When Jewish couples get engaged it’s quite a legal affair. The Te’naim – a binding agreement as such – is a pre-nuptial contract that sets out the terms of the marriage to come, and practically everything’s in there.
The contract states the date and time of the wedding ceremony and the financial responsibilities of the parents of both the bride and groom. Unlike in Christian marriages where the emphasis is traditionally put on the bride’s father to fund the big day, the costs are shared equally between the respective parents.
Signing the Te’naim
Once the Te’naim has been read, signed and witnessed the future mothers-in-law smash a plate. This symbolizes their children leaving their homes and taking responsibility for feeding and looking after each other. Under Jewish law, if the engagement is called off by either side, then it’s really regarded as divorce, even though the pair is not actually married. This is under Orthodox Jewish custom and is all very serious stuff.
On the other hand, once the Te’naim is signed and sealed, it is time to party. Some couples these days forego the contract signing and – well, have a Jewish engagement party anyway!
Bringing families and friends together
Either way the engagement party is a great way to bring families and friends of the bride and groom together and make them part of the wedding planning process. It provides a great opportunity to discuss all the details of the wedding, delve into family history and of course Jewish traditions associated with marriage. Naturally, the Jewish engagement party also allows the respective families of the bride and groom to get to know each other, socialise, and celebrate the upcoming union.
Planning the Jewish engagement party is typically done by the parents of the betrothed couple but in these modern times the pair has quite a say on what’s needed to make it a shared, fun event for all. Very often the parents – particularly the mothers – are left to make the decisions on what traditions will be celebrated on the day and the food to be served to guests.
Jewish engagement party – well in advance of wedding
The Jewish engagement party is held well in advance of the wedding ceremony. This is because the Jewish tradition states that the bride and groom are not allowed to see each other one week before the wedding. The bride and groom are also supposed to fast from dusk preceding the day of the marriage until the wedding ceremony is complete.
The Jewish engagement party is generally held at the home of the parents of the groom in waiting. He and his future bride can count on sharing food, drink and good conversation with their guests and usually at the party they receive engagement gifts. It’s a great time to share memories with family and friends and of course to share dreams and hopes for their future time together.
Traditional Jewish music and songs from SensationBand
Of course, what engagement party would be complete without some traditional live Jewish music and songs as well as musicians offering a modern slant with their dance offerings. For a pre-nuptials event planned in the various London Jewish communities, there are a whole host of great bands available to fit the bill. All you need to do is go online and Goggle ‘Jewish engagement party band London.’
Right at the top of the listings which pop up you’ll find SensationBand. Jewish engagement party music provided by SensationBand is hugely rated by the capital’s Yiddish communities. The talented line-up of musicians and singers in SensationBand cover all areas of the capital – Haringey, Islington, Enfield, Waltham Forest, City, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham, Hackney, Newham, Bromley, Greenwich, Bexley, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Ealing, Harrow, Brent, Ealing, Barnet, Richmond and Kingston upon Thames, Sutton, Merton, Battersea, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith, Fulham, Camden, Westminster, Lambeth, and Croydon.