hair parting with vermilion (sindoor) and puts a gold necklace (mangalsutra) around her neck. Or a yellow thread applied with turmeric is knotted around the bride's neck 3 times at marriage. The first knot represents her obedience and respect to her husband, the second one to his parents and the third represents her respect to God. Several other rituals may precede or follow these afore-mentioned rites. Then the bride formally departs from her blood-relatives to join the groom's family. Jewish customs A traditional Jewish wedding usually follows this format: Before the ceremony, the couple formalize a written ketubah (marriage contract), specifying the obligations of husband to the wife and contingencies in case of divorce. The ketubah is signed by two witnesses and later read under the chuppah (wedding canopy). The couple is married under the chuppah signifying their new home together. The chuppah can be made from a piece of cloth or other material attached to four poles, or a giant tallit (prayer shawl) held over the couple by four family members or friends. The wedding couple is accompanied by both sets of parents and they join the wedding couple under the chuppah. In Orthodox Jewish weddings, the bride is accompanied to the chuppah by both mothers, and the groom is accompanied to the chuppah by both fathers. Seven blessings are recited, blessing the bride and groom and their new home. The couple sip a glass of wine from a Kiddush cup. The groom will smash a wine glass with his right foot, ostensibly in remembrance of the destruction of the Second Temple. In Reform Jewish weddings, the bride and groom can smash the wine glass together. At some weddings, the couple may declare that each is sanctified to the other, repeat other vows and exchange rings. In Orthodox Jewish weddings, the bride does not speak under the chuppah and only she receives a ring. The groom recites "Harei at mekudeshet li k'dat Moshe V'Yisrael"- "behold you are [thus] sanctified to me by the law of Moses and Israel" as he places the ring on the bride's right index finger. The bride's silence and acceptance of the ring signify her agreement to the marriage. This part of the ceremony is called kiddushin. The groom's giving an object of value to the bride is necessary for the wedding to be valid. In more egalitarian weddings, the bride responds verbally, often giving