Calling those with Jewish knowledge....

[ComeOVeneer]

Have been invited to a wedding of a friend of dh's (dh is jewish but none practising so hopeless to ask). It is written on the invite that it is black tie so easy for men but what should women wear? The ceremony is in a synagogue but not sure if it is an orthodox one (at 3pm) then onto the reception. Those of you with experience of this what would you advise to wear? Also do I need to be coveered in any particular way in the synagogue, will I be able to sit with dh or in a female only section etc?

Would \link{http://www.debenhams.com/jv/product_details_jv.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=9133267&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=7638207&bmUID=1148056190145#\this dress} with suitable shawl to cover arms be out of the question then?

Mr Bubble is 'United'. IME most female guests (apart from the mother of the bride/groom sometimes) at a 'United' wedding don't wear long dresses to the synagogue even if they're going on to an evening do.

But as a total shiksa, like me, maybe you need to pull out all the stops.

LOL I just realised that I've given a little too much away Hub

DW would wear something like that. Very fine, but you'll need the arm covering for the synagogue, as you say. If they're 'modern' young folk in the evening, the bare arms will be fine.

My old united was filled with more proper laydees then. LOL.

"youngish beautiful laydees like yourself"

Oh you charmer you (bats eyelashes and )..

Long-sleeved would be better. Either that or a shawl to go with it.

Don't stress too much, CM. Last Jewish do I went to I was dressed like Mother Theresa and every other (jewish) woman had their norks hanging out.

Actually, I'm probably confusing everyone because long dress to me = anything below knee, but long dress for laydees seems to have an infinite number of stylistic variation up to and including ball gown.

You won't need anything that goes to your ankles.

For arm covering would a shawl be ok (as in possibly sheer pashmina type thing) or something more substantial?

Large norks at that probably. pmsl.

dw wears knitted shawl thingy with large and many holes in pattern arrangement. Big styley. No probs.

Pashmina would be fine. The covering is token. I've seen a lot of Philip Treacy type feathered things which would barely pass as hats, in the past.

Have another wedding to go to in early September so would like to save money by buying one outfit if possible. But second wedding is a very typical english countryside wealthy family type do so think it may be difficult to combine. Feel the need to flex dh's credit card a bit methinks.

Flex it over a sheitel and then ebay it. Those things apparently can cost thousands.

You'll have a lot more fun at the jewish wedding, I reckon.

English country wedding in September? Lots of tight smiles and crap food, probably.

At the jewish do, make sure you don't ask for milk (if you take it) in coffee after a meat meal.

Talking of sheitels, in the early days of our relationship (many moons ago at the tender age of 18) I asked dh (then dp obviously) one day walking through GG high street why so many women had opted for the same hairdo (midlength brown bob) .

Thanks for all the advice (I am fairly au fait (again ?sp) with the kosher aspect as we regularly have freinds of varying levels of "kosherness" over for meals so have that one sussed). Jst concerned about turning up dressed totally inapropriately

TBH, I've never got my head round the head-shaving thing. Surely a scarf is better? I think the thing is, is that ultra-orthodox jews want to be more jewish than jewish. They would despise Mr Bubble because he would be considered totally 'lapsed'.

Lapsed and atheist though ?

But maybe he can spell...

Blimey that looks so wrong but is so right.

I get the feeling that the whole wedding thing may be more her parents doing than anything else as although they keep kosher they don't regularly attend any religious services and live together out of wedlick.

I get the feeling that the whole wedding thing may be more her parents doing than anything else as although they keep kosher they don't regularly attend any religious services and live together out of wedlick.

WEDLOCK I mean [blush} .

My (jewish) SIL and her barmy family eat seafood (totally un-kosher) but wouldn't have scallops with bacon.

Some 'keep kosher' at home but eat pork spare ribs in a chinese restaurant.

Mr Bubble reckons that lots of jews spend their twenties and early thirties dating whoever they want to but will then panic and grab the nearest likely looking jewish girl/boy to marry/have children with. Except him, of course.