Wedding Tactics

I recently got some fan-mail from Reader Daniela telling me about a site that sells fabulous Ketubahs.

The Ketubah Company (dot com) has some really unique, simple and romantic ketubahs for sale for reasonable prices, too.

A ketubah is a Jewish marriage contract. It is signed by the bride and groom and the Rabbi just before the wedding ceremony or sometimes as part of the ceremony. It explains the basic responsibilities of the husband and wife. It is also signed by two witnesses.

In a conservative or orthodox ceremony, it must be signed by men who are not related to the couple, and who are of course, also Jewish. In a reform ceremony, such as mine, it can be signed by anyone the bride and groom choose – as long as the participating Rabbi agrees. In our case, we both have one paternal uncle who will be signing as our witnesses. This is special to us because they are part of our family and we want our marriage and wedding to be very family-centric.

Historically, Ketubahs protected a woman’s rights in the case of a divorce. Ketubahs come in many different texts, orthodox, conservative and reform; some are just written in Hebrew and some Hebrew and English.

Click here for more details and pictures from a previous postings about how a ketubah is featured in a Jewish wedding.

The Ketubah Company offers work done in several different styles and mediums, including calligraphy, watercolor, sketching, oil paint, paper collage and graphics. There is a ketubah here for all tastes.

I recently met a new mother through a good friend of mine and we exchanged contact information. Upon closer inspection I saw that she had given me her maiden name, not her married name. I am told she plans to change her name any day now. Thing is? She’s been married for over two years now.

When I got married I changed my last name the first full day I was home from the honeymoon.

So did two friends of mine. We all married under the age of thirty, some of us closer to it than others. And neither of us had made a seriously substantial name for ourselves in our respective careers.

Of course, there are some other things that change after you get married. To read more about what you might want to consider, dread or even look forward to, click here.

So what’s the deal these days on changing your name? Keeping your last name? Or, the ultimate, taking on a new name without letting go of the old one.

Regardless of the reasons for changing your name, it is best to start with the Social Security Administration.

For some, its a matter of letting go of the past and all that is attached to a name. It can also be a chance to become someone else, a new you perhaps, or it can just signify that your new roles, wife, spouse, perhaps even mother?

Some people want a name that is easier to spell, easier to pronounce, or one less or even more conspicuous, hinting towards an ethnic background or religious affiliation. And for some it is just a question of tradition, establishing yourself in your newly created family.

I’m curious, did you change your name after you got married? If so, how soon did you make the change?

What do you think of this centerpiece featuring an Emu egg, orchids, berries and desert pods in browns and ivories set into a block of carved ice?

Designed by Susan Holland & Co., New York, NY.

Leave a comment if you think this is trendy and very cool or a little too earthy for your tastes.

centerpiece, Susan Holland, Emu egg, wedding