A hora highlight, with the chairs in the air
The hora is the circle dance that opens many Jewish wedding receptions. Guests link arms or hold hands in rings that spin around the couple, the couple is lifted on chairs, often holding a handkerchief or napkin between them, and parents and other relatives may be lifted next. To get a highlight of it, upload the dancing footage as its own WeddingEditor project, name the people and moments in the preference questions, and WeddingEditor's AI editing makes a Highlight Reel or a Social Teaser.
The edit keeps the band or DJ as your cameras recorded it. Real audio and music work together, set by your audio preference.
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Last updated October 2026
How to get a highlight of the hora
- 1
Upload the dancing as its own project
Create a project and upload the hora footage from every camera, including any wide shot from a balcony or a chair. If the dancing came back later in the night, add those clips too.
- 2
Name who goes up on the chairs
In the people question, list who was lifted and in what order: the couple, then often the parents, sometimes grandparents or siblings. Note any special dance, such as the mezinke for parents marrying off their youngest child.
- 3
Receive and revise
Start processing with One Wedding or a plan credit. WeddingEditor's AI editing makes the edit, typically in 24 to 72 hours, and it is delivered to your project. Use up to two revision rounds to adjust.
Moments of the hora to list
The first circle forming
Guests rushing onto the floor and joining hands as the band starts.
The couple on chairs
Both partners lifted at once, each holding one end of a handkerchief or napkin.
Parents lifted
Each set of parents lifted in turn, often to loud cheering.
The mezinke
In some families, a dance in which the parents of a youngest child are seated and honored with dancing around them.
Separate circles
In many Orthodox weddings, separate men's and women's circles with a divider between them.
Shtick
Friends performing playful acts, props and costumes to entertain the couple during the dancing.
What happens during the hora, in order
Every hora is different; this is the shape it often takes. Check the plan with the couple and the band leader.
1. The band starts and the circles form
The hora often begins as the couple enters the reception, to a well-known song such as Hava Nagila or another fast melody, with guests forming one or more rings.
2. The couple in the middle
The couple dances in the center, then is lifted on chairs by friends, often while holding a cloth between them.
3. Family lifted next
Parents and sometimes grandparents or siblings are lifted, and the circles keep spinning around them.
4. Variations by community
In many Orthodox weddings men and women dance separately; in others everyone dances together. Some families add the mezinke or a krenzl dance for a parent's last child to marry.
Loud, live sound
The band or DJ, the singing and the cheering are all in your camera audio. WeddingEditor keeps that sound and uses music alongside it, balanced by your audio preference.
Parts of the hora and what to note in the preferences
| Part of the dance | What it looks or sounds like | What to note in the preferences |
|---|---|---|
| Circles forming | Fast music, guests running onto the floor | "Start on the first circle forming." |
| Couple lifted | Chairs rising, a cloth between the couple | "Keep both partners up together." |
| Parents lifted | Each parent in turn, big cheers | "Name each parent and their outfit." |
| Special dances | The mezinke or krenzl for a youngest child | "Include the mezinke for the bride's parents." |
| Separate circles | Men and women dancing apart in many Orthodox weddings | "Give both circles time." |
| Shtick | Props and performances for the couple | "Keep the cousins' juggling." |
What is the hora?
The hora is a circle dance widely danced at Jewish weddings, usually at the start of the reception, in which the couple and often their parents are lifted on chairs. A hora highlight is a short edit of that dancing made from the footage you upload.
It is not the first dance of the couple alone, and it is not the ceremony. Some families call the whole stretch of circle dancing the hora even when several songs are played.
Hora video questions
Can the hora be its own highlight?
Yes. Make a project just for the dancing and upload that footage. One project gives one edit, so the hora can sit alongside a separate project for the whole wedding.
Will the music from the band be in the edit?
Yes, as it was recorded in your footage. The audio preference can lean toward the live band if you ask for more voices.
How do I make sure the parents' chair lift is included?
List it in the must-include question and name each parent with a short description of what they wore. The AI editing looks for what you name.
What about separate men's and women's circles?
Say how much time each should get in the preferences. If the family asked you not to film one side, use the avoid question and the AI editing leaves those clips out.
Can I get a short teaser of the hora instead?
Yes. Choose Social Teaser when you create the project; it is delivered as a widescreen 1080p MP4.
Does WeddingEditor decide how to show separate men's and women's dancing?
No. Where a community keeps men's and women's dancing apart, what may be filmed and shown is the family's and the rabbi's decision, and WeddingEditor does not decide it. Write their wishes in the preferences and leave out of the upload what should not be seen.
More for Jewish weddings
Chairs up, circles spinning, all of it kept
Create your account, upload the dancing as its own project, and name who went up on the chairs.
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