Jewish Weddings: A Beautiful Guide to Creating the Wedding of Your Dreams

By Rita Milos Brownstein

Book Overview

There is nothing more daunting to a newly engaged couple than planning their wedding. For Jewish couples, balancing religious and aesthetic needs can be especially tricky. Rita Milos Brownstein provides inspiration and practical advice in Jewish Weddings, a lavishly illustrated guide to creating a wedding that both honors Jewish culture, ritual, and tradition and reflects the lives and personalities of the bride and groom. Beginning with a brief history of the Jewish wedding (including wonderful stories of barshert, couples whose love was clearly meant to be), Brownstein guides the bride and groom through the pleasures of the engagement party and Jewish bridal shower to choosing a ketubah (marriage contract), wedding ring, and invitations. She describes traditional Jewish customs and rituals, then suggests ways to personalize the chuppah, or wedding canopy; music; wedding programs; and even the chairs. Brownstein includes the joyous times after the wedding and gives the new couple tips on how to create a Jewish home and original ideas for thank-you notes. Of course, Brownstein doesn't forget about food, with menu suggestions for an engagement party and a bridal shower tea party, as well as for the wedding reception and Sheva Brachas, the traditional week of festive meals following the wedding. Delicious, mouth-watering recipes for Salmon Roll with Dill Sauce, Green Bean Bundles, Potato and Leek Soup, and Poached Pears will please even the most finicky couple. Brownstein supplies tips on how to keep a kosher kitchen as well. The book also offers glimpses of seven real-life Jewish weddings. From a jubilant outdoor celebration in San Diego, California; a dazzling New York City affair; a classic Hasidic wedding in Hartford, Connecticut; to an elegant affair in Palm Beach, Florida, these stories will inspire any bride and groom in planning their own wedding, no matter where they live. Illustrated with more than 200 gorgeous color and black-and-white photographs, Jewish Weddings is an indispensable book for any Jewish couple.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743216075
• ISBN13: 9780743216074
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.8" x 11.1"

Customer Reviews

THE Jewish Wedding Book Marries Tradition and Style

Don't get fooled by the exquisite photography and tasteful presentation. This book is packed with information to educate and inspire any Jewish couple with a chuppah in their future! Ms. Brownstein presents a wide variety of wedding traditions from around the Jewish world--New York City chic to a simple but elegant West Coast garden party. From mikveh to mezuzah, she packs powerful Jewish wedding customs into 176 pages, finishing with a useful resource guide. A must buy for the prospective bride (groom and mother-of-the-bride too!)who wants to begin her new life with tradition, style and meaning!

Beautiful in content and style

While planning my (Jewish) wedding I found it very difficult to find a book with ideas on both decorating and Jewish customs. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I found Jewish Weddings. The pages are beautifully laid out--a pleasure to read--and full of clever ideas. The prose is elegant as well. I learned a lot about more about Jewish customs (and I thought I knew a lot) and weaved many into our ceremony.It's an amazing book for all Jewish brides (and their families), whether they are reform or orthodox (like my family). I've now given the book as a shower gift as well, and I keep it on our coffee table too. Ms. Milos Brownstein's other book it worth checking out too. I've used many of her recipes and tabletop ideas while preparing for the holidays.