In a traditional Jewish wedding, the bride’s ceremonial immersion in a ritual bath is called a mikveh.
A mikveh is a pool of naturally sourced water used for ritual immersion in Judaism. Many observant Jewish brides immerse before the wedding as part of family-purity practices and spiritual preparation. Some communities also encourage or require the groom to immerse.
The timing and details vary according to Jewish denomination, custom, and personal observance. A mikveh is not itself the wedding ceremony, and it does not replace the legal or ceremonial elements such as the ketubah, kiddushin, or chuppah.
The word can refer both to the ritual bath and, by extension, the institution or facility containing it. Jewish ritual immersion also has uses beyond weddings, including conversion and other religious observances.