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Marla would readily forego this ritual during her interfaith ceremony, but she respected its meaning nonetheless.
    As a convert to Judaism, her friend Jill didn't expect her relatives to understand. She'd explained the traditions in the program, which she had showed Marla last night at the rehearsal dinner. Marla had learned something new, having tuned out at Sunday school to imagine different hairstyles on her friends.
    Just as the world was created in seven days, the bride, representing Mother Earth in her seven turns around the groom, reminded people that marriage was part of the creation process. At the same time, she symbolically built the walls of the couple's new dwelling, embodied by the chuppah.
    Facing away from the assembly, Jill settled at Arnie's right side. Once they were in place, the rabbi recited several psalms before beginning a series of blessings that conveyed the holiness of marriage.
    “Blessed are You, our God, King of the Universe, Who created the fruit of the vine.” The robed clergyman paused while the bride and groom drank from a cup of wine.
    Smiling, Marla felt a surge of joy. She always liked to recite the Kiddush, the special sanctification prayer over wine included on Shabbat and festivals. Marriage demonstrated the ultimate sanctification of a man and woman to each other. Too bad her ex hadn't extended that belief to her.
    Marla blocked out the rabbi's words when her attention caught on Falcon Oakwood in the front row. Perched at the edge of his seat, he was flanked by a younger woman with short reddish-brown hair in a pixie cut, and a stern-faced matron with snowy white hair and a pearl satin suit. Which one was his wife, Leanne? Surely not the older lady. From the similarity in their prominent noses and double chins, Marla would guess she and Falcon were related. The younger woman, wearing a low-cut cream shift under a lacy black dress, looked markedly unhappy.
    Marla swung her gaze back just in time to see Arnie place a gold ring on Jill's finger.
    “Be sanctified unto me with this ring according to the Law of Moses and Israel,” he said in a clear, firm tone.
    Seeing the joy radiating from his eyes, Marla blinked back a swell of tears. Her dear friend had found happiness at last, and she mentally wished him and his bride years of conjugal bliss.
    While the rabbi read the marriage contract out loud, she wondered if it was true that a
ketubah
existed for interfaith ceremonies. She'd have to look into it for her own nuptials.
    Time sped while the rabbi recited more blessings. After the bride and groom took a sip from their second cup of wine, Arnie bent his knee and stomped on the traditional wrapped glass.
    Marla's heart exulted. Even though this practice was supposed to remind people of the holy Temple's destruction in Jerusalem, she assigned it a happy connotation. Her mother said this was the last time the groom got to put his foot down.
    Accompanied by shouts of
mazel tov!
and applause, Arnie and Jill faced the audience, smiled broadly, and strode down the aisle.
    The cocktail hour got into full swing on the porch attached to the main building. Marla and the others in the wedding party lingered behind, having been corralled by the photography team for more outdoor shots. Griff and Hally hovered nearby, the former snapping pictures for their magazine while the reporter scribbled notes. As the group broke up, Hally scurried after Falcon Oakwood to get an interview.
    Griff attached himself to Marla, offering to get her a drink. “Like, you can tell me about your salon.”
    “Thanks,” she said, aware of his seductive undertone, “but I have to find my fiancé inside.” They trudged along the path together, while Marla took care not to soil her shoes.
    “Griff, where are you going?” Torrie snapped, catching up to them. “I need you to take photos of what everyone's wearing for my fashion column.”
    “That isn't my job,” he replied with a hint of annoyance. “We're covering