As a wedding celebrant, I have the freedom to focus on you and your unique wishes, ideas, values, beliefs, hopes and dreams, without being constrained by legal or formal templates or restrictions. I love crafting bespoke wedding ceremonies that reflect yo and your story and bring your dream wedding to life.
So when couples approach me with the wish to incorporate their diverse heritages into the wedding ceremony, I am in my happy place! Below, I'll tell you all about Becca and Steve's interfaith wedding ceremony where they integrated their Jewish and Filipino heritages, resulting in a moving and sincere celebration of their union.
An Enchanting Interfaith Christmas Wedding Ceremony
Steve and Becca had the most wonderful vision of their wedding ceremony, which took place at the magnificent staircase of London wedding venue 116 Pall Mall. They had chosen the most magical time of Christmas to celebrate their love. The beautifully lit Christmas trees on either side of the staircase added a warm glow to the romantic setting whilst the chuppah on the staircase landing offered an enchanting focal point for where the couple would make their promises to one another.
Their guests were welcomed with a programme that explained the fourteen (!) rituals they had incorporated in their wedding ceremony. Below some highlights!
Embracing Diversity and Tradition: The Interfaith Ketubah
The Ketubah is a Jewish marriage contract that describes the rights and responsibilities of the couple. For couples with diverse backgrounds, an interfaith ketubah can be used to celebrate the blending of two unique heritages. It embodies the couple's commitment to each other while honouring Jewish tradition.
Becca and Steve had created their own interfaith ketubah to honour and celebrate the coming together of their religions and traditions. They signed it in a private setting, just before the wedding ceremony,
It included the following words:
The groom and the bride undertake this pledge of love: they choose each other as friends according to the teachings of our ancestors who said: ‘Acquire a friend, with whom you will learn, next to whom you will sleep, and in whom you will confide.’ They consecrate themselves to each other and will always be true to one another. They take on all the duties and rights of family members towards each other. They promise to lead a life of justice and loving kindness in their family and community till the end, in accordance with the verse: ‘let me be a seal upon your heart, like the seal upon your arm.’
Filipino Wedding Traditions: Honouring Heritage and Love
At the start of the ceremony, Steve and Becca greeted their parents using the Filipino tradition of 'Pagmamano' - a way to greet elderly people with respect and ask for their blessing.
They also included the traditional Filipino marriage rituals of a unity candle, the veil and the ceremonial infinity cord (yugal). The infinity cord has the shape of an 8, symbolising a never-ending love. The veil, traditionally draped around the groom's shoulders and the bride's head, represents the enduring power of love, family and community. For the veil ceremony, Becca and Steve used Becca's father's prayer shawl. A touching way to honour his legacy and the continuing presence in their lives.
Jewish Marriage Traditions: Honouring Tradition With A Contemporary Touch
The Jewish marriage traditions included the chuppah, men wearing a kippah, presentation of the kiddish cup, a modern interpretation of the Seven Blessings and the breaking of the glass.
For the Seven Blessings, Steve and Becca had asked seven family members and friends to read out a blessing each, celebrating seven aspects of married life. They used a contemporary interpretation of the Seven Blessings. The stair case offered a fabulous setting as some of the blessings were shared from the upper floor, facing the ceremony space. The blessings came from the audience which enhanced a sense of community and shared love around our amazing couple.
The Tale of Steve and Becca: A Personalised Script of Love and Adventure
All these traditional elements were carefully woven into a personalised script that told Steve and Becca's unique story. Starting from their initial encounter on a dating app, their first date at a cocktail bar, their shared escapades in their hometown of New York and beyond, the process of being welcomed into each other's families, culminating in Steve's carefully orchestrated proposal in Central Park. They had also prepared their own vows which were incredibly touching as well as filled with humour.
The Beauty of Fusion Weddings: Celebrating Diversity and Unity
Steve and Becca's interfaith wedding tells us a thing or two about why fusion weddings are so amazing:
A fusion wedding honours and celebrates a diversity of cultures and beliefs
You can choose which traditions and rituals have meaning to you and give them a personalised touch
People may learn something new about wedding traditions from across the globe
A fusion wedding brings cultures and families together
It will result in a unique wedding ceremony that people will remember forever
It was such a joy to work with Steve and Becca and I wish them all the happiness in the world as they have embarked on their greatest adventure together!
"There are no words that can capture how grateful we are for all the work Rosalie did for our day. Guests came by and told us they’d never learned so much at a wedding ceremony. Others told us it was their highlight of the day (which tends to be unusual when there's a big dinner and party to compete with). We sought out to create a ceremony that brought together two seemingly different cultures and Rosalie nailed it!"
Photo credits: The Chamberlins
Venue: 116 Pall Mall London
Chuppah: The Happy Chuppah People
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