Weddingbee Blog

I’ve been bustin’ out the wedding decisions left and right lately. We got the groomsmen’s ties, ordered the bridesmaids’ jewelry and now… our Ketubah. And it’s so damn pretty.

Also, it is funny how all these decisions are basically glorified shopping. I guess I subconsciously decided that now that it’s the “year of our wedding”, it’s time to spend some greenbacks.

Anyways, back to our Ketubah. I actually discovered the artist through a reader here on the ’bee, 2dbride. She had posted a picture in the boards of her Ketubah, which led me to the artist’s website. The artist’s name is Amy Fagin of 20th Century Illuminations and you can see all of her work here.

I loved that she offered a selection of smaller, or mini Ketubahs, since the vast majority of the ones I had found elsewhere were all huge (24″x17″ seems to be the standard, which when you add the several inches of matting plus the frame, is huge!) I really wanted something smaller, and ours is 12″ x 17,” which will look lovely matted in a simple wood frame.

I spent about 2 months scouring online all possible options before coming back to the very first place I had looked. Ain’t that always the way, huh? I guess I really should take the phrase “when you know, you know” a little more seriously and save myself a lot of time and effort.

A ketubah, for those who are unfamiliar with the word, is a Jewish marriage contract that is an integral part of the Jewish wedding ceremony. There is a signing before the wedding ceremony (ours will be in the morning) and then it is traditional to display the Ketubah in the home. Amy included a little printed sheet about the significance of the Ketubah, which I will share:

…The Ketubah stands out as a contemplative ritual object placed in one’s home to remind us of the sacredness of matrimony and all that it encompasses throughout our lives. In our busy days we all often forget the power of placing the sacred before us. By including the ritual of the Ketubah signing on your wedding day, you have honored yourselves, family and friends with a lovingly crafted sacred object intended to embody the ideas of love and compassion. As your marriage grows with time, your Ketubah will continue to bring you back to these universal values that mend and enlighten.

Beautiful, right? I know that our Ketubah will always be displayed in our home, which is why it had to be a stunner!

Ready for some pics?

Here we go with the full shot first:

(Personal Photo)

The overall look reminds me of a stained-glass window. Here’s a few close-ups of the various flowers:

(Personal Photo)

(Personal Photo)

And here’s the part of the text:

(Personal Photo)

Thank you, Amy Fagin, for working with me to personalize this beautiful Ketubah! I love it so much and I can’t wait to sign it at our wedding and then display it in our home as a symbol of our marriage and commitment to each other.

Do you have a marriage contract of any kind?