Josh, b'Hatzlachah Rabah with the new Masechta!

1) The Shulchan Aruch (Even ha'Ezer 62:5) writes: "One says Birkas Chasanim in the house of the groom after Birkas ha'Mazon in every meal that is eaten there."

In EH 62:7, the Shulchan Aruch continues and explains that this Berachah that is added in the groom's house is the last Berachah of the Sheva Berachos, "Asher Boro Sason v'Simchah...."

The Rema adds that some say that even Asher Bara is only said if guests are present, but if only the close family are there one does not say Asher Bara, and the custom follows this opinion. We learn that even to say one of the Sheva Berachos is not actaully a Chiyuv if guests are not at the meal, and in addition it seems that it is not a Chiyuv to ensure that guests are there.

2) The Shulchan Aruch adds that the above applies only if there are no Panim Chadoshos, "new faces" who were not present at the Chupah. But if there are new people who were not at the Chupah, we recite Sheva Berachos because of them. However, this applies only if there is a Minyan at the meal. We learn that Sheva Berachos is only a Chiyuv if there is a Minyan (with at least one new face) and it is not mentioned that there is a Chiyuv to ensure that a Minyan is present.

3) It also seems that the wedding guests or the Edim are not obligated to stay to the end of the wedding if they do not want to. On the contrary, there is a certain advantage in new faces since this adds to the rejoicing.

4) However, if one was present at the meal, one should wait until the end of the meal in order to hear the Sheva Berachos.

5) Regarding the issue of whether everyone present at the wedding meal is Chayav in Sheva Berachos:

a) The Shulchan Aruch (EH 62:11) writes that even if the people present at the Chupah eat the wedding meal in different homes, which are not open to the place where the bride and groom eat, they still all say the Birkas Chasanim. Since the people in the other homes started eating when the people from the Chupah started eating, they are all considered as being together, and they say the Sheva Berachos since they are eating from the wedding meal.

b) The Igros Moshe (OC 1:56, at beginning) writes that we learn from this that everyone who eats from the Chupah meal -- even if he does not see the bride and groom -- is Chayav in Sheva Berachos after the meal. [This presents a difficulty for people who wish to leave the wedding before the Sheva Berachos.)

c) We learn from the above that anyone who started the wedding meal with the rest of the company has the Chiyuv of Sheva Berachos. Therefore, if the wedding guests are present at the beginning of the meal they are required to stay for the Sheva Berachos at the end of the wedding meal, but they are not required to come during the week. The Edim have no special Chiyuv to stay to the end of the wedding if they did not start the meal.

d) In fact, I once heard that Rav Shmuel Auerbach zt'l, when he did not have time to stay to the end of the meal, would wash hands for the meal before everyone else. This way he was not considered as part of the meal and was able to leave before the end. This practice seems to fit well with the words of the Shulchan Aruch (EH 62:11, in (1) above), who writes, "Kivan she'Hitchilu le'Echol" -- "Since they started eating..."; that is, it all depends on whether the people eating at the meal started together. If they all started together, then, as the Shulchan Aruch writes, "Kulam Chashuvim k'Echad," they are all considered to be one and they must all say Birkas Chasanim. Since Rav Auerbach zt'l started before everyone else, he was not Chayav in Sheva Berachos.

e) In short, the people who were together at the beginning of the wedding meal are the ones who have a Chiyuv of Sheva Berachos.

Kol Tuv,

Dovid Bloom