Archive:
Ketubah Customization
Apparently I’m not the only one who’s desperate for the arrival of spring. These past few weeks I’ve been working with client after client who’s looking for a warm weather-inspired custom design. And I certainly can’t complain. If I’m going spend all day stuck inside my chilly studio watching an icy rain pour down, at least I get to fantasize about a warm breeze in Palm Springs or a sunny hike in Utah.
Here are a few of my most recent custom designs. As always, feel free to reach out any time if you’re interested in a custom ketubah or wedding certificate. I’m always happy to do a free sketch and a quote for any idea you might have.
Arches National Park, Utah Tena’im Certificate
It was incredibly fun for me to work on a custom Tena’im certificate for Melissa and Holly, who will be getting engaged in a private ceremony next month. They wanted a design that channeled the familiar vibe of the WPA (Work Projects Association) Poster series from the 1930s, while capturing a place that has deep personal significance to them.
Palm Springs, California Ketubah
The couple wanted to capture the iconic palm trees of the (appropriately named) Palm Springs at golden hour. Working on it felt like a mini vacation, and not just because Margo and Zack were absolutely wonderful to partner with!
Washington, DC Cherry Blossoms Wedding Certificate
Annie and Michael are natives of Washington DC and wanted a Quaker wedding certificate that captured their favorite city in all its springtime glory. I’ve never personally seen the Cherry Blossom festival in DC, but working on this design confirmed its place on my bucket list.
Parker Hotel, California Ketubah
Victoria and Robert approached me about doing a custom ketubah of the Parker Hotel, the famous Mid-Century modern venue. I had so much fun on this project. In addition to getting to play around with ALL the PURPLE an illustrator could ever want, I got to include sweet and quirky details like a tiny silhouette of the bride and groom (as well as their two pugs!)
Thanks to all my custom clients for making each and every work day feel like a vacation!
Read MoreThis past month, I’ve been hard at work on a number of custom ketubah and wedding certificate designs featuring one of my all-time favorite motifs – the forest. As a girl who grew up in a mysterious and heavily-wooded part of the Pacific Northwest, I find the forest to be a beautiful and beguiling place. The rough textures, the earthy colors, the twisty shapes – a forest could keep an illustrator like me happily occupied for the rest of her days. Here’s a peek at three custom ketubah designs I’ve worked on recently that feature a warm, forested theme.
Meadow Lark Botanical Garden, Virginia
The Great Redwoods, California
Forest in the Autumn
Hi again!
I’ve been on a roll lately with sharing some of my recent custom ketubahs and wedding certificates. There was a roundup of recent work that featured the landscapes and natural treasures that make this country so beautiful. And then I shared the complete opposite –some architectural and urban designs! Today, I wanted to share 3 pieces that I just recently finished that come from each category. There’s an architectural design from across the pond, a nature scene, and then an illustration that came straight out of the imaginations of my clients.
St. Paul’s Cathedral and Shakespeare’s Globe Wedding Certificate
It was such a joy to work with British couple Katrina and James on this custom ketubah of London’s famous St. Paul’s Cathedral. They are getting married inside Shakespeare’s Globe, so we added a small illustration at the top of their incredibly unique wedding venue.
Deer Valley, Utah Ketubah
Abigail and Max are getting married at an iconic lodge in Deer Valley, Utah, and they wanted this stunning backdrop to feature prominently in their ketubah design. They also chose to include their chuppah, which will be decorated with cascading flowers and greenery. Done and done!
Vince and Danielle’s Relationship Dreamscape
Now, this is something I’ve never gotten to do before. Vince and Danielle approached me about designing a custom ketubah that combined 11 different components (can you spot them all?) from the story of how they met, how they got engaged, and where they’ll go from here. It’s like a treasure map of their relationship. It was a big project, but so much fun to work on.
