The Sheva Berachot are seven Hebrew blessings that will be said (sung) to Jessica and Adam under the Chuppah.
It is ideal that these seven blessings be sung to the bride and groom as many times as possible during the seven days that follow the wedding, to recapture the joy that accompanied their marriage. Under the Chuppah, the Sheva Berachot will be chanted by a Hazzan (Cantor) an ordained member of the clergy and musician who customarily leads songful prayer. After the seven blessings are recited, the wedding is sanctified by drinking some wine.
At our wedding reception, after dessert is served, we will be reciting the entire Birkat Hamazon, the grace after meals – using a special version that is sung only at a wedding. After the Birkat Hamazon, two glasses of wine will be poured before reciting once again the Sheva Berachot (all seven blessings), and one of the glasses will be passed around to seven different people who will each recite one of the blessings. After the seventh blessing is recited, both glasses of wine are poured into a third glass, and the wine from the third glass is poured back to the first two cups. One cup is given to the bride, one cup is given to the groom, and the third cup is given to the last person who recited a blessing.
Repeating this complete ritual of Birkat Hamazon, Sheva Berachot and the passing of wine glasses after the wedding is a way to keep the joy of the wedding ceremony going as long as possible after the wedding day itself has passed.
The traditional way of accomplishing this is by having meals (usually dinners) with friends and family in our communities after the wedding. By having a gathering of at least ten people, two of which who were not at the wedding, it honors the bride and groom to allow the complete Birkat Hamazon to be recited (a quorum of ten is necessary). Then, upon inserting the Sheva Berachot into the Birkat Hamazon, the blessings of the wedding ceremony is repeated, complete with the sanctification of wine.
For the friends and family who were not in attendance at our wedding, our families are hosting three Sheva Berachot dinners which will conclude with the Birkat Hamazon and Sheva Berachot. Please see the Schedule of Events for details.
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