Where and when

First, you have to agree on the location and date of the wedding. You will need a space (with a table and chairs) where the rabbi, the groom, and the witnesses can sit and sign the marriage contract before the ceremony; an area for the reception; a private place that can serve as the room for yichud (intimate moment for the couple after the ceremony); and an area demarcated for the bridal canopy. Many couples prefer that the ceremony take place outdoors. When you choose a location clarify whether your caterer has a certificate of kashrut. Generally you will be required to present a copy of this certification to the rabbinate to complete the wedding file.

Blackout Dates

There are various days and dates on which it is customary not to get married. These dates are set according to the Jewish calendar, and thus, the day begins in the evening and continues until sunset the next day. Check with your local registrar before finalizing the date of your wedding.

Sabbaths
 Sabbaths
Saturday nights

Holidays
 1-2 Tishrei (Rosh Hashanna)
10 Tishrei (Yom Kippur)
 15–22 Tishrei (Sukkot through Simchat Torah)
 15–21 Nissan (Passover)
 6 Sivan (Shavuot)
14 or 15 Adar (Purim)

Days of Fasting
 3 Tishrei (Fast of Gedaliah)
 10 Tevet (beginning of siege of Jerusalem)
 13 Adar (Fast of Esther)
17 Tammuz (breach of Jerusalem walls)
 9 Av (destruction of Temple)

Days of Mourning 
 For Ashkenazim 17 Tammuz till 10 Av 
 For Sephardim1 Av till 10 Av.

Counting of Omer
 For Ashkenzaim 30 Nissan till 1 Sivan
 For Sephardim 14 Nissan till 19 Iyar
During these times, some allow marriages on 28 Iyar (Jerusalem Day) or 33 Omer

An additional factor affecting the wedding date is related to the bride's menstrual cycle. As this is an intimate matter, familiarize yourself with this tradition before you finalize the wedding date and register to be married. Jewish tradition sees the sexual relations of a couple as a significant link in the bond between them. Traditionally, such relations are forbidden during a certain part of the woman's monthly cycle (the days of blood flow plus seven ‘clean’ days free of flow) and to enable the couple to consummate the marriage on the night of the wedding, it is customary to set the wedding date accordingly. The rabbanit at the marriage registrar verifies that the date chosen does not conflict with the bride's cycle. It is possible to avoid a potential time conflict by use of pills that defer menstruation. For your good health, never take such pills without a doctor’s prescription.

Timing

The wedding ceremony can be held at just about any time of the day or night. Some rabbis are hesitant to perform the ceremony just after sunset because it is difficult to accurately record the wedding date in the marriage contract. Coordinate the exact time of the chuppah with the officiating rabbi. Bear in mind the resetting of the clocks between winter and summer times in the spring and in the fall.