Marriage is the creation of a new family. The Hebrew for family is Mishpacha. The Tanach, the Hebrew Bible, is very much about the story of families, or perhaps the better phrase is the importance of family. A wedding is one of the happiest occasions in a persons life. Rabbi Sarko will conduct the wedding ceremony in a way to best meet your needs.

Parameters: Rabbi Sarko only conducts Jewish services. If you require a common law marriage ceremony please consult a local judge. The rabbi will also not do a combination service with a non-Jewish officiate. He will marry a couple in which either the bride or groom is not Jewish, provided they wish a Jewish ceremony and intend on raising any future family as Jewish. If the non-Jewish member wishes to convert to Judaism the rabbi can assist in this as well but it is not a requirement for the marriage ceremony.

Pre-marriage Counseling: As a requirement to perform the wedding service the wedding couple will attend three pre-marriage counseling sessions. If the couple is remote from the location of the rabbi this can be done over a live Internet audio-visual program (the software is free).

The primary purpose of pre-marriage counseling is to help a couple determine if they are in fact ready for marriage. Couples usually come to the rabbi with that decision finalized. They come to set the wedding date and make wedding arrangements. The challenge in pre-marriage counseling is to assist the couple in focusing on their relationship instead of the wedding. Clearly pre-marriage counseling differs from marriage counseling. In marriage counseling the rabbi is concerned with improving the marital relationship through problem solving, and providing a sense of hope and resolution to marital difficulties. In pre-marriage counseling the goal is to test the commitments of the couple and lead them to answer questions that will define their relationship both now and into the future.

Wedding Service: The rabbi will travel to the city in which you would like to have the wedding ceremony. The ceremony will include all the aspects of a traditional Jewish wedding, with a chupah (wedding canopy), rings, a ketubah (marriage contract), and all other aspects found within such a service. Adjustments can be made to the service to meet the needs of the wedding couple. The rabbi will work with the couple to coordinate the needs of the wedding, including an understanding of any local secular laws concerning a marriage license, well prior to the wedding service.

The framework for the service is as follows:
• Signing of the Ketubah (marriage contract)
• Bedeken - a veiling service, optional
• Procession - leading to the chupah, marriage canopy
• Circling of the groom by the bride - optional
• Kiddushin - including blessings over wine and the ring ceremony
• Public reading of the ketubah - or some portion of the wedding contract
• Nissuin - including the seven wedding blessings and a benediction over the couple
• Breaking of a glass

A full explanation of all parts of the service will be discussed with the wedding couple so that they understand the aspects of the service. If requested this explanation can also be provided to family members so that they are also comfortable with the proceedings.