Mrs. Petunia, Ft. Lauderdale
Age and Occupation: 31, College Professor
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Engineering Student/Part-time Barista
Engagement Date: December 8, 2006
Wedding Date: March 2, 2008
Venue: Riverside Hotel
Blogging Since: August 6, 2007
About Me: Our original idea of running off to get married quickly turned into an event with 100+ guests once other people got involved and I, too, got swept away in the lovely madness that is wedding planning. Mr. Petunia and I are obsessed with all things World of Warcraft, Monopoly, and Nintendo, so we’re planning on including some fun “game-y” details into our wedding.
A Contract Of Love
November 9th, 2007 @ 12:57 pm by Mrs. Petunia
Dearest Bee readers, sorry my posts have been a bit lacking lately — last month I hit a wedding wall of sorts, but the next few weeks promise to be chock full of wedding plans (and therefore, posts) ranging from veil shopping to gift card box designing!
One of the first things the Petunias have to take care of sooner rather than later is putting in our ketubah order before time runs out on us! Reminder: Because Mr. P. is not Jewish, we’re having a civil ceremony and not a religious one (I don’t think it counts that our judge himself is Jewish), but I still want to incorporate some religious/cultural elements to round things out a bit and satisfy believing me.
A ketubah is a contract between the bride and groom outlining our commitment to one another, so it’s somewhat ironic, me thinks, that I can’t even commit to a ketubah design itself! I think I’ve narrowed it down to the following choices, but it’s all so dependant on where in our house I’d decide to display it, and then again, wouldn’t that change since we won’t always live in this teeny tiny apartment of ours, and our furniture and decor won’t always be the same? I suppose the trick is to find something… timeless!
Here’s one by artist Michelle Rummel:
I also like Jonathan Kremer’s art deco feel:
I think this one by Nicole Gordon may be the front runner:
But I can see how Eve Rosin’s would go nicely anywhere:
Finally, there’s Micah Parker’s… I’m somewhat torn about this one. In one way, it’s very “us.” In another way, I find it somewhat irreverent — I mean, do I really want my ketubah to be a piece of pop art?
Which one do you think would stand the test of time? How did you choose yours?
30 Responses to “A Contract Of Love”
I personally prefer the Nicole Gordon one, and I think if you move, as long as you have at least one wall in your home painted in a fairly neutral colour, it will look good displayed on that background. It’s gorgeous. My second favourite is the tree design by Eve Rosin.
Some of these are so beautiful, I was tempted to get one even though no one in our family is Jewish. 
I wish the marriage licenses were as lovely.
The first one is packed full of elegant color…definitely lovely, but the tree one just sings.
hahaha…that last one reminds me of batman…kerplow/splat!
I love the Michelle Rummell and the Nicole Gordon ones– the colors are gorgeous!
The first and the last ones are so beautiful. I to wish the marriage licenses were even half as lovely.
I like 1, 3, and 4. #1 might be my favorite. I agree with Mia, I wish marriage licenses looked that good!
Miss Petunia - my mom makes Ketubot, she hand paints and calligraphs them. If you would like more information please let me know!!
How beautiful! I especially love Nicole Gordon and Eve Rosin designs. Either would make such a gorgeous statement in your decor.
Nicole Gordon’s my personal favorite, I like the boldness of the red. Eve Rosin is a very close second- you’re right I think that might fit in anywhere.
Hi Miss Petunia! Coincidentally enough, I was just looking at ketubah designs today. I like the Nicole Gordon and the Eve Rosin ones.
Have you found any that weren’t as…”traditional” as most (along the lines of the batman one, yet not that extreme!)? That’s more of what we’re looking for. I think it might be a little weird for him (not Jewish) to be signing a ketubah that has the temple of Jerusalem on it, that’s all.
I contacted Ilee to see if they could custom design one for me this morning, but I haven’t heard anything yet. Let me know if you’d like me to share their response with you.
I love Michelle Rummel - we are using the Beshert one in purple!
We’re having a tough time choosing our Ketubah as well, because we have no idea what the room it will eventually hang in will look like. I definitely want to showcase our ketubah in our dining room since it is where we will host all the holiday dinners (I love to entertain, especially for Jewish holidays!), but we are so far away from even owning a home with a dining room (after we’re married we’ll be living several hundred miles apart each in our own little inner-city condo) that I can’t picture what the colors will be.
Miss Petunia: Can you share where you found these? (Especially the Eve Rosin one!) I’m the hunt for one myself.
