Candles

Candles were often a common feature of the bridal procession and chuppah, although they were never mandated. At times they were thrown as torches (with safety in mind, of course). More frequently, they were held by the two people escorting the bride and groom. The numerical value of candle (ner) multiplied by two for the escorters of bride and groom equals the numerical value of "be fruitful and multiply"!

Light was always associated with celebration: "For the Jews, there was light and joy, orah ve'simchah" (Esther 8:16). Candles are lit at the beginning of major holidays, as on the Sabbath. Moreover, as with much of the ceremony, the wedding was likened to the covenant that married the Jew to G‑d at Sinai. Just as there were bursts of thunder and lightning at Sinai, so here the lights announce the making of a covenant of Jewish marriage.