JEWISH WEDDINGS IN SPAIN

A Jewish wedding in Spain centres on two moments, the signing of the ketubah and the vows under the chuppah, and builds the rest of the day around the couple. Vanessa Serrani plans Jewish weddings between Barcelona and the Catalan coast, on private estates, in castles and in coastal venues, for couples and families who come from Israel, the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe or Spain itself.

The ketubah, the marriage contract, is signed before the ceremony in front of two witnesses. The couple then marry under the chuppah, a canopy that stands for their new home, with a rabbi leading the blessings, the exchange of rings and the seven blessings, the sheva brachot. The groom breaks a glass at the end, the guests call out Mazel Tov, and the couple take a few private minutes together, the yichud, before joining the celebration. The hora follows, with the couple lifted on chairs.

Customs differ between Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Mizrahi families and between Orthodox, Conservative and Reform communities, so the couple’s rabbi and community lead and the plan follows them. For the full sequence and what each step means, read our guide to Jewish wedding traditions.

A Jewish wedding needs a rabbi, a chuppah and, for many families, supervised kosher catering. The date is chosen with the calendar in mind, since observant families do not hold weddings on Shabbat or on Jewish holidays, though a Saturday night after nightfall can work. Seating, the order of the evening and the kitchen are agreed with the rabbi and the caterer well before the day.

Vanessa coordinates the rabbi, the caterer and the venue so that the day follows the family’s practice. A private estate or country venue gives room to place the chuppah and the reception exactly where the couple wants them, as in her castle weddings.

Yes. The chuppah can stand on a private estate, in a castle garden, on a beach or in a city hotel, wherever the rabbi and the couple agree. See castle weddings, beach weddings, Barcelona weddings and Costa Brava and Empordà weddings for the settings Vanessa works in.

Yes. Supervised kosher catering can be arranged for the dinner, and Vanessa agrees the kitchen and the order of the evening with the caterer and the rabbi.

For observant families, not during Shabbat, which runs from Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall. A Saturday night after nightfall, a Sunday or a weekday can work, and the date is checked against the Jewish calendar before it is fixed.

Vanessa also plans Chinese weddings, Persian weddings and Indian weddings, and celebrations that bring two traditions together, see her multicultural weddings service.