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| At Chai Chuppah, we create works of art that incorporate your dreams and wishes, your background and your future. |
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Jeff and Heather decided upon a special scene - the view seen from the window of the bride's bedroom in the home in which she grew up. Working from photos she had taken over the years and during several seasons, we recreated the woods and the lake, as it would look in July, the month in which they were married. Since Jeff had just recently completed walking the 2170 miles of the Appalachian Trail, we added a trail along the edge of the lake, ending with a white blaze on a tree - the mark of the AT - as the trail went into the woods. Just for fun, we hid a bear in the woods to remind Jeff of some of his trail adventures. |
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David and Melicca chose Tikun Olam, "To Save the World", for their chuppah theme. It was a natural for them, as both work in social services, and have dedicated their lives to repairing the world, one by one. We built their world, sea, sky and mountains, from old and new fabrics, some of which had been in the family for years. Included are silks from Thailand, hand-screened flowers, and fish in David's signature color, lime green. It's personalized with their names, location of the wedding and the date. We added Bogie, their beloved Golden Retriever (and ring bearer), and their unique wedding rings. |
Garden of the Gods Julia and Josh went to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado on their first date. For their chuppah they asked us to show some of the beautiful red rocks as they remembered them. Using postcards as guides, we chose one of their favorite views and added their silhouettes superimposed on the rock wall on the left. To further dramatize the rocks, as a background we created a sunset in shades of yellow, oranges and purples, lavender being their predominant wedding color. They chose to put their names in the left-hand corner, leaving room other names as they passed down the chuppah to future generations. |
Interestingly enough, many of our newest clients have been choosing from the growing number of Asian fabrics which have become available in the last few years. These fabrics allow us to combine a wide variety of colors in cottons - making them far more reasonable than the silk and satins that were the only choices some time ago. |
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Karyn's Grandfather was known for his extensive collection of bow-ties, various colors and designs, some large, some small. Unfortunately, he passed away before the wedding and Karyn and her mother sought some way to include him in the ceremony. They came to us asking if we could use the bow-ties in a chuppah. After taking apart the bows and restoring the fabrics, we circled the words "Ani l'dodi v'dodi li" with Grandpa's neckties, each one hand-sewn to the chuppah backing. They loved it, and we hope you see that there are many ways to use family mementos in your chuppah. |
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Wendie and Ed's chuppah begins with Chai, illustrating their new life and their new home. This complex design incorporates a Native American medicine wheel, replicating the one owned by Ed, signifying healing. Their two totems, the mountain lion and the bear, identify both of them as unique individuals. Trees and flowers border the chuppah. Butterflies, portraying birth, fly toward freedom. Each ray of the sun has a Hebrew phrase or name. They read Baruchim HaBaim, "Welcome to those who come, and Ani l'dodi, v'dodi li, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" from the Song of Songs. |
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Rebeccca and Sam selected a chuppah with a time-honored design. Their marriage will be celebrated with all the ceremonies and traditions of Judaism. We constructed a tallit, and wove garlands of flowers between and around the stripes. The six-pointed star, the "Magen David" is made from gilt-edged ribbon. We've sketched in English names, dates and setting, and can substitute whatever the bridal couple feel will be most meaningful to them. We can do the name of the synagogue, their Hebrew names and date, their vows, anything at all… |
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Jon and Lisa are people who love the outdoors and are continually concerned with the impact they can make on the environment. We created a circle representing the never-ending seasons of the year. Jon and Lisa have a finely honed sense of responsibility and work to ensure that their children will still be able to appreciate the world as we know it. They plan to pass this chuppah down through the generations, la dor v'dor. We'll put their names and wedding date on the chuppah at this time, and leave room to add the names and marriage dates of their children when those times come. |
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The Horn Design, one of the most complex chuppahs we've ever made, was based on a design by the bride's father. Michael sent us a 6" x 6" sketch which we enlarged into a chuppah which eventually spanned 7' x 12'. The center square was composed of 4 layers of fabric: a background of Jerusalem stone, a dark circle upon which is a flower shape, upon which is a panel containing the bridal couple's intertwined initials. Within the petals of the flower are birds and olive branches. At each corner of the square are grape leaves and vines. Bordering the center design are long strips of Jerusalem fabric. To complete this extremely intricate chuppah we took 2 tallitot, belonging to the bride and groom's grandparents, and carefully attached to them to each side. To assure that these 100 year-old tallitot wouldn't pull or tear we backed them with netting. Since this chuppah was crafted to last for many generations, no names were written on it. The center panel can be removed for a new design of each couple's initials. |
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Zack and Katie asked for a design that showed each of them individually and then tied them together. So we fashioned Eagle River, Alaska for the bride's side and the Arizona desert for the grooms'. In the center we show the house that they are building together, held up by an "I" beam from the University of Idaho where they met, and surrounded by the sports gear that is important to both of them. Trees and flowers indicate the Alaskan wilderness where they will reside. |
Tallit Chuppah When you both marry for a second time, and you and your groom bring five children together in a new family, it's tricky to figure out how to include them all in your ceremony. This chuppah is made of interwoven tallitot, belonging to various members of the new family. We carefully basted them to a background of see-through netting, so that none of the tallitot would be harmed and so that the chuppah could be taken apart after the wedding and the tallitot returned to their owners. |
Rebekah and Jonathon loved the circle design. They responded to its meaning as life's cycle of renewal, one milestone following another, all flowing together as life progresses. We recreated the design in their wedding colors, deep pink, ivory and black, and were lucky enough to find all those colors in a beautiful piece of oriental fabric.
