THIS IS THE BOOK! I have directed everyone who has asked to read it, cover to cover (if time permits) for its excellent guidance through the religious aspects of wedding planning.

When I recently relinquished my dog-eared and tabbed copy to another bride to be, I was amazed at how much of the information I found relevant/meaningful enough to "tab" for inclusion in our wedding disscussions/ceremony/program. The whole first section "Making the Tradition Your Own" really got me off on the right foot. My fiance converted about a year ago, and it was really important to both of us that the wedding speak not only to us, but to our non-Jewish family members and friends. This book really deals with these issues in a modern, egalitarian way.

A good deal of the text from our wedding program was culled from this book. It is clear and concise, without being preachy or didactic. It speaks to the beauty of the Jewish wedding traditions without making one or the other better.

In addition, this book does not discount the groom's role in crafting the wedding of HIS dreams! So many other wedding guides are filled with frilly verse and discussions of dresses and flowers. This one gives you the information you need so that you, your spouse, and your guests will remember the ceremony, not just the weather and the "franks in blanks!"

Whatever book you choose, and whatever you decide, I wish you ease of planning, and a day in which you are surrounded by the love of your family and friends! Mazel tov to all brides and grooms to be!

26 of 27 found the following review helpful:


This is the Jewish wedding book you should purchase.  Jan 02, 2000 By Shawn Weil
Since I am in the thick of helping to plan a Jewish wedding, I have looked at a number of the available guides to Jewish wedding planing. Bar none, this is the best. It treats weddings not only as the social events they invariably are, but also as the spiritual event we all want them to be. This is a tall order considering that the adjective "Jewish" applies to Hassidic Jews and egalitarian Reform Jews both. Anita Diamant is successful at pointing out the way one can make their wedding feel more "Jewish," no matter what the level of observance. She details the ceremony and the significance of all of its elements, but does not advocate one set of values or beliefs in lieu of another. Using real examples, she is able to illustrate that you can utilize the rich set of Jewish wedding traditions to make your wedding uniquely yours, and distinctly Jewish - as you define it for yourselves.

This book seems to have been written for Conservative and Reform Jews who may not be aware of all of the elements of a Jewish wedding. However, even if you are more traditional in your beliefs, you might appreciate this book as a resource for ideas.

Another, unrelated, point - Anita Diamant speaks not only to the bride, but also to the groom. She does not take us for granted, men. The only drawback of this book - and this is a minor point - is that it was written fifteen years ago, making some of the resources out of date. Do not let that stop you from purchasing the book - most of the information it contains is timeless.

Not only did my sister-in-law give us a copy when we announced our engagement, but our rabbi made it compulsory reading. My love and I are both grateful that they did. If you only buy one book, this should be the one. Mazel Tov.

20 of 20 found the following review helpful:


Required reading for the Parents, too.  Dec 10, 2000 By Michele Withnell
My daughter lives and will be married 600 miles away, so when she told me that the rabbi wanted her and her fiance to read this book, I bought it, too. It has been a great help in planning this wedding. We had already read a number of general wedding books. Even though we already knew the general basic traditions and laws of Jewish weddings, we needed a resource for all the options and creative ideas. We found it in this book. Almost every phone call (often several a week) has a discussion of some element of the wedding and what Anita Diamant says. I not only recommend this book to brides and grooms, but it should be required reading for their parents as well.

I was especially gratified with the inclusion of information related to including non-Jewish family, as my husband is a convert to Judaism. Other Jewish resources, I have read only deal with problems in an interfaith marriage. The book was also helpful in equalizing the differences in Jewish knowledge of my daughter and her fiance.

16 of 16 found the following review helpful:


Simply the finestand most complete resource anywhere.  Apr 10, 1997
As a congregational rabbi, I was for many years at
a loss for the kind of book I could refer couples
to that would give them all that they needed to
plan their wedding in the fullness of Jewish
tradition, yet would also inspire them to make
their wedding as meaningful and as special as it
could be. When my own wedding day approached a few
years ago, a friend gave me and my then
bride-to-be a copy of this book, and it was simply
the most useful and exciting book on the topic I had
ever seen - nothing else comes close. The author's
inclusion of meticulously-researched information
regarding the traditions surrounding Jewish
weddings, as well as her creative and innovative
suggestions, blended with straightforward,
sensible advice on practical matters make this
book a 10+. It stands in a league by itself. I
purchased a number of copies in bulk, and now give
them out to every couple who comes to see me about
officiating at their wedding. Simply fantastic!

Howard L. Jaffe, Warren, NJ

15 of 16 found the following review helpful:


Not all its cracked up to be  Sep 12, 2002
Good overall, but I don't think it deserves the reputation it seems to have as "the only Jewish Wedding book you'll ever need." For that it would need to be much better organized.

For example, the author could have included an actual outline of the Jewish ceremony from Kabbalat Panim through Yichud. Instead, she peppers the book with references to all these things, leaving the reader to wonder how it all falls into place. The Jewish wedding ritual has an order and a rhythm to it, so there's no reason for her NOT to have described it all in order - except, perhaps, that she wanted to fill out the book!

To get the most out of A New Jewish Wedding, you should have some prior knowledge. So order the book, and while you're waiting for it to arrive, do some of your own research on the 'net. (Aish.com's "Guide to the Jewish Wedding" is a pretty good place to start...

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