It’s true that making berachos under the chuppah is the minhag, and one shouldn’t change for no good reason, but what if there is a compelling reason, like in our case, where it is very difficult for the grandfather to climb up onto the chuppah?
R’ Cook then writes that he took this shailah to R’ Chaim Kanievsky and asked if the grandfather must go to the kois, or if the kois may be brought to the grandfather. R’ Chaim responded: יביאו את החתן והכלה והחופה אל הסבא – “Bring the chosan and kallah, and the chuppah, to the grandfather”.
R’ Cook then asked, what if it is very crowded and impossible to do this (we can add, or if the chuppah is in one of these fancy halls and the chuppah is a massive structure which can’t be dismantled so easily)? And R’ Chaim responded: לא יברך חוץ לחופה – “The berachos should not be recited outside the chuppah”.
It’s very clear that R’ Chaim held, no matter what, the berachos should not be made anywhere except under the chuppah. R’ Cook then writes, “Boruch Hashem I ruled the same way as R’ Chaim”. However, he summarizes, that it’s obvious that according to the strict halachah there is nothing wrong, however, the minhag is not to, and Klal Yisroel don’t tamper with minhogim, therefore, we don’t.
