Unity Ritual Series : Ideas For Your Ceremony In Tahiti
The Breaking Of The Glass
A few weeks ago I have started a series of unity rituals that you can incorporate in your ceremony in Tahiti.
When I work and develop your ceremony in Tahiti, in addition to incorporating your love story and to write a ceremony that celebrates your unique personalities (curious about my Celebrant services? head here), I like to always add a unity ritual and/or a custom to honor your individual backgrounds or families’ heritages.
All Photo Credit: Helene Havard
Among Jewish wedding traditions and customs, the most commonly known and perpetuated in modern weddings is the breaking of the glass. It is a much-loved custom that takes place either after the bride has been given the ring or more commonly at the end of the wedding ceremony.
The tradition is for the groom to break a glass wrapped in a cloth (or a light bulb which breaks easily – personally I find that a Champagne flute works amazingly well) under his right foot, although today many couples choose to do it together. The Celebrant simply holds it aloft as she or he announces it, and then places it under the groom’s foot before the ritual smash of the glass.
As the groom (or the couple) breaks the glass the Celebrant (officiant) invites all guests to join in wishing the newlyweds good luck by shouting out…
MAZEL TOV!
There are countless ways to interpret the custom, but the one meaning that stands out is that it symbolizes the destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, and that despite the joy of the wedding, one must always remember that there are also times of sorrow in a marriage. Couples include this custom in their wedding ceremony to symbolize the finality of the marriage covenant, and always be reminded that marriage is as fragile as glass.
Just as the broken pieces of the glass can never be put back together and returned to its former state, so the covenant of marriage irrevocably binds the new spouses in their new state of marriage.
If you wrap the glass either in a pretty bag or tie the cloth nicely with a lovely ribbon you can then keep it as a keepsake of your wedding ceremony in Tahiti and take it back home. Just be careful to handle it with care so you don’t hurt yourself with the broken glass.
My advice? Make sure to add something firm underneath the glass so that it breaks as opposed to just sinking into the sand, and so you can hear to popping sound!
(covering of the bride with her veil)
(Hava Nagila wedding song)
More Unity Ritual Ideas For Your Ceremony in Tahiti:
- Unity sand ceremony ritual
- 13 gold coins Costarican ritual
- Hands ceremony ritual
- Or… how about imagining your own ritual?
