In a traditional Jewish wedding, the canopy over the couple is called a chuppah.
A chuppah is a cloth or sheet supported above the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony. Its open sides are commonly interpreted as representing the couple’s future home being open to guests and community. The canopy also creates a distinct ceremonial space beneath which blessings and other marriage rites take place.
The chuppah is not the marriage contract: that document is the ketubah. Nor is it a mikveh, which is a ritual bath. A tallit may sometimes be used as the canopy’s cloth, but the canopy itself is still called a chuppah.
Designs vary widely, from a simple fabric held by attendants to an elaborate freestanding structure. Jewish communities differ in ritual details, but the chuppah is one of the best-known symbols of a Jewish wedding.