What is a ketubah? A ketubah is a work of fine art that symbolizes the beauty of your marriage
Dawn and Alan chose my popular Fire Ketubah, and were featured in Wedding Yentas. (Photo by Photography Verdi)
At its heart, a ketubah is a marriage certificate made beautiful. It is a work of art that uses images and words to express the meaning and emotion behind your wedding vows.
The ketubah began long ago as a Jewish wedding tradition. It is considered a blessed act (a mitzvah) to make the things used in ceremonies as beautiful as possible. Over time, the idea of the ketubah spread, and has been embraced by couples from many different religions and cultures.
At Modern Ketubah, we specialize in creating beautiful, contemporary fine art ketubahs for all couples, whether Jewish, interfaith, same-sex, or multi-cultural. Everyone can have a Modern Ketubah.
I create my ketubahs from my own fine art abstract nature photography, for a modern, organic style. My ketubah designs are unique, because unlike many others, mine all originated as works of fine art, and are created to the exact standards I use for the art I show in galleries and exhibitions.
What does 'ketubah' mean?
Ketubah (pronounced "keh-TOO-bah") is from the Hebrew word 
, and literally means "document" or "it is written". Lately it has become commonly used to describe any document or artwork signed by the bride and groom that states their vows to each other. You see all of the different spellings of ketubah (such as ketubot, ketubbah, ketuba, and katuba) because the Hebrew language uses a different alphabet from English, so there is no direct correlation between the letters. While the plural for ketubah is "ketubot", I often use the more familiar-sounding word "ketubahs" on this website.
Rachel and Ben signing their "White Mountains Ketubah" at their wedding in Carmel, CA. (photo by Scott Campbell)
“The ketubah you made for us reminds me of how wonderful the wedding was, and what a wonderful future we have together.” — Erin and Harry
Does a ketubah have to look traditional or old-fashioned?
Not at all! Your ketubah can look any way you want. Like your wedding rings, your ketubah is a physical symbol of your marriage that stays with you forever, so it should match your own personal idea of spirituality and symbolism. And since your ketubah is a work of art that will hang in your home, you should choose one that reflect your own artistic tastes and styles.
Can we get an interfaith ketubah?
Yes. I am in an interfaith marriage myself, so I have designed all of my ketubahs specifically for interfaith and multicultural weddings. I created these designs and texts to address the needs of a couple bringing together two families, two backgrounds, two religions. By using symbols from nature, my ketubahs they celebrate your interfaith marriage with images that are meaningful to both of your traditions. Learn about interfaith ketubahs
“Our ketubah is unique, romantic, modern and elegant; more than I had expected!” — Heather and Abraham
Can we get a ketubah for our "non-traditional" wedding?
Yes! I believe that every couple is "non-traditional" in some way. If the concept of the ketubah feels meaningful to you, then you should consider having one for your own wedding — no matter your religion or background. I have worked with couples from all sorts of backgrounds to create a ketubah that is right for them. I have created custom ketubahs for interfaith weddings, same-sex weddings, multicultural wedding, vow renewals and anniversaries, and other special celebrations. Learn about all kinds of ketubahs
How do we get started?
To find your perfect ketubah, the first thing to do is to find a ketubah design whose imagery and words calls out to you, that feels special and meaningingful to you. Browse my ketubah designs to find your favorite. Then, learn about all of the texts available (I wrote most of them myself), and find the one that fit your ceremony perfectly. At no time are you alone in this process! I am the designer, artist, and owner of Modern Ketubah, so you know that you will always get a direct and clear answer to any question you might have. That's right, you can talk directly with the artist making your ketubah!
