Jana and Danny's Museum at Eldridge Street Ketubah
Have you ever had a project or an idea that just knocked your socks off so much that you wanted to drop everything and get straight to work? That's how I felt when I met Jana and Daniel and heard the inspiration for their dream ketubah.
Meet Jana and Danny (and Ranger the puppy!)
Danny and Jana reached out to me because they had a very unique ketubah idea and they wanted to know if I could bring it to life. You see, Jana and Danny are the definition of a quintessential New York couple. Both of their families have been in NYC for generations.
For their wedding ceremony venue, they chose the Museum at Eldridge Street. This magical place is a truly breathtaking former synagogue, which has recently been restored and now functions as a museum of Jewish life on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. And so, the inspiration for their one of a kind hand painted ketubah was born.
When they showed me the photos of the the museum, I swooned. As fate would have it, I was heading to New York a few weeks after we started our project together for my sister's bachelorette weekend. Cleary seeing this special venue in real life was a must!
Here I am out front about to go explore:
If you are ever in New York, don't miss the chance to see it for yourself.
This place is breathtaking! Not only is it visually stunning, but also I felt embraced by generations of Jewish history as I explored the different rooms. The synagogue was built in 1887, and I could feel the energy of past minyans, weddings, holidays, and life cycle events. So much inspiration!
Danny and Jana wanted their ketubah to be guided by the space, but not a painting of the museum. So more abstract, less interior painting. And they wanted it to look like a contract, not a painting with text thrown in. The word "ketubah" means "written" in Hebrew, and Jana and Danny didn't take this lightly. They wanted their ketubah text center stage, but to still convey the feeling and aesthetic of the Museum at Eldridge Street. Challenge accepted.
I got to work on ketubah sketches:
Sketch A
Sketch B
Sketch C
Sketch D
And the winner was...
Sketch E
I couldn't wait to roll up my sleeves. Painting all the intricate details was very meditative. After many, many hours, I felt like I was in a happy, colorful trance.
Here is how Danny and Jana's very unique ketubah came together:
Jana and Danny: We were so excited to have a ketubah that was not only aesthetically beautiful but highlighted the very meaningful venue where we chose to have our ceremony. New York is our home and our families are true New Yorkers, so special that our ketubah encompasses this deeper meaning and it's also just a pleasure to look at and display in our home!!
I am amazed by the beautiful photos by Susan Stripling that really capture the spirit of the moment and the magic of the space.
Look at those joyful faces!
What was your favorite moment of the wedding day?
For Jana, it was walking down the aisle at the ceremony - instead of a bouquet she held both of her parents hands and it was so emotional and powerful seeing all of her friends and family at the museum and Danny under the chuppah.
For Danny, it was getting the party started. After dinner, everyone moved onto the dance floor in another room they had not yet seen - we had "jungle disco" decor, a groovy DJ spinning the Grateful Dead for the intro song, and everyone was happy to get moving and grooving.
What advice would you give to other couples just starting the wedding planning process?
Have fun with it!! It's all going to work out! and your energy on the day is so much more important than the individual details. Focus on the flow of the event and the experience your guests will have overall, versus the little things that can suck up a lot of your energy
Jana and Danny, thank you so much for choosing me as your partner for this special project. I loved getting to know you guys and the experience of painting your ketubah is one I will cherish forever! Thank you also for introducing me to the Museum at Eldridge Street, which I will surely visit again next time I come to New York. Your ketubah may even serve as inspiration for a future collection of paintings, I have some ideas up my sleeve so stay tuned!
Jana and Danny's ketubah hanging in their home
Wishing you a lifetime of Jewish joy, happiness, fulfillment, and many, many more magical celebrations. L'chaim!
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