When the bride and groom emerge from the yichud room, they usually are held up by the photographer who is intent on capturing the portraits of the newly married couple and their families that are to be incorporated into the pages of their wedding album. It is important to remember during this photo shoot that the guests are waiting for the honorees to return to them. If the delay runs an hour or longer, particularly for a weeknight wedding, it becomes very likely that some of the guests will have to leave without getting to dance for the bride or groom. A considerate host will devise a way not disappoint the guests and expedite the photo session after the chuppah as much as possible. Some get most of the pictures out of the way prior to the chuppah, and some even take the shots later after sharing a round of dancing with their guests.
The bride and groom are usually announced as they enter the ball room for dinner and dancing. Each is usually drawn into a circle for dances with parents, grandparents, siblings, and then other relatives and friends. At a strictly Orthodox wedding the women will dance with women and men with men with a mechitza [screen or barrier] between them; there is no first dance for the bride and groom together. However, the bride is usually seated next to the groom for some time to allow the men to dance before both of them. This is not reciprocated on the women’s side due to concerns for proper decorum between the sexes.
The dances are usually spirited and lively with some of the more intrepid people doing trick moves or donning costumes. Usually the friends of the bride bring along “shtick” accessories like signs, pompoms, hats, arches, or umbrellas trimmed with streamers to add splashes of color and fun to the dances. Some will also improvise jump ropes by tying together cloth napkins, and, yes, the bride is expected to jump right in. (Take note, though, that some caterers really do not appreciate having their napkins tied up with knots. If that is the case, issue appropriate warnings.) All this is intended to heighten the celebration and increase the joy of the bride and groom, which is the fulfillment of the mitzvah of being mesameach [gladdening] them.
After the first round of dances, the bride and groom will join in the meal. As getting married fulfills a positive commandment, the meal served is considered a seudas mitzvah, a mitzvah meal. As such, it would require a blessing on bread and would usually feature a meat dish. Celebratory meals traditionally include meat. However, chicken can be substituted for either considerations of economy of cholesterol. If there are guests present who either have vegetarian inclinations or only eat meat from particular sources due to a stringency of kashruth, it would be nice to offer a fish choice for entrée. But one is under no obligation to do so, especially if the additional expense of adding on that option would break the budget.
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See the guide to aspects of the Jewish wedding indexed at kallahmagazine.com/JewishWedding.html
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