That’s So Poetic!

For two weeks starting noon on February 12th, 2013, Ketubah Graphia is hosting a raffle! Enter daily for a chance to win a Hebrew poetic phrase, handcut and handmade with professional grade watercolor paper of the highest quality (a $175 value).

Between February 12-26th, 2013 you can enter each day to accumulate entries and increase your chance of winning.

Phrases can be added to a custom ketubah order:

Or are beautiful framed on their own, and make great gifts:

All poetic phrases are 18″ x 6″ and can be made with the following phrases: “Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li” I am to my beloved and my beloved is mine. “Ze Dodi Veze Re’ei” This is my beloved and this is my friend. “Ha’ahava Hi Mekor Hachaim” The love is the source of life. “Matzati Et She’ahava Nafshi” I found the one in whom my soul loves. “Ba’asher Telchi Elech” Where you will go, I shall go. “Ahavat Olam Ahavtich” I have loved you with an everlasting love. “Simeni Kahotam Al Libcha” Put me like a seal over your heart. “Tihye Nafshi Kshura Benafshech” Let our souls and spirits interwine. “Betseti Likatcha Likrati Metsaticha” When I go forth to find you, I find you seeking me. Enter Here from February 12-26th, 2013…and Good Luck!

Happy 5773 from Ketubah Graphia

Ketubah Graphia wishes all of its customers–past present and future, friends, family and all a happy, healthy and sweet new year. Here’s a KG designed and inspired multimedia Rosh Hashanah greeting…

click to play

Happy 5773 from Ketubah Graphia

What’s your sign?

Wherever you fall on the cosmic calendar, avoid letting the signatures on your ketubah fade over time. Make sure to use a permanent and archival pen (no Sharpies!) when signing your ketubah. Try my personal favorite, Sakura Micron Pigma pens, which come in several different nib sizes and colors and are available in all art supply and most stationery stores.

Big Savings on Your Biggest Wedding Judaica Needs!

Special limited time offer!

Ketubah Graphia and Huppahs.com have teamed up to bring you a very special limited time offer.

Reserve your huppah rental with Huppahs.com and order your ketubah from Ketubah Graphia by January 15, and save 20% on both!

Taking advantage of this offer is easy: Visit both websites, choose a ketubah design and huppah style and mention this deal when you contact us.

Mazel tov!

The New “I Do”

Yes, the institutions of marriage and religion give us guides that tell us how to say “I do” but we live in a time when it comes to vows–how to say them, who says them to whom and who writes them–where there are no more rules. More and more we are seeing people who write their own vows. Perhaps couples take portions of a traditional text that speaks to them as a couple and mix that up with some lines of text from a Patti Smith song, a poem that they love or an inspiring line of text. The possibilities are endless and very personal. We love that couples from all backgrounds are mixing up traditions from a few different faiths that make sense to them. No longer are ketubahs or stepping on the glass only for Jewish couples. We are big supporters of cross-traditioning (just made that up) and are excited that the ceremony is a place for couples to express their creativity and love as inspired by whichever traditions they choose. The ketubah was originally a scribed legal document in place to protect the wife. Today in the spirit of updating tradition, we are inspired by the history of the ketubah but often add new sentiment and have created personalized wedding vows that focus on an equal promise of love and support by both partners. We hope that together with happy couples we will have the opportunity to scribe personalized vows that move towards a new tradition and future where we choose what to say and how to say it. The NY Times posted an interesting article about people of all faiths embracing Jewish tradition.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/us/12religion.html

This is something we toast to and proudly say, We Do!

The Gift of Love

Ketubah Graphia is big into gifts…giving them (and getting them, of course).

Ketubah Graphia now offers gift certificates in several different denominations so that you can be a part of giving a couple the ketubah of their dreams, or gifting any of the products we create.

We gush hearing all the love stories that we do when working with couples to create one-of-a-kind ketubahs, and hope to be able to involve family and friends of couples in the process.

We think that banding together as a group of friends or family and giving the gift of the Ketubah is the ultimate wedding gift. You purchase the gift certificate and we work directly with the couple to customize their ketubah. Imagine the joy under the chuppah when the ketubah is unveiled and your gift enabled the moment. Pure gifting glee!

Hip to be Square

Wow to the times we live in and to people like Jack Dorsey. Thanks to him and Twitter we know what everyone everywhere is doing, thinking and saying at every moment. Admittedly sometimes all the technology feels like a blessing and a curse and while we’re thankful for the instant access to information and people, we’re also thankful that we continue to make ketubahs by hand, and that the process is meditative and grounding.

Along comes Square, Dorsey’s new invention that enables individuals and small businesses to accept credit card payments by inserting literally a little square reader into their smart phone https://squareup.com/

We use Square daily and are excited to be able to offer this convenience to our customers. Genius!

What’s Your Trade?

Bartering, trading, swapping–call it what you will, this time-old exchange is the kind of currency we love. In our business we make testimonials of love about sharing, commitment and exchange of vows. Beyond hard cash, we like that remuneration is romantic too and champions the exchange of need and of talents. In setting up our new studio, we knew we wanted a horizontal paper shelf that would fit our custom needs and keep our materials in the best of shape. Along came a couple whose groom was a carpenter…and the offer of exchange was presented. The happy couple left with their ketubah and Ketubah Graphia now has a custom piece of furniture for our ketubah paper that we love…and we learned a thing or two about custom carpentry in the process. Voila!

Announcements, Announcements

Just finished a birth announcement for twin boys.
Welcome to the world Henry and Jack. (Let us know when you’re getting married.)

Discount on Ketubahs for LGBT Couples Who Can Now Wed in NY

Ketubah Graphia woke to the amazing news of the marriage equality bill passing in New York!  It is a very proud moment in history and to celebrate, KG is offering 20% off of any ketubah or gift item to anyone in the LGBT community planning to get married in NY.

Ketubah Graphia is overjoyed by this landmark decision in favor of same-sex marriage and proud to be based in New York and to have served the LGBT community for many years. KG has been an advocate for this important issue which represents fairness and equality for all people regardless of sexual orientation. We look forward to providing loving couples with distinct works of art representing their union and commitment to one another.

Many texts are available for same-sex couples here, or feel free to provide your own personalized vows in any language or combination of languages.

Contact us today at aliza@ketubahgraphia.com or 646.812.0584 to start your order….and CONGRATULATIONS to us all!