A few South African tastemakers, however, including Nadine Rubin (former Elle South Africa editor) as well as Tracy Stern (Ogilvy & Mather Associate) and their now-husbands recently ordered ketubot, so perhaps the trend will catch on soon.  Meanwhile, I am plenty busy making ketubot for the rest of the world and still hope the ketubah as a lasting, ritual object to be framed and enjoyed daily eventually catches on here.

(And yes…in between ketubahs, KG is busy with World Cup games.)

Add to your ketubah order one or more of the following handwritten gift texts.  Ink colors and papercut details can be customized according to each recipient or as a complimentary work of art suggestive of your own ketubah.  You may also write and supply me with your own text, up to 200 words, for an even more personalized gift.

Poetic Phrases: These Hebrew phrases are cut from and mounted separately on 18″ x 6″ watercolor paper with the translated English hand-calligraphed in a color of your choice underneath. (add $150.00)  You can also supply your own choice of phrase no longer than 28 characters (including spaces) in total.

Home Blessings: Hand-calligraphed on 9″ x 11″ watercolor paper available in Hebrew, English or both. (add $100).

Parents/Grandparents Blessing: Hand-calligraphed on 9″ x 11″ watercolor paper available in Hebrew, English or both. (add $150).

Anniversary texts: Choose from several beautiful anniversary texts or send a copy of an original ketubah to be recreated as a new work of art honoring years together. (Pricing is same as any ketubah.)

Human Rights Campaign
HRC envisions an America where gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are ensured equality and embraced as full members of the American family at home, at work and in every community. www.hrc.org

National Art Education Association
The NAEA promotes art education through professional development, service, advancement of knowledge, and leadership. www.naea-reston.org

Foundation for Jewish Culture
The FJC invests in creative individuals in order to nurture a vibrant and enduring Jewish identity, culture and community. www.jewishculture.org

BAM, Brooklyn’s leading cultural institution and an international leader in performance arts, will host the show on March 7th in partnership with Great Performances, its exclusive caterer, and supported by Edible Brooklyn, the voice of the new food movement in the boro.

Ketubah Graphia says, “Of course!”

Ketubah Graphia has many text options, can customize texts, or work with any wording a couple provides (600 words or less total).

You can choose from any of the texts on the website such as the Interfaith, English-only Wedding Blessing, Secular Humanistic, Equal Partners, Traditional Apache Wedding Blessing, write your own, provide me with a copy of your vows or other wording from your ceremony, poetic verses meaningful to you, or any other text and I’ll turn it into a contemporary handmade design that marks your occasion and commitment to one another.

Anyone can have a “ketubah” that reflects a combination of their personal beliefs and vows to one another.

I am also available to speak to officiants to make sure that every detail of your personalized text is just right and matches your particular ceremony and sentiments.

Feel free to contact me by phone at 646.812.0584 or by e-mail at aliza@ketubahgraphia.com, or better yet, stop by the studio. I look forward to meeting you soon.

Paper – I’ve tried a plethora (love that word) of papers for calligraphy but in the end, Arches watercolor paper wins. I use cold-pressed, 140 lb. in either size 16” x 20” or 22” x 30”.  It’s manufactured from pure cotton fiber, and Arches papers have been mold-made in the same papermill in France since 1492, so you know they’re doing something right. And the deckled edges are a key added touch.  The durability and fact that Arches paper is acid-free, pH-neutral, gelatin-sized, and air-dried is important for a document as important as a ketubah.

Inks – I favor FW Artist Inks from Daler-Rowney.  I love how the inks lay down so smoothly and consistently on the top of the watercolor and the range of both opaque and pearlescent inks available.

Pen Nibs – I use Speedball nibs #C4 and #C5, depending on the size of the text I’m writing

Glue – For the papercut details of my ketubot, I use Lineco Neutral Ph Adhesive.  It dries transparent, creates a permanent bond and most importantly is archival.

All ketubahs include a permanent, archival ink pen for signing during your ceremony and a white eraser for erasing pencil lines for signatures. These are the materials recommended by Ketubah Graphia for archival purposes and to avoid ink fading over time or negatively affecting the paper in any way.

Ketubah Graphia has several Anniversary texts to design a beautiful work of art commemorating a couple’s wedding day and original (or new) promises to one another.

Click here for more information and to see available texts…or write and send me your own.

• Considering the elegant deckled edge of the watercolor paper and the contemporary nature of our designs, Ketubah Graphia recommends floating the ketubah in its frame or inserting the work between two pieces of glass, either with or without a frame.

• Matching frames to ink colors has also yielded beautiful results.

• Take your ketubah to a reputable framer who will be sure that all mounting supplies used are both archival and acid-free so as to avoid permanent damage or discoloration of the artwork.

• Consider using ultraviolet protective glass or plexiglass when framing your ketubah to prevent fading or other environmental damage.  Try to hang your ketubah out of direct sources of sunlight, halogen or fluorescent lighting that can cause artwork to fade over time if it is not framed properly.