{Want to work together on a custom ketubah or wedding certificate? I’m currently on maternity leave, and won’t be taking any custom orders for weddings happening between February – May. But if you’re getting hitched in June or later, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Here’s where you can learn more about the process of ordering a custom ketubah or wedding certificate. Or just send us a quick note to be added to the list of people who will be notified when I’m back from maternity leave!}
Read MoreLast month I shared with you some custom ketubahs and wedding certificates that feature the landscapes and natural treasures that make this country such an incredibly beautiful place to live. But today, I want to share the complete opposite! These custom designs feature some of humankind’s greatest accomplishments: the buildings and skylines that make each city unique. Think you might be interested in an architectural ketubah or wedding certificate? Read on.
As you know, I already have an ever-expanding line of city ketubahs and wedding certificates. But I often get requests to illustrate buildings or small cities that have special significance to the couple. I even occasionally get asked to design a ketubah of a city already in my collection, but the client wants to feature it from a different vantage point or with some additional features.
Here’s a few recent examples of architectural ketubahs that I’ve worked on with some amazing clients:
CHICAGO, IL TO CHARLOTTE, NC ARCHITECTURAL KETUBAH
When Jen and Frayne relocated from Chicago to Charlotte, they knew they wanted to include both iconic skylines in their custom architectural ketubah.
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA CITY-SCAPE KETUBAH
Amy and Michael had many memories in Chapel Hill. We talked about some of their favorite places in this small, lovable city, and we captured them all in this architectural ketubah design.
CANLIS RESTAURANT, SEATTLE CUSTOM WEDDING CERTIFICATE
Catherine and Robert are getting married in this iconic and historic Seattle restaurant overlooking Lake Union. Its architecture is incredibly unique, and it was a blast to illlustrate!
VENICE, ITALY ARCHITECTURAL KETUBAH
When it comes to iconic architecture, you can’t get much more recognizable than Venice, Italy. Jennifer and Markus decided to celebrate their anniversary by commissioning this custom illustration with their wedding vows.
{Want to work together on a custom architectural ketubah or wedding certificate? I’m currently on maternity leave, and won’t be taking any custom orders for weddings happening between February – May. But if you’re getting hitched in June or later, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Here’s where you can learn more about the process of ordering a custom ketubah or wedding certificate.}
Read MoreCan I tell you a secret? Lately, I’ve become infatuated with custom house portraits. Maybe it’s part of the whole pregnancy nesting thing or due to the fact that I’ve been spending a lot of time dreaming about buying my first home. But, whatever the case, I can’t seem to get enough of these sweet and simple illustrations featuring the places we call home. For the holidays, I whipped up custom house portrait (or two, or three) for family and friends:
But, of course, once I got going, I couldn’t stop myself from using them in my ketubahs and wedding certificates as well! I just finished up my first custom house portrait ketubah, and I couldn’t be more excited about how it came out.
This is the first home these clients have ever bought together, and it means the world to them. I love the symbolism of featuring such an important place on their ketubah, which they’ll sign when they get married this coming summer!
If you’re interested in a custom house portrait ketubah or wedding certificate, don’t hesitate to get in touch! I’m just about to go on maternity leave, but if your wedding is after May, we could definitely work together.
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Hello!
Ever since I announced last fall that I had a limited amount of time to do custom orders before going on maternity leave, I’ve been busy, busy, busy. And I couldn’t be more grateful! Every time I sit down with a client to talk through their vision, I learn something new about illustration and design. Clients come to me with the most wonderful ideas, and it’s such a privilege to work with them to bring those ideas to life.
Lately, I’ve been working on a lot of designs that feature the landscapes and natural treasures that make this country such an incredibly beautiful place to live. Here are just a few of the places I’ve had the good fortune to illustrate recently:
LAND’S END, CALIFORNIA CUSTOM KETUBAH
I’d never heard of this magical place before working with Christine and Derek on their custom ketubah, but doesn’t it just capture the imagination?
