Oy Vey!

Those of you that know me, know I have a fascination with other religions and their traditions and beliefs. Usually, I focus on the Mormons and all their hoopla, but recently I've gotten really interested in the Jewish people and the traditions they have carried out over centuries.

Which brings me to my point...I want a traditional Jewish wedding*. I know what you're thinking...and I'm talking like 208 AD, not the crazy 21st century nonsense they do now.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the idea, I'll attempt to sum it up.
Initially, the groom makes the proposal and works out the bride price with her father. Once all that has been taken care of, they are legally bound to one another (it was pretty rare that an engagement was canceled). At this point, they are pretty much a "done deal", and the groom goes back to his parents house to build a room where he and his wife will live. While he's busy building away on the home-front, the bride spends her time preparing herself for her role as a wife. Once the bride is ready for him she will start lighting a candle in her windowsill every night, until finally he comes for her in the middle of the night (I'm not totally sure that this always happened in the middle of the night, but it would make it much more romantic, so that's what I'm going with). They go off together to the place he has prepared for them, and consummate the marriage while the entire wedding party (including family, friends, and probably the rest of the town) waits outside the door. Once the marriage is consummated, they are officially husband and wife, and they join everyone outside for a celebration that lasts about a week.


Now I'm not really down for the whole living with his parents/"becoming one" while the town waits outside, but I understand the importance of those things and appreciate them for what they are. They just seem a little awk to me in this day and age...

Sadly, I feel like this will just be another goal that goes unfulfilled...I guess I'll just have to settle for the whole modern "big white dress-reception-honeymoon" thing that's so popular these days!



*for those of you that think I missed the whole point about what all this symbolizes, don't waste your time, I get all that stuff too. I guess for me, the idea of taking some of the fundamental principals of our faith and presenting it in a tangible and symbolic way would be the epitome of the perfect wedding celebration.