What is the difference between having a Rabbi or Jewish Officiant perform our marriage ceremony?
536213
I do believe that a Rabbi can be a Jewish Officiant but a Jewish Officiant doesn't have to be a Rabbi.\n\nThe officiant is just the person who is legally allowed to perform the ceremony.\n\nI guess it depends on how orthodox/religious you want to be.
949028
A marriage blessing is what takes place between the man and the woman.  The thing that makes them married.  A marriage blessing is just for the couple to make their union official.  A wedding is the ceremony...generally for the family, not necessarily for the couple.  In summary, you have a wedding, where people attend...to watch the marriage blessing.
1137481
All that you need to do is contact the Rabbi of the temple you want to join. He'll explain everything to you. Pretty much all you have to do is take some classes and go to a service. You might want to figure out whether you want to be a Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox jew. Reform is the most flexible, and Orthodox and Hasidic Judaism is the most strict. Conservative Judaism is right in the middle.
631327
I have found that some sects in Christianity have no problem with this type of ceremony.  I know that as my husband and I got married (he's catholic and I was raised jewish) that the Catholic Church would have no problem with us getting married and would request a neutral location and that clergy from both religions be allowed to preside. I think the 2 faiths are used to crossing over in some cases.
465819
Its called the "Sanhedrin project".  They need two things to get started, ordination and seventy of the best Rabbi's.  They only claim to have the first, and they are working on the second. See their website, it talks all about this.  The've got a few high caliber Rabbis but the rest are place holders.
1058476
I've asked this question before, actually. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AutS5JZA1SeAz4Wwe_TTd9rsy6IX?qid=1006053111285\nSeems to be a jewish tradition.
687953
Jehovah's Witnesses are not required to have a “Witness wedding” rather than a civil ceremony. However, a Witness could not be in a wedding party in a non-Witness church or as part of an overtly religious service.\n\nWorldwide, the Jehovah's Witness 'church' is called a 'Kingdom Hall'. A couple qualify to get married in the Hall by maintaining a morally clean courtship, so don't ask them why/whynot ceremony at the Kingdom Hall.\n\nKH weddings require the use of only Witness music, a Witness minister, Witness vows, Witness talk, and morally clean bridal party. There is no smoking, no special lighting, no extravagant decorations, no immodest attire allowed at the Kingdom Hall. Use of a Kingdom Hall can sometimes require unanimous approval of every elder of every congregation which attends there, so some couples choose to have the ceremony elsewhere.\n\nWhile any exemplary brother could officiate (in most states), typically a congregation elder who is a legal resident of the state will give the talk, vows, and prayer. Witnesses like to have relatives do these duties, so be careful not to joke about the quality of their performance.\n\nSomewhere between 50% and 99% of the guests will likely be Jehovah’s Witnesses. Don’t be shy about introducing yourself as “So-and-so’s cousin; I’m not a Witness.”\n\nIf a JW minister officiates, the couple do not have the option of writing their own vows. Don’t suggest they change the vows.\n\nRice throwing, bouquet tossing, garter-removal, tin-can tying are unwelcome at any Witness weddings/receptions.\n\nThe groom is congregationally responsible for everything that happens at his wedding reception. Even if a non-Witness were to do something reproachful (strip naked, get drunk, dry-hump a date), the groom will lose congregation privileges, even if he has already left the reception.\n\nThe couple will have selected a mature JW brother as "director" for the reception. Such things as impromptu music requests need to be approved by the bride, groom, or director. Do not try to sing or coerce the band/dj to play something without talking with bride, groom, or director.\n\nWitnesses generally do not clink glasses for any reason (well, to get attention perhaps). Witnesses generally do not toast or cheer one another with drink. Do not offer a toast or suggest that anyone else do so.\n\nAt some point before the main course, a brother will say a few words then pray, probably loudly with a microphone. As long as you are silent and composed during the prayer, you need not feel compelled to bow your head, close your eyes, hold hands, or even say “Amen”.\n\nJWs generally do not do a so-called “bridal dance” for money. Married JWs generally slow-dance only with their spouse and other relatives, although its fine to dance with anyone dramatically different in age from yourself.\n\nWitnesses do not condone premarital sex. Jokes implying sexual familiarity with or between the couple are unwelcome and in poor taste.\n\nAttire at the ceremony will be dignified and season-appropriate. Most JW men will wear suits and neckties, most women will wear dresses and skirts. Fur is uncommon but not unwelcome. Dress shirt without tie or dress slacks on women are not unheard of at the ceremony, especially for non-Witnesses.\n\nSome Witnesses in some communities change clothes before the reception. At the reception, depending on the community, you may notice that the skirts seem a little shorter and there are fewer neckties and more women wear slacks and the makeup is more… something. No one will wear a miniskirt; no one will cross-dress (not even to be funny).\n\nWitness receptions vary tremendously by community. Appropriate gifts include money, restaurant certificates, gift certificates, household appliances, furnishings, etc; no talismans or religious idols. There may or may not be alcohol, depending on the community and the couple's preference.\n\nIn rural a
162695
You invite the entire community, as well as the church members. As for the actual ceremony, different religious groups have different ones, talk to your preacher/pastor/etc. He or she will know exactly what is called for.
