It is a canopy that is held over the heads of the bride and groom and their two honor attendants during a traditional Jewish ceremony. It may be a stationary structure and is sometimes made of flowers, but it is usually decorated with elegantly decorated cloth. If it is large enough, the parents may stand under the chuppah as well. The chuppah is a symbol of the earliest rites of Hebrew marriage when the chief purpose of the marriage was the propagation of the human race and the ceremony took place in the presence of witnesses in the bridal chamber. Later, when this became objectionable, a tent was substituted to symbolize the bridal chamber, and then, eventually, a scarf or canopy became the custom.
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I'm going to be married at home in our combination living room/dining room, in front of the fireplace. What can we do to decorate without overdoing it?
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The nice thing about a home wedding is that the natural charm and intimacy of the home itself offers a romantic ambiance for the wedding; also, a home setting takes very little in the way of decorations. The first step is to unclutter the rooms; remove a few of the oversized pieces of furniture and clear away at least half of the knickknacks, family photos, etc. This will leave room for white folding chairs, if you choose to use them, and a few flower arrangements. The fireplace mantle can be decorated with greens, flowers, candies, and ribbons. An altar can be made up quite easily by covering any small table with a lace or damask tablecloth. You can borrow a kneeling bench from your church or rent one from a wedding rental store. If white wooden folding chairs are set in the middle of the room, it is nice to drape the chairs with ribbon and flowers to create a center aisle. If the room is too small for extra chairs, however, it is perfectly fine for the guests to stand during the ceremony.
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