
The simplest chuppah is to have four friends each hold up a corner of a large tallit. The downside of this, is those holding up the tallit can only do so for about 10 minutes, before their arms feel very tired. The heads of the bride and groom may touch the tallit as it is likely to droop jin the middle.

A handheld simple chuppah needs a white cloth, or Tallit attached to the top of four sturdy poles. The ploes should be 2.5-3.0 meters, or 7-9ft long. This allows those holding the poles to keep them on the ground and not have to hold up the weight of both the poles and the canopy by themselves. A tablecloth makes an ideal canopy and can be used at home afterwards to connect the marriage to festive occassions later on.

A sunset ceremony can also be very romantic, but care needs to be taken over its timing. Guests do not want to be dazzeled the sun. The ceremony should not end so late that guests will have to leave in the dark, or the rabbi is unable to read the text for the ceremony. In the countryside, or at the beach, the ground maybe uneven which can be problematic for the elderly, infirm, or anyone wearing high heels.

When having an outdoor ceremony, consideration needs to be taken of any adverse weather conditions that might occur just prior, or during the ceremony and for an alternative in-door option to be available. Other important issues are to ensure that there will be no disturbances, or activities taking place near-by and that there is sufficient parking space.

If the chuppah is build on a platform, care must be taken that the steps leading up to it are not too steep, nor too narrow for the bride in her wedding dress. It must also be solid enough to support the groom when his foot breaks the glass at the end of the ceremony. The platform must have enough room for the bride and groom, both sets of parents and the rabbi. There should also be space for a table and possibly a microphone on a stand.

A wedding on a public beach, risks having passers-by watching out of curiousity to see what is going on. There may be unexpected noise from others on the beach having fun, while boats and people in the water can unexpectedly appear in the wedding photos. Care also needs to be taken if there are any sea breezes, so that guests don't feel that they are in a draft.

In Ashkenazi ceremonies those under the chuppah stand, but in Sephardi weddings, everyone under the canopy sits. The chuppah has to be large enought to accomodate the chairs. The chairs for the bride and groom are put aside until they arrive under the canopy, when they are placed in position by two groomsmen.