I like the first three, the second one the best.
I like the one by Eve Rosin for 2 main reasons; the tree which represents the growth your relationship and family will experience, and the quote from Song of Solomon (”I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine”). It’s such a beautiful passage.
Second favorite would be Nicole Gordon’s.
My fiance’s sister used the Michah Parker one for her ketubah and it was a huge hit. Everyone loved how original it was and how right it felt for them. I wouldn’t worry about being too irreverent, especially if you aren’t having a traditional ceremony.
I vote for the Michelle Rummel. Second choice would be the Eve Rosin.
Rebecca: Agreed! I stayed away from super-traditional ones for this very reason; for example, there was a very pretty one I loved, but it showed a tallis (a man’s prayer shawl for those who don’t know) pretty prominently, so I figured that wouldn’t be appropriate — so I’ve tried to pick ones with nature themes, etc.
Snookies: Most of these are from http://www.mpartworks.com/
They seem to have the best selection for me, though I’ve also found great ones at ketubah.com
Julie: I totally understand where you are coming from!! I think the dining room would be the PERFECT place for a ketubah! I’m leaning toward pinks in that room, which is why I’m thinking of the Nicole Gordon more and more. I think I may order a sample from MP Artworks to make sure that it’s in fact more pink than red (the samples cost $20 and you get that amount reimbursed if you in fact order the ketubah from them in the end)
I vote for Eve Rosin… that’s gorgeous!
I agree– the Eve Rosen and Nicole Gordin are gorgeous.
Ours was a beautiful watercolor print by Stephanie Caplan. She lives here in NYC. It was so fun to have our ketubah hand=delivered! And it came out gorgeous. Very modern, but still beautiful, I think.
I’m not worried so much about how it “fits” with the decor. It will fit, simply because it’s beautiful and important. I’ll find a place for it somehow!
1 Vote for Eve Rosin!
As for location, I’m not Jewish, but I would put the main pretty one in the living room surrounded with family pictures (to keep with the whole tradition/family thing) and then get another little thing — like maybe just your signatures– framed and put some place special to me and my husband, like maybe in our bedroom with pictures of our kids around it.
Eve Rosin- it would be SO beautiful in your bedroom or master bath. I love that it’s peaceful- a reminder that your marriage should be that way.
I hope you don’t mind me jumping in. I’m a fine art photographer who creates ketubahs from my photographs of flowers and leaves. Since you use the name Miss Petunia, I’d be honored if you’d consider my keubahs.
I’m also on the hunt for a Ketubah. I’ve been scouring the web but haven’t been able to find anything I like so far — until now! All the ones I’ve seen have been — for a lack of a better word — cheesy. I would love to have a paper cut Ketubah, but they are so expensive! Plus, I live out in the Midwest (although my wedding will be in NJ, where I’m from) — not too many places to find Ketubot out here!
Any good recommendations for websites? Anybody out there custom make ketubot?
I love the Eve Rosin one.
I am also having an interfaith marriage. Our Rabbi says that our Katubah is considered more of a symbol since FI is not Jewish and will not be honored because of the interfaith. Because of this we decided to not spend tons of money on one and use the free one he offers.
Lisa, what your rabbi say is true, technically. But there are as many varieties of ketubot as there are ceremonies, each with its own individual needs and rules. For example, an Orthodox rabbi would not consider a Reform ketubah to be legal either.
At its heart the ketubah has always been a personal contract between the bride and groom, a physical symbol of their vows. I believe that the “legality” of it is secondary to the symbolism. An interfaith ketubah is quite a beautiful document, because you have the opportunity to chose and style or wording you like. You can create a ketubah that does honor both of your faiths, and your commitment to brining those traditions together.
Dan
I think I’m in the minority, but I have to admit I love the last one. Then again, we have a lot of comic book art and nerdy posters at my apartment, so the pop art would fit right in. I guess it all depends on your home, and picking the one you want to see everyday!
Yes I love the Eve R. one too!! I wouldn’t go the pop art route for this.
[…] all those beautiful ketubot I blogged about last month? Well, one thing I’m learning day by day as part of the wedding […]
Everythink sounds so familiar. We also did not know what to decide for a long time. Recently we found a website http://www.theketubahcompany.com that have different and beautiful ketubahs (they say only they sell them and so far I have yet to find them anywhere else). They were nice and friendly and our ketubah is very beautiful (I ordered Harmony by Rowena). Wish you the best of luck and recommend you have a look at the ketubah company (maybe they will even remember me).
