Choosing a Ketubah Text

The text you choose depends on the type of ceremony you are having, what your rabbi or officiant advises, and your own preferences. For ceremonies in the Orthodox and Conservative traditions, your text will be the traditional Aramaic text, which is written with Hebrew letters. The standard Reform text is in Hebrew. If you would like an English translation, you can select a literal or creative version. Because the traditional text is a legal contract, its language is antiquated and some find it unpoetic. Many couples opt for creative translations, or they write their own English (or Spanish, or Yiddish -- whatever applies) text together. For more information about the origins of the traditional ketubah text, Gallery Judaica and My Jewish Learning offer concise historical summaries.

There are also texts available for interfaith, secular, and same-sex ceremonies, along with a wide range of original texts in English. You can choose from the selections below, or you can source or write your own text to insert into your ketubah design. Translation into modern Hebrew is available for $85. Please submit texts to the artist in a PDF file. When ordering, specify which English and Hebrew fonts (at left) you prefer. You'll also need to complete the appropriate personalization form, available below.

Standard Texts

Contemporary Texts

Personalization Forms

For traditional texts, you'll need to find out your parents' Hebrew names, and you may need to consult your rabbi about a couple of details in the text. Clicking the links below will download the documents to your computer.