Breaking the Glass at a Jewish Wedding: Meaning and Music

Breaking the glass at a Jewish wedding happens at the end of the ceremony under the chuppah, the wedding canopy: the groom steps on a wrapped glass, or the couple does it together, and everyone shouts "Mazel tov." The most common explanation is that it recalls the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, a moment of memory inside the joy.

Key Takeaways

• When: it is the last act under the chuppah, after the seven blessings, and the signal that the couple is married and the celebration can start.
• Why: most often to remember the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem; many couples also read it as a reminder that a marriage, like glass, needs care.
• Who: traditionally the groom; today many couples break it together, or each partner breaks a glass.
• What to say: "Mazel tov," congratulations and good luck, shouted by the whole room the second the glass breaks.
• What follows: the recessional music starts on the shout, so agree on the cue with your officiant and your DJ before the day.

Why do Jews break a glass at weddings?

There is no single answer, and families give different ones. The explanation heard most often is memory: the broken glass recalls the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, so that even at the happiest moment of a couple's life, that loss is not forgotten. Chabad.org describes the custom as one that "primarily commemorates the fall of Jerusalem," and in many communities the verse from Psalm 137 that begins "If I forget you, O Jerusalem" is sung or said just before the glass breaks.

The custom has deep roots. The Talmud (Berakhot 30b–31a) tells of a rabbi who saw the rabbis at his son's wedding growing too merry and broke a precious cup in front of them, to bring a moment of seriousness back into the room. Over the centuries the broken glass came to be tied to the memory of Jerusalem. In Hebrew the custom is called shevirat ha-kos (שבירת הכוס), "the breaking of the cup." Other meanings families give today:

• A marriage is fragile. Like glass, a relationship is easy to break and hard to mend, so the couple promises to handle it with care.
• Joy and sorrow belong together. Married life will hold both, and the couple will stand side by side through each.
• Two halves made whole. Chabad.org shares a mystical teaching: a couple's souls began as one and were split before birth, and the wedding brings the two halves back together, so even a shattering ends in "Mazel tov."
• Noise against bad luck. An old folk explanation says the loud crack scares away evil spirits.

Your rabbi or officiant will have their own way of explaining it, and many couples ask for a sentence about its meaning before the glass is broken, so every guest understands what they are about to see.

Who breaks the glass at a Jewish wedding?

Traditionally the groom breaks the glass with one firm step. Many couples now share the moment: 18Doors, an organization for interfaith families, notes that some couples break the glass together, and some break two glasses, one each. There is no wrong choice among these, but make it ahead of time and tell your officiant, your photographer and your DJ, because all three are waiting for the same second.

Breaking the glass under the chuppah is also the moment the couple turns from the ceremony to their guests, so think about where each of you will stand. The person breaking it needs a little space, a firm floor and a clear view of the glass, and the photographer needs to know which side to shoot from.

What do guests say when the glass breaks?

"Mazel tov," or mazal tov in Israeli Hebrew. It means congratulations and good luck, and the whole room shouts it the instant the glass breaks. It is the cue that the ceremony is over and the party has begun, so expect clapping, singing and, at many weddings, a crowd rushing to hug the couple.

In a room where some guests are new to Jewish weddings, a short line from the officiant gets everyone shouting together. That is why so many couples ask for a few words just before the glass.

A short script for the breaking of the glass

Your rabbi or officiant will choose the words. Couples often hand them a few lines like these as a starting point, and they take well under a minute to say:

"We close this ceremony with the breaking of the glass. For many families it recalls the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, a reminder to keep memory close even in our happiest moments. It also reminds us that love, like glass, is precious and needs care. When you hear the glass break, please join us in shouting Mazel tov."

If the ceremony is in Hebrew and English, the officiant can say the explanation in English and the blessing in Hebrew; either way, the last sentence is the one that matters most to your guests.

What does the DJ do when the glass breaks?

For whoever is running the music, the glass is the most important cue of the ceremony. The room goes from quiet to loud in one second, and the music has to arrive with the shout, not after it. This is how it usually runs when we play a Jewish wedding:

1. Before the ceremony: the officiant wears a wireless microphone, so the blessings and the last words before the glass reach every row, outdoors as well as in a ballroom.
2. The verse: if a cantor or a singer sings Im Eshkachech, the verse from Psalm 137, before the glass, their microphone is tested at the sound check, not on the day.
3. The cue: the DJ watches the couple, not the program. The recessional starts on "Mazel tov," at full volume, because a song that fades in under the shout is lost.
4. The walk out: the couple leaves first, usually followed by the parents and the wedding party, and the song has to be long enough to carry everyone down the aisle.
5. The handover: as the guests stand, the music moves into the cocktail hour, while the couple slips away for yichud, the few minutes alone together that many couples keep right after the ceremony.

