Ketubah (Ketubot)

When two people pledge mutual respect and love or renew earlier vows, they engage in an ancient sacrament common to all spiritual traditions. Those magical moments of weddings, anniversary celebrations, and commitment ceremonies are all too brief in duration.  Yet, the spirit and intent of these celebrations last a lifetime in the heart. 

In Jewish Biblical times, couples created a legal marriage contract called a ketubah.  The Ketubah was a combination of prenuptial agreement and a statement of the husband's obligation in the marriage.  Details such as the clothing the man would provide for his wife, her entitlement to property, the amount of the bride price, and the dowry were explicitly noted.  The price owed to the wife in the event of the death of the husband, or in the event of the dissolution of the marriage was also stated in this document.  The traditional ketubah, dating from as early as 500 bce, was an important legal guarantee of security for a Jewish wife.

So highly valued are these ritual documents that it is considered a duty (a hiddur mitzvah) to make the contract an object of beauty.  Through the centuries, decorated ketubot (plural of ketubah) have reflected the societies in which they have been made.  Examples of this art form range from exquisite hand illuminated ketubot dating from medieval times to commercially mass-produced printed ketubot from the early 20th Century.  Recently, couples have rediscovered the ancient art of hand created ketubot and the result is a desire to have a beautiful piece of art that documents wedding vows.

Today, ketubot text runs the gamut from orthodox kosher language to original poetry and egalitarian commitment statements.  Although originating in the Jewish tradition, the practice of creating an illuminated marriage or commitment contract can be used in any spiritual setting.  Having a visible, visual reminder of mutual respect and love is a beautiful heirloom--something to be treasured forever.

Adrienne Momi will create such a personalized wedding memory for you. You can choose from many beautiful decorative and historic design styles, add symbols, images and motifs that reflect your personalities, interests and wishes for the future.  Write your own text either as the legal marriage contract or as a declaration of commitment and love.  Adrienne can even create the paper on which your ketubah is printed from your own heirloom fabrics such as linen napkins or handkerchiefs.

Your ketubah is archival--that is, it will remain in a state of good conservation (provided it is properly handled).   Working with only the finest materials Adrienne will create a piece of artwork for you that is not only personally meaningful, a dramatic reminder of the spiritual connection you made on your wedding day, but a family heirloom destined to be cherished from generation to generation.  Since each ketubah is uniquely personalized, prices vary according to intricacy of the design, choice of paper, and framing.