Weddingbee Blog

One of the first things Mama Elk requested when we announced we would be having a secular ceremony was that Mr. Elk break a glass at the end, and I agreed. If you are not Jewish or have never been to/seen on television a Jewish wedding, the man traditionally breaks a glass (or in the past a light bulb—easier to break, apparently) at the conclusion of the ceremony. I have always been taught that this is to symbolize the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem back in the day, but there are a lot of possible meanings. Still don’t know what I am talking about? You can refer to the only good scene from SATC2 for a movie version of the tradition.

Now, I know what you are thinking! Miss Elk—that is not secular at all! That is actually very religious. But, you have to understand—every wedding I have been to (for the most part) ends with the breaking of a glass. It is the grand finale (well, before the kiss!). It is how my relatives will know to say mazel tov and clap and get ready to party.

How did I convince Mr. Elk, though? When I first brought up this topic with Mr. Elk, he was surprisingly easy to convince. As a Curb Your Enthusiasm enthusiast, Mr. Elk probably knows more about Judaism than I do (well…almost). Moreover, we have attended numerous weddings of my cousins, and he is pretty used to the routine by now, so it isn’t all that foreign to him. There was almost a problem when he learned the actual meaning behind the tradition, and he started to get upset that we were breaking the “no religion” rule. Luckily, quick-witted me had a response: “Babes, we will just think of it as the last time you get to put your foot down in this relationship.” Mr. Elk laughed, told me never to repeat that to anyone, and agreed to partake in the tradition.

Now I just wonder what his Irish Catholic family will think…

Did you incorporate traditions that your significant other or their family may find strange? How did they seem to take it?