ben!

real-jewish-weddings-|-philadelphia,-pa