Reading Letters of Bride and Groom on Shabbat
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Question
Is it permissible on Shabbat to read letters from a bride and groom that arrived on Shabbat?
Answer
It is forbidden, as it is considered a letter of greetings, and even if one does not know what is written in it, it is not necessary for the body.
Source
Tosafot, Tractate Shabbat, page 116b: "Riy holds that only debt documents and the like are considered mundane documents, but letters are permitted because sometimes they involve matters of life and death, and even if it is known that they do not, R"T permits them because they are not mundane documents since there is no need for what is written in them as it is known what is in the letters, and if it is not known, there might be a great need or a matter of life and death, and it is permitted." Rashi and Sha"R disagree and hold that it is forbidden to read letters sent to him.
Shulchan Aruch, Siman 307, Se'if 10: "Mundane documents, that is, debt documents and accounts, and letters of greetings, are forbidden to read; and even to look at them without reading is forbidden." In Se'if 14 it is ruled: "To read a letter sent to him, if he does not know what is written in it, is permitted, but he should not read it aloud."
Thus, letters of greetings are forbidden to read, lest one reads mundane documents, which are debt documents and accounts, and a letter sent to him, the Shulchan Aruch ruled to permit to look at but not to read aloud, lest there is a matter of life and death.
Therefore, letters between a bride and groom, even if they arrive on Shabbat, are forbidden to read.