Marcie and Herman's Super Modern Custom Ketubah
Engagement photo by Kat Ambrose Photography
There are two things I love in a commission: getting to know the couple and a project that pushes my artistic boundaries.
With Marcie and Herman, I was lucky enough to get both those things. After our first Zoom call, I could tell that these guys would want something totally unique that fits their aesthetic.
Marcie and Herman were set up by some mutual friends who obviously had a hunch that these two were meant for each other. Herman knew Marcie was the one because she pretended to like sports for him, and Marcie loved that Herman was a "nice Jewish boy". The rest was history.
Engagement photo by Kat Ambrose Photography
I was especially excited when I got an email from Herman and Marcie inquiring about a custom ketubah because we had a special connection: Marcie's dad is the head of the JCC in Houston, which was my home away from home for the six years we lived there. I met some of my closest friends at the J and the Deutser Gallery in the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC was the first place to display my ketubah collection, before it traveled to other venues all over the country.
Here is a video filmed at that exhibit:
Houston and that big old building on Braeswood Blvd have a very special place in my memories and getting to know Marcie and Herman felt like a special connection to a town and a community that is so dear to my heart.
Engagement photo by Kat Ambrose Photography
The happy couple shared two art prints they had up in their home and asked if I could use them as inspiration for their ketubah so eventually the three could be displayed together. I loved these prints and that idea!
These gorgeous prints are by Israeli-American artist Boaz Kimelman
Marcie and Herman wanted a ketubah in this style, that would incorporate the phrase אני לדודי ודודי לי. "Ani l'Dodi v'Dodi Li" is a quote from the Song of Songs, and it means "I am My Beloved's and My Beloved is Mine."
A totally graphic design was outside my usual wheelhouse and I was excited to dust off that old graphic design minor.
I presented Marcie and Herman with two sketches:
Herman and Marcie felt that we were on the right track but asked me to make one more iteration in which the two designs are combined. So I presented them with Sketches 3 and 4:
And we had a winner! So I got to work.
I couldn't wait to show Herman and Marcie their finished ketubah. I even added some gold highlights.
I was thrilled to see how excited they were about how it turned out. I asked Herman and Marcie what they wanted their ketubah to tell about their love story.
"Don’t be afraid to do something different than everybody else."
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