Question: What is a Chuppah?
Answer:
According to the Jewish view of marriage, the purpose of marriage is both companionship and procreation. The Chuppah is a marriage canopy that symbolizes the couple's first home together.
During the Jewish wedding ceremony, the bride and groom stand under the Chuppah. Under the Chuppah, blessings are recited, the wedding ring is given, the Ketubah is read out loud, and the glass is broken.
The Chuppah is basically a piece of cloth held up by four poles. Some people use a tallit prayer shaw for the Chuppah cloth. The Chuppah is open on all sides, which is reminiscient of the hospitality Abraham and Sarah showed guests in their open tent.
The Chuppah is usually held outside, under the stars, just prior to sundown, as a reminder of the blessing given by God to Abraham, that his children will be as numerous "as the stars of the heavens."