We finaly come down to the actual Cerimony. The Katubah is in hand the bridal chamber is finished and the father of the groom as told his son to “Go and receive your bride”. The bride is eagerly anticipating the arival of her groom, and for nights now has been waiting with her friends at the window waiting and watching to see if this night is the night for her love to come, especialy around the end of the first year. It is at this point that we see a few interesting and wonderful things about this Jewish marriage ceremony.
1. The bridegroom would return with a shout, "Behold, the bridegroom comes" and the sound of the ram's horn would be blown.
The time of the return of the bridegroom was usually at midnight. When the bridegroom did come, he came with a shout and with the blowing of a trumpet. The marriage between the bride and the groom would take place under a wedding canopy. The marriage ceremony will have a sacred procession. During this procession, all traffic stopped for the bridal procession except the King. Upon one occasion Agrippa made way for a bride and was commenced by the Rabbis. If the procession happened to be during the day the Rabbis would stop teaching from the Torah and cheer the bride from his window and ecstatically wave myrtle twigs. By far the marriage procession was a big deal and one that utterly stopped traffic. For this reason, the bridegroom will be led to the canopy first.
When the bridegroom approaches the canopy, the cantor chants, :Blessed is he who comes” This expression means “welcome”. The groom is greeted like a king under a canopy
When the night arrived for the wedding festivities to begin, and it was time to go for the bride, the groom was dressed as much like a king as possible. If he were rich enough to afford it, he wore a gold crown. Otherwise it would be a garland of fresh flowers. His garments would be scented with frankincense and myrrh, his girdle would be a silken one brilliantly colored, his sandals would be figured and carefully laced, and all of this would give effect to the "flowing drapery of the loose robes and to the graceful bearing peculiar to the lands of the East. For a time, the peasant seemed as prince among his fellows, and all paid him the deference due to a exalted rank." This preparation of the groom for the wedding has been aptly described in the prophecy of Isaiah, "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments" (#Isa 61:10). -Wight Manners and Custums of Bible Lands Chapter 14
2. He would abduct his bride, usually in the middle of the night, to go to the bridal chamber where the marriage would be consummated. This is the full marriage. Finally, there would be a marriage supper for all the guests invited by the father of the bride.
The bride and groom will go to the wedding chamber, where the marriage will be consummated. The couple doesn’t have to consummate the marriage but rather have the opportunity. They will stay in the wedding chamber for seven days.
When the bride and the groom initially went into the wedding chamber, the friend of the bridegroom stood outside the door. At the end of the seven days, the bride and groom will come out from the wedding chamber.
The marriage festivities generally lasted a week, but the bridal days extended over a full month.- Edersheim Sketches : Sketches of Jewish Social Life.-
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