Handcrafted: The Cure For The Common Wedding

In Honor of Passover

In honor of Passover I thought I would bring you a Jewish Wedding tradition. The Ketubah is in basic layman terms, a pre-nup, but really the tradition makes it much more than that. It is a husband's commitment to his wife that he will provide for her and if he ever leaves her and breaks this contract he has to cut her a check.  It's like written vows with a penalty clause.  They are beautifully designed artwork that are suitable for display in your home after the marriage.

Now that you know what they are, let me tell you where you can find them. Melissa of KetubahWorks has a beautiful line of ketubahs and full wedding stationery sets that will coordinate with them. In addition to the traditonal style, she offers some more modern designs, and is open to custom work. Each ketubah is personalized to suit your needs.

 

If you are celebrating Passover this weekend, I hope your seder goes well, and that you enjoy this time with your family, passing on your heritage to the next generation.

Language Arts

I have terrible handwriting. It isn't hard to read, it is just not pretty. When my mother-in-law asked me to help with rehearsal dinner invitations I panicked.  I didn't want my future sister-in-law's family thinking that I didn't care enough to make the addressing look nice. In an effort to improve, I bought a calligraphy pen and started practicing.  Although it looked better, I am not even close to the caliber of artist Andrew Hatch.

Whether you ask him to address your envelope or write out the whole invitation, you are sure to be pleased by the results.  Wanting an informal wedding does not rule out this option. Andrew has many styles of handwriting to choose from; everything ranging from the elaborate swirls and curls of traditional calligraphy to a more funky print style.

   

Why limit yourself to only having your addresses done? Free up even more of your time by letting him craft your menus, place cards,  and table numbers. Anything you would normally spend hours trying to write out yourself, Andrew can do and with a flare you could not achieve on your own.

The Road to Your Wedding

One of the last weddings I went to was in a very rural part of Tennessee, in a town I had never heard of. Getting to the town wasn't the problem, it was trying to navigate the streets of the town and make it to the right church. No matter how small a town is in the South, there are always at least 6 churches in the downtown area.  Our day would have been so much simpler if only the invitation had included a map such as the ones that Laura Hooper designs.

Laura has been doing calligraphy and illustrating since she was just 12 years old. Over the years she has developed her talent and become an absolute perfectionist, which is a quality you should look for in all your wedding vendors. You can really see her attention to detail in each map she draws. Not only will your guest find the church with ease but they will also know how to find local attractions, hotels, restaurants, and anything else you want included on the map.

Whether your wedding is in a small town or in New York City, these maps are the perfect way to help your guests enjoy their trip without getting lost.