What's On
Mazal tov!
We are thrilled that you are looking to celebrate your wedding with the ancient and sacred rituals and traditions of Judaism.
Download our wedding booklet here or browse this page for an overview and FAQs…
The Hebrew word for marriage is Kiddushin, meaning holiness and through the commitment you make to one another within Judaism, before family, friends and community, you sanctify your union and celebrate the holiness of your relationship.
We hope that the information here answers many of the questions you may have, but please feel free to contact us for a chat about this special time in your lives.
Planning
Choosing a Rabbi
All of the rabbis at our synagogue are available to officiate at your wedding and we invite you to meet our rabbis and see which one is right for you.
Your wedding ceremony is a very special moment for you both and it is important the rabbis have the opportunity to know you and connect with you before standing together with you beneath the chuppah.
So once you select the rabbi for the ceremony, you will have the opportunity to meet together often to plan your ceremony and also create a special relationship with your officiating rabbi.
Date
We will officiate at weddings on any day of the week except Shabbat and festivals.
There are certain periods of the Jewish year where weddings do not take place: fast days, during a portion of the Omer and the three weeks before Tisha B’Av. Please speak with us about your preferred dates to make sure the rabbi of your choice is available and the date is one where weddings are permitted.
Location
There are no rules concerning the location of a Jewish wedding and the most important consideration is to find a place which has meaning for you.
Traditionally, weddings have been held outdoors but one should always take into account the unpredictability of weather and ensure there is an indoor option. At the synagogue, we have three spaces which vary in size from our most intimate space which can accommodate 100 but is also a beautiful space for smaller weddings, to our two larger spaces which will seat up to 300 and 600.
If the location is outside the Sydney metropolitan area, you will need to consult with the rabbi and there will be an extra fee payable to the synagogue as well as covering the rabbi’s travel and accommodation costs should they be required.
Photography, video, livestreaming
It is wonderful to have memories of your wedding captured on video and in images.
We are happy for you to have both at the ceremony but ask that you encourage the photographers and videographers to be discreet. The space under the chuppah is a holy one and we want to maintain the sanctity of the moment.
If your wedding is in one of our synagogue venues, we have the facilities to livestream for guests who cannot physically attend. The costs for this additional service are in our AV package (coming soon).
What To Wear
For the chuppah ceremony we ask that all who are involved dress in a way that reflects the sanctity of the occasion. If you have any questions about this, just chat with the officiating rabbi.
The Process
Once you book you wedding with the synagogue, we will send you documents to complete to register your marriage civilly as well as in the Jewish community.
Aufruf
The Jewish community is central to all moments in life and in the lead up to the wedding, the congregation have the opportunity to celebrate with you in the synagogue. On a shabbat prior to the wedding, we would like to invite you for a blessing at the Torah during the Saturday Shabbat service. Typically, the family of the bride and groom provide a small kiddush for the community to share after the service, in honour of your up-coming simcha.
Mikvah
In the days leading up to the wedding it is traditional for both partners to immerse in the mikvah. The waters of the mikvah signify rebirth; as you leave your life as a single person, you are being reborn into a partnership with your beloved. There are a number of options for mikvah and your rabbi can talk about them with you.
The Ceremony
There are many meaningful and beautiful aspects of the wedding ceremony, click here for a detailed description of all the elements of the Jewish wedding and the day of celebration.
FAQ
Will the rabbis at the synagogue officiate at weddings where only one partner is Jewish?
At this time the movements with which our rabbis are affiliated, in Australia, NZ and Asia, do not permit the officiation at a wedding ceremony unless both partners are Jewish.
Where only one partner is Jewish, our rabbis will call the couple to the Torah before their wedding for a blessing and will officiate at alternate blessing ceremonies either before or after the wedding. Please contact the synagogue and speak with the rabbis about what may be possible and what special blessing we can create just for you.
Do Emanuel Synagogue rabbis officiate at same-sex weddings?
Yes. We are proud to have officiated at the first religious same-sex wedding in Australia and we have celebrated many weddings since that date. Both partners however, must be Jewish. If only one of the couple is Jewish, we have alternate blessing ceremonies and the possibility of a call up to the Torah and blessing before the wedding.
Will an Emanuel Synagogue wedding be different from an Orthodox wedding?
Weddings at Emanuel contain all the traditional elements and are also fully egalitarian. The rabbis are also open to adding creative elements to your ceremony and they will discuss all aspects of your ceremony with you.
If I am married by one of the synagogue’s rabbis, will my marriage be recognised by the Orthodox Jewish community?
Yes, your marriage will be recognised by the Orthodox community but only for weddings between a man and a woman who are considered Jewish by the Orthodox halacha.
The only difference is you will not be able to use your ketubah as proof of your Jewish status for the Orthodox community because our rabbis will marry people who the Orthodox will not. So, in order to prove your halachic Jewish status, you will need a different form of proof. None of this affects your marital status in the eyes of the Orthodox community.
If we are already civilly married, can we do a Jewish wedding as well?
Yes! If you are already married in civil law, we would be delighted to officiate at a chuppah with you, celebrating your relationship and love.
If we are married by the synagogue rabbis, will we be married in Australian law?
Yes, part of your marriage at the synagogue is the completion of the documentation for you to be married also civilly.
Get in touch
Sarah Vasin
Lifecycles Coordinator / Executive Assistant / Hon. Secretary of the Board