Brooklyn San Diego Anniversary Ketubah

Description

Ordering a One-of-a-Kind Handmade Ketubah

The examples of Jewish marriage contracts in the gallery are guides for you to get ideas from. We will use that as a starting place to design your custom Ketubah.

After a detailed consultation, I’ll create a black and white sketch of a Ketubah that reflects your ideas, personality, and circumstances, and email it to you along with a price.

The next tab has some things to think about to get you started on a wedding vow design that will be meaningful and unique to you.

This contract outlines the next steps in the process once you order.

Fill out the Inquiry Form on any One-of-a-Kind Ketubah you like, as a starting place for our discussion. Then we can talk about the perfect Ketubah for you!

Customization Ideas

Motif

You can begin by thinking of symbols you might want in your ketubah. Some commonly used symbols are Jewish ceremonial objects, the couple under the chuppah, clasped hands, Jerusalem, etc. Many couples include symbols of cities important in their lives, places they have traveled, their pets and their hobbies. Don’t feel limited to what you see in the sample ketubbah.

Don’t feel limited to what you see in the ketubbah examples. Ketubah designs can be based on anything: historical examples, patterns from china, rugs, lace, etc. Anything (within reason) can be a motif for a ketubah.

Style

In the Ketubah Gallery, I’ve divided the ketubbot into categories: trees and landscapes, modern, traditional, Judaica, gay and lesbian, personal landscapes, and our pets. Within those categories are many styles: realistic, stylized, folk art etc. Think about what kind of art you are drawn to. It might not be represented in these examples, but don’t rule it out– I love designing a ketuba that goes in a new direction.

Color

What are your favorite colors? Least favorite? You might think in terms of temperature: cool colors (purples, blues, greens) or warm colors, (oranges, yellows, reds). Consider value–a light, pastel ketubah, or a darker, shaded ketubah. Do you like bright colors or do you want a more subtle effect in your marriage contract? You might start by picking out paint chips of colors you like.

Calligraphy

There are several fonts available to you for your custom ketubah text. Click on the words below to see examples of Hebrew and English fonts. If you have another style of calligraphy you would like me to use for your ketubah, please ask.
Hebrew 1
Hebrew 2
Stam
Italics
Uncial

Orientation and Size

Do you want a horizontal, vertical, or circular ketubah? Or an irregular shape?
A standard piece of watercolor paper is 30″ x 22″. Unless you specifically request otherwise, I always leave a border around the design for framing so that a typical image size is about 18″ x 26″. Depending on text length and complexity of the design, I can work down to about 1/2 the size of the paper.

Price

Because each custom designed ketubah is a unique work of art there is a wide range of prices from $1000-$3000. Please ask me for the current price range on specific ketubah designs. Factors in pricing include:

Complexity of the ketubah design.
Degree of realism in the ketubah design.
Affinity to existing ketubah designs.
Ketubah text length and whether the text is both Hebrew and English.
Calligraphy font used for the ketubah text.
Complexity of the ketuba text layout.
Timeliness: I do rush orders at a 20% surcharge if all the necessary information is given to me less than 30 days before the wedding.
Ready to Order?

For each Ketubah that you like, fill out the Inquiry Form after the description and tell me your ideas for your own version.

Ketubah Texts

Depending on what kind of ketubah you choose and who is officiating at your wedding, there are many options for the text of your marriage covenant. The following is a guide on how to choose a text for your wedding. I generally refer to Hebrew/Aramaic and English texts, but I’ve also done them in Spanish, French, Japanese and Yiddish.

I will try to accommodate your language requirements whenever possible. If you buy a ketubah print, the price includes one of my text combinations and you can decide to leave the fill-ins blank for your officiant to complete, or have me personalize the texts. If you provide a different text there is an additional fee to be determined. If you are having a custom ketubah made, the cost includes your choice of texts.

