• About
  • Find a Vendor
  • Submit
  • Advertise
  • Brides Club
  • Your Jewish Life
  • Contact

Smashing the Glass | Jewish Wedding Blog

Inspired Jewish Weddings

  • Real Jewish Weddings
    • City Chic
    • Fashion Forward
    • Outdoor
    • Destination
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • France
      • Beach Weddings
    • Super Luxe
    • Budget
    • DIY
    • Same Sex
  • Jew-ish Weddings
    • Real Jew-ish Weddings
    • Jewish-Catholic Weddings
    • Jewish-Chinese Weddings
    • Jewish-Christian Weddings
    • Jewish-Greek Weddings
    • Jewish-Hindu Weddings
    • Jewish-Humanist Weddings
    • Jewish-Irish Weddings
    • Jewish Japanese Weddings
    • Jewish-Muslim Weddings
    • Same Sex Jew-ish Weddings
  • Inspiration + Guidance
    • Engaged? Start Here
    • Ceremony
      • Chuppah ideas
      • Jewish ceremony music
      • Jewish wedding ceremony 101
      • Jewish ceremony traditions
      • Ketubah Ideas
      • Jewish wedding legalities
      • Jew-ish ceremony ideas
    • Reception
      • Music
      • Speeches
      • Entertainment
      • Venues
    • Food & Drink
      • Kosher catering
      • Wedding cakes
      • Drinks
    • Decor
      • Decorations
      • Favours
      • Floristry
      • Guestbooks
      • Stationery
    • Style
      • Brides dresses
      • Shoes & accessories
      • Grooms
      • Bridesmaids
    • Advice
      • Converting to Judaism
      • Real blogging brides
      • Dear Karen…
    • Honeymoons
    • STG Live
    • Five Minutes With
    • Wedding Must-Haves
    • Wedding Consultancy
  • Jewish Brides Club
  • Find a Wedding Vendor
Home > Breaking The Glass – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #7

Breaking The Glass – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #7

31/10/2014 by Karen

Breaking-the-glass-Jewish-wedding
All imagery by Blake Ezra Photography. This is part 7 of the 9-part Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained series.

This is it, the time has come. With so much preparation carried out for this very moment, the ring placed upon the finger, every guest in the room hurriedly preparing their iPhones to take a shot, and clearing their vocal chords to shout “Mazal Tov”, it’s time to break the glass!

Such is the synonymy between Jewish weddings and smashing a glass, that we hear the most uber-cool Jewish wedding blog has been named after this very tradition. This site wasn’t named ‘Dancing the Hora’ or ‘Eating the Canapes’, but Smashing The Glass, as this is THE moment of the Jewish wedding. We hear time and time again from members of our Brides Club community that smashing the glass is one of the most memorable traditions of the whole beautiful day.

The glass, usually wrapped up in a cloth or napkin, is placed on the floor in front of the groom. However before it is smashed, it’s traditional at most Jewish weddings for the Rabbi or Chazan (Cantor) to sing a Hebrew song called Im Eshkakech Yerushalayim, or in English… ‘If I forget you, Jerusalem’. This commemorates the falling of Jerusalem and destruction of the two Jewish temples that once stood there.

It’s said that whenever Jewish people experience immense joy, they should also remember the less joyous times in their ancestry. With celebration comes commemoration. So once the less beautiful times have been remembered, the time comes for the groom to break the glass. Why is this done? Great question.

There are many reasons that Jewish grooms break a glass at the end of their ceremony, sealing the marriage to their Bride. The first being, in keeping with the song that had just been sung, to commemorate the destruction faced by Jewish people over the past two thousand years, a nod to the suffering that had come before. After all, if you can remember the dark times even on the brightest of days, you’ll never allow them to be forgotten.

Breaking The Glass Jewish Wedding
Breaking The Glass Jewish Wedding
Breaking The Glass Jewish Wedding
Beyond that, the interpretations range from the humorous, such as this is probably the last time the groom will ever get to put his foot down, to the much more beautiful reason (a personal favourite) that smashing a valuable item symbolises a marriage is not about material goods, but about two people being together and committed to each other.

Another great interpretation of this tradition is that by breaking the glass, all potential cracks in the relationship go onto the glass, and the relationship should remain seamless and wonderful always.

So the foot goes down, the glass is smashed, the couple is married, two families have come together, everyone shouts ‘Mazal Tov’ and gets ready to party. What next? What becomes of this heap of broken glass, lying alone in a cloth on the floor beneath the chuppah?

Many couples choose to have something made from their glass, a mosaic in a frame or something equally decorative. Many artists, showcasing their work online, offer to create a beautiful piece to be displayed in the marital home, so the couple gets to see their glass every day. For this reason, many couples choose to have a coloured or even multi-coloured vessel, knowing that it’ll look great above the fireplace or up in the hallway a few months after the wedding. There’s always tons of discussion among our Brides Club members about beautiful options for smash glass art!

Smashing the glass is a wonderful tradition, and one which can mean a different thing to many couples. Personalise it, make it your own, and know that this moment truly marks the start of your married life together. If you’d like some more ideas on how to personalize this very special moment, download our guide to the top 9 Jewish wedding traditions and how to personalize them!

In next week’s instalment of Jewish wedding traditions explained, we’ll look at ‘Yichud’, which is when the newly married couple spend a few moments alone together in private before joining their guests. In fact, in times past, this is when the marriage would have been consummated. Learn everything there is to know about this very special ritual next week.

Blake Ezra’s ‘Breaking The Glass’ gallery

© Blake Ezra Photography Ltd. 2014.
© Blake Ezra Photography Ltd. 2014.
© Blake Ezra Photography Ltd. 2014.
© Blake Ezra Photography Ltd. 2014.
© Blake Ezra Photography Ltd. 2014.
© Blake Ezra Photography Ltd. 2014.

Words and imagery by Blake Ezra Photography, one of Smashing The Glass’s Smashing Suppliers.. 


 

Share this post:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Filed Under: Jewish Wedding Rituals Tagged With: Smashing The Glass, Breaking the glass, Blake Ezra Photography, guest post, Jewish wedding rituals, Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained

You might also like...

  • Preparation – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #1Preparation – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #1
  • The Ketubah – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #2The Ketubah – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #2
  • The Tisch – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #3The Tisch – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #3
  • The Badeken – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #4The Badeken – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #4
  • The Chuppah – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #5The Chuppah – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #5
  • The Seven Blessings (Sheva Brachot) – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #6The Seven Blessings (Sheva Brachot) – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #6

About Karen

Loves great design, cityscapes, berry cocktails, and the word “yes”. Founder and editor of Smashing The Glass. Follow me @SmashingTheGlass

Jewish Weddings by Country

Vendors We Love

Weddings by Colour


Awesome Jewish Gifts

Vendors We Love

Get posts directly into your inbox

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

Kate Spade UK Limited
Liberty London
Mr And Mrs Smith Honeymoons
Monica Vinader

Today’s Top Posts

  • A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
    A guide to the Jewish Wedding Ceremony and Order of Service under the chuppah
  • Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained - Breaking The Glass
    Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained - Breaking The Glass
  • How to Turn Your Smashed Glass Shards Into a Keepsake Souvenir of Your Jewish Wedding
    How to Turn Your Smashed Glass Shards Into a Keepsake Souvenir of Your Jewish Wedding
  • The Badeken – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #4
    The Badeken – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #4
  • The Tisch – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #3
    The Tisch – Jewish Wedding Traditions Explained #3

Subscribe by Email

Enter your email address below and get the latest posts delivered straight to your inbox.

closeJoin our members-only community for Jewish brides!

All content © Smashing The Glass 2025