REDWOODS NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA CUSTOM KETUBAH
I had the pleasure of visiting the Redwoods during a family RV trip when I was about 10, but I haven’t had a chance to go back since. After working with Jennifer and Bryan on this custom ketubah, I’m thinking I’m due for another visit! These woods were just oozing mystery while I drew.
SMOKEY MOUNTAINS, IDAHO CUSTOM KETUBAH
I’d never heard of the Smokey Mountains in Idaho until Lilah and Alex asked for a custom ketubah capturing this mountain range in autumn. After doing some internet research and browsing their photos, I can see why the place is so important to them!
ZION NATIONAL PARK, UTAH CUSTOM WEDDING CERTIFICATE
After working on this custom wedding certificate with Elizabeth and Christopher, Zion National Park is officially on my bucket list. Newborns like road trips, right?
With my due date just a few weeks away, I won’t be taking any more custom orders for weddings happening in February – May. But if you’re getting hitched in June or later, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Here’s where you can learn more about the process of ordering a custom ketubah or wedding certificate.
Read MoreEvery ketubah is unique. Why? Because only your ketubah has your names, your text, and your signatures on it. It’s guaranteed to be one of a kind!
But did you know that there are even more ways to customize your ketubah without having to go the route of commissioning (and paying for) a fully custom design? A lot of my clients love the idea of tweaking their ketubah design in a way that’s meaningful to them.
Curious? Here are four simple and low-cost ways that I can customize your ketubah without charging you for a full custom design:
1) Hand-lettered names in your ketubah
Each of my ketubahs comes with the option of having your names and wedding date in a large font above the text. And you even get to pick the font. But if picking the font isn’t enough, I’m happy to hand-letter your names so that they’re extra special.
2) Add your silhouettes to the ketubah design
Sure, adding large portraits of your smiling faces to your ketubah might be a bit…much. But what about adding your tiny silhouettes to a landscape? These silhouettes blend seamlessly into the design, but serve as a tiny tribute to the happy couple.
3) Add a symbol to celebrate your venue
Subtlety is key, but adding a small nod to your wedding venue can give your ketubah design a dash of magic. For example, one client from Madison, WI asked me to drop in silhouettes of the iconic chairs from Memorial Union Terrace. It’s subtle and sweet, and it has special meaning to them since it’s where they met and where they were to be married.
4) Customize the colors
Most of my ketubah designs can be reworked with custom colors, and I commonly get requests to tweak a design to fit the colors scheme of a couple’s wedding. This delightful client fell in love with my Paint Swash design, but was hoping it could match the ivory, blush and grey color scheme of their big day. I was super happy with how it came out!
These are just a few ideas for how you can take one of my existing ketubah designs and make small modifications so that it’s extra special. I’m always delighted by the creative ways in which my clients want to tweak my standard designs. If you have ideas or questions, I hope you’ll get in touch so that we can talk them through!
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I’m going to go ahead and guess that most newly engaged couples don’t have a ton of experience shopping for a ketubah. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be an overly complicated process. You’ll probably start by sitting in front of your computer and googling around for ketubah designs that inspire you. And once you’ve found a design that you both like, all that’s left is to reach out to the ketubah artist and get the ball rolling!
As someone who knows a thing or two about the ketubah business, this is where I’d like to offer you a small piece of advice. Before you commit to purchasing, and definitely before you fork over your credit card number, I encourage you to take a moment to ask your ketubah artist 5 quick, but important, questions.
1. How long does it take to receive our ketubah?
Each ketubah artist has his or her own timeline when it comes to shipping you your finished piece, and it’s important to make sure you don’t fall outside that window if your wedding date is quickly approaching. Some artists require a minimum of 6 months notice (more common for hand-painted designs) whereas other artists can get you a finished ketubah in as little as 2 weeks. I typically need four weeks to get you a finished ketubah, but I can do it in as little as 2 if you don’t mind paying extra for rush translation and rush printing / shipping.
