Ring Exchange

A traditional Jewish wedding is a single ring ceremony. The groom presents the bride with a plain, unadorned band, and says, "Harei at mekudeshet li b'tabat zu k'dat Moshe v'Yisrael." With this ring you are consecrated to me according to the laws of Moses and Israel. Once the ring is given and this line is said, the marriage is made.

We will be doing a double ring ceremony. There is some discussion about what the bride should say when giving the ring to the groom. Some say that the feminine version of the "harei at" is incorrect and should not be said. Instead, the bride often says, " Ani l'dodi v'dodi li." I am my Beloved's and my Beloved's mine. Naomi will actually be saying both.

A plain gold band should be used for a number of reasons. First is that it represents a complete and unbroken circle. It is also so that the focus is on the ceremony and its meaning and not on the value or glamour of the ring itself.