Chuppah (the Jewish wedding canopy)

The wedding ceremony takes place under the chuppah (canopy), a symbol of the home that the new couple will build together. It is open on all sides, just as Abraham and Sarah had their tent open all sides to welcome people in unconditional hospitality. The Ashkenazi custom is to have the chuppah ceremony outside under the stars, as a sign of the blessing given by God to the patriarch Abraham that his children shall be "as the stars of the heavens"(Genesis 15:5). Sefardim generally have the chuppah indoors. The Ashkenazi custom is that the groom and bride wear no jewelry under the chuppah (marriage canopy). Their mutual commitment is based on who they are as people, not on any material possessions. The groom, followed by the bride, are usually escorted to the chuppah by their respective sets of parents. Under the chuppah, the Ashkenazi custom is that the bride circles the groom seven times. Just as the world was built in seven days, the bride is figuratively building the walls of the couple's new world together. The number seven also symbolizes the wholeness and completeness that they cannot attain separately. The bride then settles at the groom's right-hand side.