Set to ancient and evocative melodies, these Jewish wedding prayers are the liturgical core of the wedding. Actually, it is perfectly legal to get married without these blessings, but reciting the sheva b'rachot is one of the Jewish wedding traditions that has taken on the force of the law. It just doesn't feel like a Jewish wedding without them.
There are many ways to "perform" the seven blessings. Usually, the rabbi or cantor will read or chant them in Hebrew and English. But there is also a tradition of honoring special guests (often Rabbis and family members) by asking them to read or chant a blessing under the huppah.
The seven jewish wedding prayers (blessings) sound many of the great themes of Judaism: creation, Eden, Zion, redemption, Jerusalem. Within this vast context, your Jewish wedding becomes the fulcrum of time. Your ceremony defines the center point between creation and redemption, between the first days and the end of days.
All three of these moments - the beginning, your wedding, and the end- share the same wholeness, the same sweetness, and the unambiguous presence of God.
The Talmud mentions only six wedding blessings, but since the sixth century, Jews have made a universal practice of adding kiddush to round up the number to a more mystically satisfying seven. Seven is also the number of days of creation plus the day G-d rested. The wine is not tasted until all seven blessings are recited.