748521
Amongst traditionally observant Jews, men and women do not touch each other.  This does not, of course, apply to a husband and wife, and it doesn't necessarily apply to one's immediate family (though I knew one guy who was so strict about it that he wouldn't hug his own mother - I don't know if he was simply being stringent in his observance, or just being unnecessarily strict).  Even husband and wife do not touch each other for a certain length of time each month.  People who keep these rules are referred to as "shomer negiah" (keeping the laws regarding physical contact).  The reasoning behind all this is basically a combination of laws regarding ritual purity and modesty in conduct.\n\nWikipedia actually has a pretty decent article explaining this concept: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negiah\n\nAlso, amongst other things, men and women are not supposed to be alone in a room together.\n\nMen are instructed not to converse excessively with a woman, as this may lead to sin, etc., etc.\n\nPlease note that although all these rules may make observant Jews sound uptight, you'd be hard-pressed to find a religion with a healthier attitude towards sexuality.  While some religions frown upon marriage as a necessary evil, a concession to men and women's baser instincts, while maintaining that the ideal life for a pious person is one of celibacy, Judaism maintains that we are commanded to marry and have children, and in fact, this is the first mitzvah recorded in the Torah (be fruitful and multiply).  In Judaism, sexuality isn't shunned, but rather, restricted (that is, to the context of marriage) and refined into one of the holiest of acts.\n\nI hope this helps answer your question.  If you have any further questions, I can try to answer them, or, if I feel unqualified (which I probably will be), I can point you in the direction of someone who can.
964553
There are several different branches of Judaism, including Reform, Conservative, Orthadox, Ultra-Orthadox and Reconstructionist. There will be many differences between each of those, especially in terms of adherence to the 613 mitzvot (commandments), but I'll try to hit the points of agreement:\n\n1. A belief in one diety\n2. A common identity rooted in the stories of the Torah (Old Testament)\n3. A code of ethics known as mitzvot that came from G-d\n4. The belief that G-d gave makind the Torah, in which the guidelines for living an upright lift\n\nA famous story says that a well-known Rabbi known as Hillel was asked your very question by a Roman. In fact, the Roman said that he would only follow a religion that could be explained while the teacher stood on one foot. So, lifting one foot, Hillel said, "What is hateful to you, do not do to others. The rest is commentary. Go and study."
371753
Hi the most popular online service for talking to a Rabbi is www.askmoses.com, you just type in your question in the top left, they give a very personal session, with a little pic etc...\n\nGood Luck!
1140244
Marriage is more of a legal issue than it is a religious one.  While many people do get married through a church of whatever their particular religion is, the church in no way makes the marriage official in the eyes of society, just in the eyes of the church.  What really makes you married is the certificate that you get from the state when you tell them you're getting married and go through the whole paperwork thing.
1141676
What about the marriages performed by a judge? And it can't just be Christian ceremonies, there's Jewish, Catholic, and many other ceremonies performed everyday, freedom of religion. Is the person performing the Wiccan hand fasting acknowledged by the court systems?
871801
Decide which church you want to have your servide in and then invite both the priest and the pastor to officiate.  The priest can give you a blessing.  As a graduate student I took as my research project the Pre-Cana marriage preparation course offerred by the Catholic Church for engaged couples and it is a solid, excellent program to sort out issues before they become difficulties after a couple is married.  Whatever church you eventually decide to settle in does not matter.  This Pre-Cana program will help you more than I can say and give you tools to deal with problems when they arise.  Peace and joy!
98886
they can. my best frineds sister is mormon and married a jehova whitness. And I've been to many weddings with a cathcolic bride (or groom) and the other is Jew.
1033495
I am not at all familiar with PA laws. In Texas, however,  I have known couples that have been married by officiants that were "ordained" on-line.\nIt would appear at a glance that PA may have more specific guidelines for clergy that act as the officiant in a ceremony.\nIt would seem that the minister must be ordained by a church within the state. Usually when one is ordained online, the church that does this has a home base where some form of congregation meets. My guess would be that as long as they "office/church" out of PA, then it would be OK.\n\nHope this helps.
299168
None of the above it was done by rabbi's. It you read it you will know that Judaism is not from God or of God. The religion of Judaism is a deceiver.