I generally refer to Hebrew/Aramaic and English texts, but I’ve also done them in Spanish, French, Japanese and Yiddish. I will try to accommodate your language requirements whenever possible.

If you buy a ketubah print, the price includes one of my text combinations and you can decide to leave the fill-ins blank for your officiant to complete, or have me personalize the texts. If you provide a different text there is an additional fee to be determined. If you are having a custom ketubah made, the cost includes your choice of texts.

I generally refer to Hebrew/Aramaic and English texts, but I’ve also done them in Spanish, French, Japanese and Yiddish. I will try to accommodate your language requirements whenever possible. If you buy a ketubah print, the price includes one of my text combinations and you can decide to leave the fill-ins blank for your officiant to complete, or have me personalize the texts. If you provide a different text there is an additional fee to be determined. If you are having a custom ketubah made, the cost includes your choice of texts.

Traditional Orthodox

The Traditional Orthodox ketubah text is written in Aramaic and is a legal formula stating the terms of the marriage and giving the bride property rights. There can be slight variations in spelling depending on the rabbi officiating at your wedding. For that reason it’s very important that I get a copy of the text that your rabbi/cantor uses.

Some Orthodox rabbis allow an English text, others do not. Some will allow use of the mother’s Hebrew name in the text, others not. There is a special section on the order form for these details. Most of the English texts, beyond stating the date, place, and couple’s names as in the Aramaic, are not translations and are instead, closer to the idea of wedding vows in expressing love and the obligations of marriage. The Love and Integrity and Wisdom & Reverence English texts are most often used with the traditional Aramaic text.

Conservative

The Conservative text, written in Aramaic, contains a paragraph called the Lieberman Clause that, in the case of dissolution of the marriage, requires the husband to grant a get (Jewish divorce decree) for his wife so that she can be remarried in a Jewish ceremony in the future.

It is also a legal formula, but the language is more egalitarian than the Orthodox text. If you are to be married by a Conservative officiant he or she might require that you use the Conservative text, or might also approve of the Orthodox text. You can usually have any English text you want in combination with the Aramaic. The English text is rarely a direct translation of the Aramaic and is instead an expression of the couple’s love and hopes for their married life together.

The Equal Partners English text is the one most often used with the Conservative text, but you might also look at the Love and Integrity and Wisdom and Reverence texts.

Reform / Reconstructionist

For a Reform/Reconstructionist wedding ceremony, you may choose to have your vows in Hebrew and English or just English. Reform and Reconstructionist texts don’t follow the legal formula of the Orthodox and Conservative marriage contracts.

Instead, they tend to be about the couple’s love and aspirations for the future. You could choose from Equal Partners, Love and Integrity, Wisdom & Reverence, or Apache Wedding Blessing.

Interfaith

The Interfaith text is written specifically for Interfaith couples, and it is possible to modify other texts, such as Equal Partners, to make them appropriate. For an Interfaith wedding the text can be both in English and Hebrew or just English. The Apache Wedding Blessing is another text appropriate for an interfaith marriage.

Same Sex

I have several texts specifically written for same sex marriages–Blessing for Two Women used by permission of Rabbi Leila Berner, Lesbian 1 and Lesbian 2, and Gay 1 and Gay 2. The Apache Wedding Blessing is another text perfect for a same sex marriage. I’ve also modified Equal Partners , and Wisdom and Reverence , for gay and lesbian marriages. Other texts can be modified as well. Please ask!

Anniversary

I have two texts, Anniversary 1 and Anniversary 2, written specifically for anniversary/renewal of vows. Other texts can be modified as appropriate.

Non-Denominational / Other Religions

Without the Hebrew version, the Apache Wedding Blessing and Interfaith texts are perfect for non-denominational weddings. I can work with any text that you provide as well as modify existing texts.

Texts

Please click on the text to view it.

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Brooklyn San Diego Anniversary Ketubah

Let's Talk About It: (custom ketubah inquiry)