2. Can we make changes to your standard texts?
While a few ketubah artists only offer standard texts with blanks for you to hand-write in your personal details, most artists will pre-customize your English and Hebrew text with your names, wedding date, and wedding location. However, many couples are interested in tweaking the wording or adding an additional phrase that has personal meaning to them. If you want to customize your text beyond adding your personal information, be sure to check ahead with your ketubah artist that this is an option. Many artists, myself included, can make small changes to the text or even have your own text translated into Hebrew for you. But you definitely don’t want to assume that customization is an option without checking first!
3. Can we customize the design of the ketubah (and how much will that cost?)
Each ketubah artist has wildly different policies when it comes to customizing a ketubah design, and so it’s always important to ask ahead of time if this is something you’re interested in. I am more than happy to make changes to my designs for my clients. If it’s something small, I typically just do it for free. But if the customization will take a good chunk of time, then I’ll typically charge a $50 design fee to cover my time. If you’re going the custom route, be sure to get a quote before-hand so that you’re not blindsided when the final bill arrives.
4. Does your ketubah artist show you a full proof of the ketubah before it’s finalized?
Again, each ketubah artist will handle this differently. If you’re working with a ketubah artist who hand-paints or hand-writes each design, he or she will probably send you a word document of your text to proof, but you won’t get the chance to see the full design until it arrives on your doorstep. Since all my ketubahs are printed using the giclee method, I’m able to send each client a full proof of their design, which they can share with their Rabbi for final approval. If you’re the type that likes to have full control, be sure to ask if you get the option of seeing a full proof and requesting changes.
5. How is my ketubah shipped, and what happens if it’s lost or damaged?
It’s reasonable to think that the ketubah artist assumes full responsibility for getting you an undamaged ketubah, but it doesn’t hurt to double check. Accidents happen when artwork is shipped, so it’s important to know that your ketubah is covered if something goes wrong in transit. I ship my ketubahs in a heavy-duty tube, which protects them remarkably well. However, if a ketubah ever arrives in less-than-perfect condition, I will have it reprinted and reshipped immediately at no cost to the client.
When you’re purchasing a ketubah, the first step is to fall in love with the artwork (obviously). After all, it’s going to hang in your home for a good long time. But it’s also important to make sure that the ketubah artist can accommodate your needs and that you’ll be protected in the case of a shipping accident. Happy ketubah hunting!
Read MoreA whole lot, I’ve discovered! And since I’ve received a bunch of inquiries lately about how the custom ketubah ordering process works, I thought that this would be a good time to share some more information.
I offer two types of custom ketubahs here at Ink With Intent:
1) A slight design tweak
You can take one of my existing designs and just request some simple changes. For instance, I recently did a version of my Autumn Tree at Dusk for a lovely couple but with summery green leaves instead of orange leaves. This option usually only costs you an extra $25-$50 depending on what you’d like to change.
2) A full custom ketubah
Some clients want to work with me to design a full custom ketubah that fits their unique vision. I love working on these since they’re always a chance to push myself out of my comfort zone and try something new. When I do a full custom ketubah with clients, the first step is for us to all meet on skype, get to know each other a little bit, and kick around some design ideas. After I have a pretty good sense of what the client is going for, I do a quick sketch and send it along to make sure we’re all still on the same page. After the client signs off on the sketch, I get right to work on the full design of the custom ketubah. The client always gets a chance to review the design before it’s finalized and to request any changes. I want to make sure that your custom ketubah fits your vision like a glove.
That’s pretty much it!
You can see a bunch of examples of my custom work here on my custom ketubah page. Here are just a few of my favorites from last year.
As always, shoot me a note if you have any questions about the process or are curious if the custom route might be good for you!
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Hello!
I'm Adriana Saipe, founder of Ink with Intent. I'm a full-time wedding illustrator who specializes in contemporary ketubahs and unique wedding certificates. Learn more.
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