Who Should Chant Them and How?
A second glass of wine is poured and the sheva berachot are recited in Hebrew and optionally translated into English. One person may recite all of the blessings or you may choose to ask up to seven different people to recite one blessing each. Each person who recites a blessing should hold the cup of wine during their blessing.
According to Jewish law, the sheva berachot, except for the hagafen blessing on the wine and the longer seventh blessing, are only recited in the presence of a minyan, a quorum of ten that are considered a public gathering.
Traditionally, this meant ten Jewish males who are over the age of thirteen. Since the 1970s, many Conservative congregations have begun to count women in the minyan as well, although the determination of whether to do so is left to the individual congregation and rabbi.
Reform and Reconstructionist congregations that consider a minyan mandatory for communal prayer count both men and women. Among Orthodox communities, according to some authorities, women can count in a minyan for certain prayers and events, but not usually for the sheva berachot. If your wedding will be a small one, speak to your rabbi to ascertain who may be included.
The sheva berachot, when recited in Hebrew, are usually chanted with a tune. Any tune may be used, but there are one or two traditional tunes that are most common. If the people you wish to honor with reciting the seven blessings are unfamiliar with the seven blessings, give them a copy of the blessings in Hebrew and transliteration and also in translation so they know what they are reciting. Inform them that there are traditional tunes to which the blessings are usually chanted and help them locate a recording of the tune so no one feels embarrassed when it is his turn.
If you are asking various people to say one of the seven blessings under the chuppah, be sure to supply them with a copy of the blessing to review beforehand, and have a copy of the blessings under the chuppah as well. Be careful because the order of sheva berachot after the wedding meal is slightly different from those under the chuppah.
In Jewish law, anyone who is Jewish may recite the seven blessings, whether they are related to the bride and groom or not. Most liberal Jewish denominations will allow an adult woman to recite the sheva berachot under the chuppah and after the meal, and some may permit a non-Jewish individual also.
Among Orthodox Jews, while many Orthodox rabbis will only allow men to recite the sheva berachot, some may allow women to do so. Additionally, some Orthodox rabbis will allow women to recite the sheva berachot after the meal but not under the chuppah.
