nowadays, wedding contracts are so figurative that there is even room for figures that wag their tails. an atlanta-based artist, miriam karp, recently did one showing a couple standing under the bridal canopy with their labrador retriever, "i've had yorkshire terriers, golden retrievers, rottweilers," said ms. karp, whose rates for custom work run from $1,000 to $3,000. "i draw the line at football helmets and football logos. i don't think that's appropriate for a ketubah."
nor will ms. caplan do just any subject. her lip curls when she mentions how many couples request a clichéd fairy tale city-scape of jerusalem for a couple that met or lived there," said ms. caplan, whose work is viewable at www.theketubah.com. "i don't just do it because it's pretty."
the heart of the wedding contract has always been the text, but even that is changing. although orthodox and conservative contracts hew to an ancient text, in which the bridegroom promises to provide for his bride even in divorce, reform jews and interfaith couples have lots of leeway, subject to the approval of the rabbi who performs the ceremony. "one bride wanted to write in the text that she was a recovering alcoholic and it was important for her to agree to keep to this," ms. karp said. "but the rabbit vetoed it."
yet to nonobservant jews and even to occasional non-jews who are contemplating a jewish marriage contract, a rabbi's opinion is more or less irrelevant. a massachusetts based artist, gad almaliah, who produces a line of stamped silver, copper-clad contracts, sells a printed version in wedding shops across the country with no hebrew text or religious references at all. (they appear alongside the work of other artists at www.ketubahketubah.com.) a passage reads, "we unite in love to support and to care for each other."
mr. almaliah, who charges $300 to $400 for a contract, sees its purpose transcending religion. "it will always be there on the wall," he said, "you promising to be nice."