Hebrew Date, Decoded: The Jewish Date of Your Wedding

The short answer

• Your Ketubah shows your wedding’s Hebrew date, and the Jewish day starts at sunset, not midnight.

• If your ceremony begins after sunset, use the Hebrew date of the next day. The day of the week moves forward too.

• Check three things: the sunset time at your venue, your chuppah time, and a Hebrew date converter such as Hebcal.

• 5787 is a Jewish leap year, so early 2027 weddings fall in either Adar I or Adar II.

• Confirm the final date with your rabbi before you approve your proof.

Every Jewish wedding has two dates. The one on your invitations, and the one on your Ketubah.

Most of the time they line up neatly. But if you’re getting married in the evening, on a Saturday night or in early 2027, the Hebrew date can shift in ways that surprise people. Here’s how to get it right the first time.

How do you find the Hebrew date of your wedding?

You find the Hebrew date of your wedding in three steps: look up sunset at your venue on the day, compare it to the time your ceremony starts, then convert the date with a Hebrew calendar tool, ticking “after sunset” if your ceremony starts after sunset.

Here’s the flow in practice:

1. Find sunset. Search for the sunset time for your venue’s city on your wedding date.

2. Check your chuppah time. Not the reception or cocktail hour, the ceremony itself.

3. Convert. Use the Hebcal date converter. Enter your date and tick “after sunset” if the ceremony starts after sunset.

Then send the result to your rabbi. They’ll confirm it, and they may have a view on ceremonies that start close to sunset.

Why does sunset change the Hebrew date?

Sunset changes the Hebrew date because the Jewish day begins in the evening, not at midnight. The idea comes from Genesis: “And it was evening and it was morning, one day.” So a Jewish day runs from nightfall to nightfall (Chabad).

That means a wedding at 4pm and a wedding at 8pm on the same Sunday can have different Hebrew dates.

Here’s a real example. On Sunday 18 October 2026, a ceremony before sunset falls on 7 Cheshvan 5787. A ceremony after sunset falls on 8 Cheshvan 5787 (Hebcal).

What Hebrew date do you use for an evening wedding?

For an evening wedding that starts after sunset, you use the Hebrew date of the following day. As one Ketubah maker puts it, if your ceremony is after sunset, “you need to use the Hebrew date for the following day” (WeddingKetubah.com).

The day of the week moves forward too. A traditional Ketubah names the weekday as well as the date, so a Monday evening wedding after sunset is written as “the third day of the week,” which is Tuesday (Stephen Morse).

Here’s how that plays out with real dates:

Notice the last two rows. A Saturday night wedding and a Sunday daytime wedding the next day share the same Hebrew date.

What about Saturday night weddings?

A Saturday night wedding takes place after Shabbat ends, so its Hebrew date is already Sunday’s date, and the Ketubah names it as the first day of the week. Shabbat ends about an hour after sundown on Saturday, and Jewish weddings aren’t held during it (Reform Judaism).

This is the case that catches couples out most often. Your invitation says Saturday. Your Ketubah says Sunday. Both are right.

In winter, when Shabbat ends early, Saturday night weddings are popular. In summer, Shabbat can end quite late, so check the exact time with your rabbi before you book a ceremony slot.

What if your wedding is in Adar during a leap year?

If your wedding falls in Adar during a Jewish leap year, your Ketubah must say whether it’s Adar I or Adar II. The Jewish calendar adds a whole extra month seven times in every 19 years to keep the lunar months in step with the seasons (My Jewish Learning).

5787 is a leap year. Adar I runs from 8 February to 9 March 2027, and 1 Adar II 5787 falls on 10 March 2027 (Hebcal). So a wedding on 14 February 2027 is in Adar I, and a wedding on 14 March 2027 is in Adar II.

Get this wrong and the Ketubah names a month that’s off by thirty days. A good converter handles it for you, but it’s worth a second look.

Which dates can’t you get married on?

Traditionally, Jewish weddings aren’t held on Shabbat, on major holidays, or during most of the Omer, the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot. Lag BaOmer, the 33rd day of the Omer, is the well-known exception (Reform Judaism). In 2027, Lag BaOmer falls on Tuesday 25 May.

Customs vary between communities, and many also avoid the Three Weeks in summer. Check your date with your rabbi before you book a venue, not after. Our guide to when to order your Ketubah covers what to lock in and when.

How does the date appear on your Ketubah?

On a traditional Ketubah the date is written out in words, not numbers: the day of the week, the day of the month, the month, and the year counted “from the creation of the world” (Stephen Morse). Many couples also add the English date in the translation.

Because the Hebrew is written in words, some dates take up much more space than others. That matters for the layout. On a minimalist design with generous margins, we set the text around your exact date so nothing feels cramped.

What should you send us to get the date right?

Send us your wedding date, your venue’s city and your chuppah time. We’ll calculate the Hebrew date, set it in your proof, and show it clearly so your rabbi can check it.

Your digital proof arrives within 1–5 days, with unlimited revisions. If your rabbi prefers a different form of the date, we’ll change it. We work with your rabbi or officiant directly, so you don’t need to relay every detail yourself. Read more in does your rabbi need to approve your Ketubah?

New to the words on a Ketubah? Our Jewish wedding glossary explains terms like chuppah, Omer and Lag BaOmer, and what is a Ketubah? explains what the rest of the text says. When you’re ready, browse our designs or start designing yours.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Hebrew date change after sunset or after dark?

The Jewish day technically begins at nightfall, but sunset begins a twilight period whose status is uncertain in Jewish law. For a Ketubah, most rabbis use the next day’s date for a ceremony that starts after sunset. If your ceremony starts close to sunset, ask your rabbi which date they want to use.

What is the Hebrew date if our wedding starts at sunset?

A ceremony that starts right at sunset falls in the twilight period, and rabbis handle it differently. Some advise avoiding a chuppah time close to sunset for exactly this reason. Tell your rabbi the planned start time and let them decide the date. We’ll set whichever date they confirm.

Can a Ketubah have the English date on it too?

Yes. Many Ketubahs show the Hebrew date in the Hebrew or Aramaic text and the English date in the translation. Reform, interfaith and secular texts often include both. We include translation with every Love Letters Ketubah, so your English date appears alongside the Hebrew one.

What happens if the date on our Ketubah is wrong?

A small error can often be corrected, but traditional Jewish law takes the date seriously, so talk to your rabbi straight away. This is exactly why we send a digital proof before printing. Check the Hebrew date, the weekday and every name carefully, and ask your rabbi to check them too.

Which Hebrew date converter should we use?

Hebcal is free, widely used and has an “after sunset” option that shifts the date for evening ceremonies. Enter your wedding date, tick the box if your ceremony starts after sunset, and it returns the Hebrew day, month and year. Your rabbi will confirm the final result.

Why is 2027 a leap year in the Jewish calendar?

The Hebrew year 5787, which runs from September 2026 to October 2027, is one of seven leap years in the 19-year Jewish calendar cycle. It adds a second month of Adar so that Passover stays in spring. Weddings in February or March 2027 need to name the correct Adar.