Traditional Jewish Wedding Songs

It is said that Jewish weddings are fun and special events filled with traditions, rituals and beauty. The wedding music played is often traditional and is very similar to the Catholic wedding music. Music plays a very important role in the Jewish life cycle, so be sure that you choose the right songs for your Jewish wedding.

Jewish weddings have many unique traditional customs.

One of them is the part when the bride walks up to the chuppah or the wedding canopy which is a canopy on four poles that symbolizes that the bride and groom are making a new house together. This is part of the wedding processional where usually, there are two kinds of music to be played. At Jewish weddings, the entrance of the bride is accompanied by a song called baruch haba or Siman Tov meaning Congratulations – Good Luck!

Another traditional song for this moment is Ani L’Dodi Li… meaning I am my beloved…my beloved is mine. This is one of the most famous quotes from what is called The Song of Songs, by King Solomon written in the language of a beautiful and romantic love declaration between a husband and his wife. This is a good wedding music choice for when the bride is escorted by her parents to her groom who waits for her in the middle of the aisle and then they walk together to their new home.

Other processional Jewish songs which can be played are:

Hana’ava Babanot (The Fairest of Maidens)

El Kabir (Mighty God)

Y’did Nefesh (Beloved of my Soul)

Nigun

Erev Ba (Evening Comes)

S’u Sh’orim (Look up to the Gates)

Od Y’shama and Mazel Tov (The Voice of Gladness Shall be Heard Again / Good luck to the Bride and Groom)
There cannot be a Jewish wedding without traditional Jewish dances. Let’s see what are some traditional Jewish songs for the wedding reception. Usually, dancing at the Jewish wedding is done in a circle which is known as a Hora, consisting of a basic grapevine step when everyone has to move together to the middle of the circle and then to the back.

The guests raise the bride and groom, seated on their chairs and dance them around the room. The groom holds one corner of a handkerchief and the bride holds the opposite corner. While they move they cannot let go off the handkerchief. This dance requests energetic traditional music. Some of the songs for this traditional Jewish wedding dance are:

Yum Balalaika (Play Balalaika)

V’ha’er E’ne’nu (Enlighten Our Eyes to Your Torah)

Hava Nagila (Let’s Rejoice)

Waves of the Danube (The Anniversary Waltz)

Rabbi Elimelech Medley

Sunrise, Sunset (from Fiddler on the Roof)