There are many opportunities to honor friends and relatives under the chuppah. You can offer to have friends or relatives recite the seven blessings, and if you will have these read in Hebrew and in English you may be able to honor up to fourteen people. Guests can also be asked to hold up the chuppah if it is on poles, and Jewish weddings require many witnesses — for the signing of the ketubah, the giving of the ring, the signing of the tanaim, and to stand guard outside the yichud room. All of these are good ways to honor people.

Different rabbis and different denominations will have varied requirements for who can be a witness. Orthodox rabbis will require observant Jewish males, Conservative rabbis will require Jewish men or women, and Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis may allow non-Jewish people to serve as witnesses or they may require no witnesses at all.

Following the reading of the ketubah, it is customary for the rabbi or wedding officiant to speak. It is advisable not to allow others to speak under the chuppah since it is a solemn moment and speeches of a less formal nature given by friends or relatives are more appropriate at the reception.

Rabbis should take care not to give long-winded sermons but to get to know the couple well prior to their wedding ceremony and use this speech to praise them and offer them words of encouragement and advice. If the rabbi has had conversations with the couple before their wedding about their relationship and what they love about each other, this may be a good time to relate some of those sentiments and to outline the bride and groom's commitments to each other and the uniqueness of their relationship. If the bride and groom both have a rabbi they are close to, they may ask both rabbis to speak under the chuppah. Alternately, one rabbi could conduct the ceremony and the other could deliver some words. In any case, the speeches given under the chuppah will be long remembered by the couple and should contain inspiring words for them to live by.