What goes on at the kabbalat panim and the chatans tisch?
kabbalat panim is Hebrew for “receiving of the faces” and chatan’s tisch is Yiddish for “groom’s table.” During the first half of the reception, Josh will mingle with guests at the chatan’s tisch while Alexis entertains (and is entertained by) close friends and relatives in another room. Alexis will be sitting in a specially decorated chaira symbolic throne for the bride, who is treated as a queen. This is known as hachnasat kallah (literally, “attending the bride”). Guests will greet the bride and close friends will receive special blessings from her. In the meantime, Josh will be at the chatan’s tisch with relatives and friends. In addition to the recitation of mincha, the afternoon prayer service, an important document will be witnessed here. Here the ketubah, wedding contract, is read aloud. Josh will indicate his ascension to the contract by the taking of a handkerchief, and two witnesses will sign the ketubah, making it a valid and binding contract. The final step in putting the