If you have an MC, they stay quiet through this moment and speak only once the couple has left the aisle. Whoever plays your wedding should know this order by heart, and so should an MC who hosts in Hebrew and English. Our Jewish wedding DJ page explains how we plan every part of the ceremony with the couple and their rabbi, and our guide to what happens at a Jewish wedding, hour by hour shows where the glass sits in the whole day.

Which songs play after breaking the glass?

The recessional is the first song of the celebration, so it should sound like one. Some couples choose a traditional song, some choose a pop song the whole room knows, and many do both: a traditional song for the walk out, then a favorite as the guests rise. These Jewish wedding songs and crowd favorites all work, and every one of them was checked in a music catalogue before it went on this list:

• Siman Tov u'Mazal Tov — Traditional: the classic answer to the glass, sung and clapped in a circle at Jewish weddings around the world.
• Od Yishama — Traditional: its words come from the prophet Jeremiah and from the seven blessings, so it carries the ceremony straight into the party.
• Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours — Stevie Wonder: bright, quick and known by every generation in the room.
• You Make My Dreams — Daryl Hall & John Oates: a happy walk-out song for couples who want a pop recessional.
• Marry You — Bruno Mars: a wedding song the guests sing along to as they stand.

Tell your DJ which version you want and whether a live musician will start it. If a live Israeli singer is part of your ceremony, ask them to take Siman Tov from the first bar while the DJ brings the full sound in behind them; an Israeli wedding singer who knows the song can carry the whole walk out, and a saxophone works the same way. For the rest of the ceremony, our guide to Jewish wedding ceremony songs, from the badeken to the yichud goes moment by moment, and our guide to the hora and the chair lift picks up where the celebration begins, with the Israeli wedding songs that fill the first dance set.

How do you break the glass safely?

A few practical details keep the moment clean and keep the shards where they belong:

• Wrap it well. The glass goes into a thick cloth napkin or a padded pouch. Shops sell a Jewish wedding glass breaking kit with a glass and a pouch, but a heavy napkin around an ordinary glass does the same job. 18Doors notes that some couples use a light bulb, which breaks very easily.
• Choose a firm, flat spot. On thick carpet, soft lawn or an aisle runner, a glass may only crack. Ask the officiant to set it on the firmest part of the floor under the chuppah.
• Wear hard-soled shoes. One firm step with the heel usually does it. A second try happens, and the guests cheer it just the same.
• Name someone to pick it up. Ask a member of the wedding party or the coordinator to collect the pouch once the couple has walked out, so nobody steps on a loose piece.
• Check the venue's rules. Some venues don't allow glass by a pool or on certain floors, so ask when you book.

Can you keep the broken glass?

Many couples do. Keep the pouch closed after the ceremony and hand it to someone you trust; later, some couples have the pieces made into a Jewish wedding glass keepsake, such as a mezuzah case, a small frame or a piece of glass art for their home. If you want to keep it, tell the person collecting the pouch, so it doesn't leave with the ceremony decorations at the end of the night.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do they break a glass at the end of a Jewish wedding?

The reason given most often is to remember the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, even at a moment of great joy. Many couples also see it as a reminder that marriage, like glass, is precious and needs care. It closes the ceremony, and the guests answer it with "Mazel tov."

What is breaking the glass called in Hebrew?

Shevirat ha-kos (שבירת הכוס), which means "the breaking of the cup." Most English speakers simply call it breaking the glass, and the shout that follows it is "Mazel tov."

Do both partners break the glass?

Traditionally the groom breaks it, and today many couples break it together or break one glass each. Decide with your rabbi or officiant beforehand, and tell your DJ and photographer which way it will go.

Can a couple who isn't Jewish break a glass at their wedding?

Many interfaith couples include it, usually with a few words from the officiant about what it means. Talk it through with whoever leads your ceremony, since they decide how it fits.

Planning it with us

Breaking the glass takes one second, and the next few minutes set the tone for the whole night. Whether you are looking for a DJ for a Jewish wedding or a DJ for an Israeli wedding, we plan that moment with every couple: the microphones, the cue, the recessional and the walk into the celebration. Read our Jewish and Israeli wedding guide for Los Angeles, watch a packed dance floor at one of our Jewish weddings, and if you are still choosing a place, start with our 12 questions to ask a Jewish or kosher wedding venue. Then send us your date, and we'll put together a personalized quote.