Chuppah help please

[LRL]

Hello ladies!

My best friend is getting married next summer, and has asked for me to make her chuppah for her. (It is a huge honor for me to do this for her, and I am very excited!) I would like to personalize the chuppah, and also incorporate some very traditional aspects of the chuppah tradition into it.

I am wondering if anyone can help me find a history/information on the chuppah, and maybe some examples of yours. If you purchased yours on-line, who did you purchase it from? I would love photos, and maybe some suggestions.

I don't come from the Jewish tradition so I am a bit lost, but I want to get started ASAP so that I leave myself enough time to complete it and be very happy with the end product.

TIA! :)

[PG-rated]

Friends of mine had a "Jewish-style" wedding (it wasn't a Jewish ceremony but they incorporated Jewish traditions into it), and their chuppah was made of squares of fabric that had been decorated by friends and family members with special wishes, memories and in-jokes. Someone in the bridal party (or maybe the couple, I don't know) sent the squares to specific people with the request to decorate them, and then sewed them all together for the chuppah. After the ceremony, it was put on display in the cocktail room for all the guests to admire.

[AndreaMMS]

When I was doing research on Chuppahs for my wedding I learned that:

-The chuppah has no walls to represent the new couple inviting their friends, family, and the world into their relationship.

-The chuppah is also a place for the spirits of the bride's and groom's ancesters to gather to give their blessings to the couple.

Lovely, isn't it? :)

[njnewyearsbride]

my MOH made our huppah -- she basically got a ton of fabric and painted it... i think it ended up being around 6'x6'

she pained a huge sun on it... it was BEAUTIFUL!
it was held up with 4 poles that were stuck in huge planters full of rocks
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4dc20b3127cce9cd57bf6946300000016108AbsWzho2atE
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4dc31b3127cce9cd5786345f800000015108AbsWzho2atE

you can kinda see it in this one
http://images.snapfish.com/3447%3A%3B%3A723232%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2325%3D9%3A4%3D4 68%3DXROQDF%3E23235%3C348%3A579ot1lsi

[pocket]

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/pocket1/chuppah2.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b137/pocket1/chuppah1.jpg

Here are some pictures of our chuppah. It’s made from 4 dowels, screw in hooks, ribbon, a tallit (prayer shawl) that belonged to Pita’s g-grandfather and the smaller blue chuppah my parents were married under. It’s free-standing, supported by our sisters and bff’s. It was very easy to make – please ask any questions….

[LRL]

Thank you ladies for your help!

Pocket- I may take you up on the offer for additional questions once I get it started!!! :)

[wander_woman]

Butting in here ...

pocket - That's a beautiful chuppah! Could you provide instructions for how you made it? We are also going to have a free-standing one, probably using bamboo poles. We'll buy pretty fabric (I'm thinking something sari-like) to go on top. But we don't know how to connect the fabric to the poles without damaging the fabric (so we can use it for something else later). Can you describe how you did this?

Thanks!

[pocket]

How to make a chuppah:

4 2” dowels/closet rods (we used closet rods)
4 screw-in hooks
1 piece of fabric of whatever shape or dimensions you prefer
needle and thread

Have the dowels cut to the right length at the store, or cut them yourself. We used 8’ for the front dowels and 7’ for the back dowels. Some like to make all 4 the same length which is also fine.

Screw in the screw-in hooks at about 6” from the top of the dowel.

Place fabric on the floor and sew the ribbons to the corners of the fabric (if you place it 3-4” in from the edge, it will make a border)

Tie the ribbons to the little hooks.

All done!!

(if you use same length all around dowels, I recommend that you arrange the fabric so that it hangs down the back of the chuppah by sewing the ribbons closer to the center of the fabric than to the edge)

(if you want to make the chuppah stand up on it’s own. You can fill 4 buckets with concrete and make a hold big enough for the dowel using a paper towel tube. Then decorate the buckets with flowers or something. Alternatively you could dig some holes in the ground or you could use gravel or pretty stones (like river rocks?) to hold the chuppah poles in place in a bucket or big jar)

[pocket]

We are also going to have a free-standing one, probably using bamboo poles. We'll buy pretty fabric (I'm thinking something sari-like) to go on top. But we don't know how to connect the fabric to the poles without damaging the fabric (so we can use it for something else later). Can you describe how you did this?

