The pole pictured above consists of curly maple, purpleheart, and bloodwood.  More than 180 individual pieces of wood were cut and laminated to form the four poles and bases.

The Process

Based in the Washington, DC area, I build and deliver chuppah poles for clients located anywhere along the East Coast. I encourage my clients, whether individuals, synagogues, or wedding planners, to get as involved with the design as they care to be. Of course, I'm always available to meet in person to discuss your ideas and requirements.  

Your chuppah can be as intricate or simple as you'd like. You choose the type of wood, the dimensions, the design, whether it will be hand-held or free-standing, whether it has finials (and if so, their design). Since seeing the real thing is infinitely better than viewing sketches or individual pieces of wood, I have available a variety of examples of my work, including small design samples as well as finished poles in order to help you determine the look that's best for you.  I'm also happy to construct samples of your possible design choices.

Using only the highest quality domestic and exotic hardwoods, I hand-craft every aspect of the chuppah, from bases, to poles, to finials. Once the design is finalized, your finished chuppah will be completed and delivered to you within 6 to 8 weeks.


"We've gotten so many positive comments from those who saw the chuppah and poles. They admired the beauty of the needlepoint and the workmanship of the poles."  -J.S.

The Woodworker

I'm a retired attorney with a decades-long passion for woodworking that has taken me from refinishing antiques to woodturning to crafting chuppah poles.

When my oldest son was engaged, I wanted to create something for the wedding with special meaning for him and his bride-to-be. Given my skills (which barred me from singing at or officiating the ceremony), chuppah poles were the answer.

I loved the idea of the poles holding fabrics from the bride's family to create something that would symbolize not just the marriage of two people, but the joining of two families. When they were combined with a beautiful lace fabric handed down from a great-grandmother, we had an heirloom that we knew would be a central part of our family's traditions for generations to come.

-Mark Tessler
"Your product is incredible -- you are truly an artist."  -E.D.

​For more reviews, please also see my page on WeddingWire