I’ve compiled information that may be helpful to you in deciding on the details for your wedding ketubah. See the following sections below for: Signature Options, Special Quotes, Names, and FAQs specific to ketubot.
Signature Options
Traditionally, two “kosher” witnesses sign the wedding ketubah. By kosher, I mean that the witnesses must be Jewish, male, over the age of bar mitzvah, observant, not related to the couple or each other, etc.
You are welcome to follow this traditional law, but I invite you to choose what feels best for you — so long as your rabbi/officiant approves. Often, this includes both partners signing their own ketubah, as well as two witnesses of their choice. This practice is most common in Reform, Conservative, Egalitarian, LGBTQ+, and Interfaith unions.
What I’ll need from you when you fill out the Ketubah Details Form:
- How many lines do you need for signatures?
- Who will sign the ketubah?
- Some couples choose more than 2 witnesses
- Some couples have an officiant and a rabbi or a cantor sign
- Who will sign the ketubah?
- Do you want blank signature lines or signature lines with labels?
Special Quotes
A special quote is not required, so don’t feel any pressure to include one. The line can either be printed above or below the text of your ketubah. If you are choosing one, choose either English or Hebrew.
Here are popular options to choose from:
- I am my beloved and my beloved is mine.
- Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li
- אני לדודי ודודי לי
- Place me as a seal upon your heart.
- שימני כחותם על לבך
- I found the one whom my soul loves.
- מצאתי את שאהבה נפשי
Names
Traditional Hebrew names include the child’s name and son/daughter of parent(s) name(s).
[Please note: not including parent names is a choice, and one to make between you and your rabbi.]
For your FULL Hebrew name, we’ll need to include your parent’s names. If you don’t know them, please get the information as soon as possible.
I’ll also need to know if either parent is deceased. Their name is still included in the ketubah text followed by the Hebrew abbreviation ז״ל (zichron livracha), which means “may their memory be a blessing.”
Example:
My Hebrew (actually, Yiddish) name is Elka Chava / עלקה חוה
But for mitzvot/simchas in front of the community, I use my FULL Hebrew name, which includes my parents’ names too. So,
- Elka Chava bat Lazer Beryl v’Yocheved Chana
- עלקה חוה בּת לזר בּרל ויוכבד חנה
All of which means, “Elka Chava, daughter of Lazer Beryl and Yocheved Chana”
You can go to the lexilogos website to type out, then copy/paste your name for the Ketubah Details Form.
Ketubah FAQs
No. Not including their names is a choice, and one to be made between you and your rabbi.
Because my ketubahs are customized, all sales are final.
PLEASE BE AWARE clients are fully responsible for finding and reporting any errors before approving the text for their ketubah. ROMANCE AND MISHEGOSS is not responsible for replacing approved texts.
All of my ketubahs are shipped fully insured against damage.
If the ketubah was damaged during shipment, please takes pictures of the damaged ketubah and the packaging it arrived in. We’ll need these to file an insurance claim.
I’ll work with you to send a replacement immediately, free of charge.
If your ketubah is damaged once it is in your possession, I will do my best to work with you to get you a replacement.
Do not send your ketubah back before contacting me!
No. You will need the ketubah unframed to sign it, and for museum/archival quality, a properly framed piece will be sealed. I recommend you find a local frame shop to help you out.
Because there are kosher ketubahs and ornamental ketubahs. For a ketubah to be kosher, the Judaic laws need to be followed. If you are getting married by an Orthodox rabbi, that law will look different than if you marry by a Reform rabbi, etc.
Furthermore, just because one Orthodox rabbi approves the text, doesn’t mean the next one won’t have any edits to make!
The last thing you want is to show up on your wedding day and have your rabbi tell you that the ketubah you chose won’t be valid because of something that could have been straightened out beforehand.
(One day I’ll write a blog post on why I have 2 ketubahs and one husband.)
If you are not marrying by a rabbi, you can make all the decisions yourself.
If you have more questions not answered here, please email me: hello@romanceandmishegoss.com
PLEASE BE AWARE clients are fully responsible for finding and reporting any errors before approving the text for their ketubah. ROMANCE AND MISHEGOSS is not responsible for replacing approved texts.