This will be lovely! Make sure the bamboo isn't too bendy. that would be a bummer. And if you are using a sari, you should maybe sew the ribbons on so that part of the sari hangs down the back.

[wander_woman]

pocket, Thanks so much!! Sounds so easy. I like the idea of having some fabric hanging down the back. I hadn't thought of that but I think it would look beautiful. I can't wait to start working on this!

[suzubeane]

Pocket, I remember so well the whole discussion during wedding planning over what to do to dress up the chuppah your parents had been married under. It turned out so beautiful – I love seeing it again.

The only things I would add to what pocket has written is that you can also so sew little metal rings onto your fabric (to help keep it on the hooks instead of ribbon) and you can also help the people holding your chuppah by setting out four umbrella stands (the kind that hold up outdoor umbrellas) for them to plug the poles into while they're holding them upright.

Also, another way to personalize it is to use a plain light colored table cloth, and that lay that out somewhere during the reception with markers so people can sign it like a guest book. Maker sure you use permanent or fabric markers, and the couple can use the table cloth or hang it on the wall. This is easier than trying to get people to decorate square, and return them in time, IMO. My cousins (three sisters) all did that, but it's time consuming and if people drag their feet or aren't feeling creative then they're left out. Instead anyone can sign a table cloth!

[wander_woman]

This thread is just full of good ideas tonight. suzubeane, I really like the tablecloth signing idea! And thanks for the suggestion re umbrella stands. Do you think the chuppah poles are difficult to hold up without the stands? I can definitely see how they would be helpful. But I would also probably feel the need to decorate them which would add more to the growing list of DIY projects that I'm trying to avoid. I'll have to give it some thought.

[Doobiedoo56]

This is our chuppah that I made
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4ce03b3127cce993fac0d209800000016109Acs3Ldqzbw

DH found an iron bedframe that we used for the top and then we added 4 8ft dowels that sat in umbrella stands we painted white. We then draped the whole thing in white tulle & added arrangements of fake fall leaves at the corners & on the posts. I actually had a fun time making it (as opposed to the $700 my florist wanted to make one for us) and I received a ton of compliments on it.


Debbie

[berry]

I saw two really cool huppa's when I was wedding planning. We didn't use one, but I thought these ideas were so cool.

The first huppa was made of fabric from all different sources. It was almost like a quilt, without a pattern. It had a piece of the bride's and groom's mother's wedding dress, a lace handkerchief, a prayer shawl (of a family member) and other things like this. I thought it was so cool that it was made up of pieces of fabric with significance and from family!

The other huppa was more contemporary and was designed by an artist. They had friends and family members write blessings on to small pieces of cloth. These were sewn together, along with other words painted on fabric (like love, faith, trust, etc.) It was very personal and artistic.

If you sew you could make a quilt and use that for the huppa and that could then be your gift to them. They could hang or use the quilt in their home.

[pocket]

My $0.02 on the decorated squares chuppah:

I have seen a lot of people do the "decorated squares" chuppah where they mail a square of fabric to guests to decorate and then stitch it together. I think the sentiment is lovely, but they often look - um - terrible. Puffy paint and sharpies are often used. Your friends and family don't necessarily have artistic skills in proportion to their love for you.

Just an opinion.

See? As above, you can add some sort of unifier for the squares, like with the painted on words, or perhaps interspersing the frinds and fam squares with another fabric.

[Sazoo]

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[LRL]

These are all such wonderful ideas! And the chuppahs that have been posted have been beautiful! Thank you so much! I will post a photo when I finish it... although the plan is to work on it while I am on maternity leave! ;)

Thank you again!!! :)