The traditional Jewish wedding meal is the culmination of a ceremony that is thousands of years old. The wedding meal includes some foods that are found at all Jewish weddings, but the rest of a traditional menu can depend on the backgrounds of the bride and groom.

Discuss the blessings that occur during the Jewish wedding meal with your rabbi. He can direct you on the blessing over the challah bread, the Blessing After Meals and the Seven Blessings.

Plan for the challah. Cover and bless the bread before the meal begins. At a traditional Jewish wedding meal, the bride and groom distribute pieces of challah to the guests.

Choose a dairy or meat meal. A traditional Jewish wedding meal is kosher, so you don't want to mix the two. Don't serve pork or shellfish either.

Examine the traditions from your background. Ashkenazi Jews traditionally serve a wedding meal of roast chicken with potatoes and vegetables. Sephardic Jews often have lamb and rice. The bride and groom may come from different backgrounds and want traditional dishes from each.

Select the dessert. A Jewish caterer or your favorite Jewish bakery has many cakes to choose from that keep with tradition. Have fruit on hand as well.

Write a sequence of events. The traditional Jewish wedding meal involves several prayers at specific times and dancing after the meal. Your rabbi or a good Jewish caterer can assist with this sequence.