The week following the wedding:

                           Sheva Brachot

Sheva Brachot, literally ‘seven blessings’, refers not only to the set of seven blessings which are recited as part of the wedding ceremony, but also to the seven days of celebration which follow a traditional Jewish wedding. Customarily, the week after one’s wedding is set aside for rejoicing with family and friends. No work may be conducted, and celebratory meals are hosted by loved ones. At each of these meals, if a Panim Chadashim, a new person – one who was not at the wedding and who has not yet attended one of these festive meals – is present, and if there is a minimum quorum of ten adult males (a minyan) the Seven Blessings are recited again.

Before the blessings for the bread are made, a cup of wine is given to one of the men who begins the blessings for the meal. When he is concludes these blessings he puts down the cup and waits for thesheva brachot to begin. A second cup is filled up with wine and given to another man. It is on this second cup of wine that six of the seven special blessings are made for the Chatan and Kalla.

 Customarily, the week after one’s wedding is set aside for rejoicing with family and friends.

Some have the custom that one person says all six blessings; other have the custom to divide the six blessings up between various guests. When these six blessings are finished, the man who began the blessings on the bread and the meal then recites the blessing “boreh perei ha-gofen” which is the last of the seven blessings.

This man will drink from the cup which he is holding, then take the other cup over which the six blessings were recited and mix the two cups together so that the blessings become intertwined. One cup is given to the chatan to drink from and the other is given to the kallah. Since these are cups of blessings it is the custom of those in attendance to take a small sip of the wine too.  (from and for more details go to: JewishMag.com)

The History of Sheva Brachot:

The practice of Sheva Brachot dates from Biblical times. The book of Judges describes seven days of feasting which followed Samson’s wedding. The custom is now largely confined to Hassidic and Orthodox, and some Conservative communities, as many couples leave for a honeymoon immediately after their wedding.