Sponsored Post: Ketubahs by Amy Fagin at 20th Century Illuminations

Have you ever had a friend talk about signing a prenuptial agreement before getting married? They aren't always too pretty because of the idea behind them - that somehow this forever commitment that you're entering into will be finite.

The Jewish tradition includes a prenuptial agreement a part of the wedding ceremony, and makes the ketubot (the term for the agreement) actually quite beautiful. The ketubah texts often look like pages from a medieval illuminated manuscript - which makes sense, as the tradition has been followed for a very, very long time, reflecting the rich history of the Jewish people. The text of the contract has been adapted by Jewish communities while remaining in accordance with the ancient customs and traditions of the earliest practices.

'Paeonia Arbor' ketubah by Amy Fagin

But what exactly does it say? Basically, it's an agreement of the husband to the wife that he will provide to his wife three major things: clothing, food and conjugal relations. There are a few derivatives that can be added depending on the branch of Judaism that the couple follows, but that's the gist of it.

Traditionally the ketubah is signed and read aloud at the ceremony, later to be displayed prominently in the home as a reminder to the bride and the groom of the promises they made to each other. The beauty of the text - and the work of many ketubah artists, like Amy Fagin at 20th Century Illuminations - creates such a document to always draw the eye to the promises that have been made and will always be kept.

(Annie's favorite - 'Sweet Shelter')

'One Heart'

The Jewish perspective is a bit different than the Western one in terms of what a prenuptial agreement means - it's not a preparation for the worst, but rather a reminder of the best. It's a good outlook, I think.

Amy Fagin at 20th Century Illuminations, as well as creating beautiful marriage contracts, also has a series of illuminated manuscripts called Beyond Genocide that "examines regions of the world where large scale episodes of genocide and mass annihilation have been perpetrated."

'Double Ring'

'Circle of Love'

About the author: Nikki Farnsworth is a freelance writer who loves beautiful things, whether its a wedding blog, ketubot, technology or love. And sometimes it's just sitting down with a romantic movie and some good chocolate.

Irish Wedding Traditions

Here are some charming Irish wedding traditions that would be great for anyone with Irish heritage looking to incorporate some Irish traditions into their wedding ceremonies or receptions.

The Claddagh Ring
Named after Claddagh, a fishing village in Galway (in Western Ireland), the Claddagh ring is handed down from mother to daughter and is used both as the betrothal and wedding ring. It is worn with the crowns facing inward, toward the wrist, on betrothal, and outward, toward the nail, upon marriage. Today, it is still used as a wedding ring and it is considered improper for a person to buy one for him or herself; it must be given as a gift.

Superstitions
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Irish believed that if the sun shone on the bride, it would bring good luck to the couple. It was also lucky to hear a cuckoo on the wedding morning or to see three magpies. After the wedding ceremony, it was important that a man and not a woman be the first to wish joy to the new bride.

Locking the Door
Since Irish men were known for getting cold feet on their wedding days, once the bride and groom were in the church, the guests would lock the door to keep the groom inside to make sure he went through with the ceremony.

Irish Toast
The wedding party gathers around the bride and groom. All fill their glasses with mead and the newly wedded couple recites an Irish toast: "Friends and relatives, so fond and dear, 'tis our greatest pleasure to have you here. When many years this day has passed, fondest memories will always last. So we drink a cup of Irish mead and ask God's blessing in your hour of need." The guests respond: "On this special day, our wish to you, the goodness of the old, the best of the new. God bless you both who drink this mead, may it always fill your every need."

Irish Lace
While bridal fashions in Ireland resemble the rest of the Western world, one distinctly Irish touch is Irish lace. Try to incorporate this beautiful fabric into a gown or veil. If that's too expensive, consider carrying a lace handkerchief in your bridal bag or hand them out as attendant gifts. Color scheme? Follow Irish heritage, of course, and go for green, white, and gold.

Bagpipes and Kilts
Lots of big Irish families have family members who are in pipe bands. So it's not unusual for them to hook up at a wedding and pipe the couple into the mass or at dinner. Popular tunes are the "Highland Fling" and the "Stack of Barley," as well as jigs, reels, and hornpipes. Not only do they sound good, they look good too. Most pipers wear Celtic kilts -- plaid skirts that their ancestors wore in medieval times. The Irish weren't allowed to wear them during British rule, so now it seems they slip them on for practically every special occasion, maybe in an effort to make up for lost time and to reclaim their stake in what is often regarded as a Scottish fashion statement.

Lord of the Dance
Show off on the dance floor with a ceilidh, a traditional Irish set dance. Consider signing up for pre-wedding lessons -- for just you and your sweetie or for the whole bridal party. Keep in mind that some ceilidh dances are named for locations in Ireland such as the Kerry Set, the Seige of Ennis, while some waltz tunes include names such as "Galway Shawl", or "Home to Mayo" -- choose a song or dance to reflect your family's heritage or ancestral home. Be sure to share the special significance of your dance with your guests.

An Irish Feast
The traditional Irish menu -- Irish soda bread, corned beef, and cabbage -- is perhaps not something you'd typically crave, but when cooked right and served up at a big wedding fete, it's positively delicious (not to mention that it all gets washed down with plenty of whiskey and Guinness Stout). And don't forget the traditional Irish wedding cake, a fruitcake filled with almonds, raisins, cherries, and spice and laced with brandy or bourbon.

The Month of Honey
The word for honey is "meala" in Irish. "Mi na meala," the month of honey, refers to the month after the wedding when the newlyweds celebrated by drinking mead, a brew made of fermented honey. Following the wedding, a sufficient amount of mead was given to the bride and groom, along with special goblets, so they could share the unique brew for one full moon after their wedding -- and thus the term honeymoon was coined. It was believed that this delicate yet potent drink was the best way to ensure a good beginning for a new marriage, and it was also believed to endow powers of virility and fertility.
Source: The Knot

Groom's Cake Tradition

I love this picture of a "favor cake", and I just had to point out the charming tradition behind it. Very different from way that we currently think of a groom's cake today, the groom's cake is an old wedding tradition that began to fall out of favor in the late 1950's. The groom's cake was a favor for guests to take home with them and was "wrapped in foil and boxed in tiny, white, satin-tied boxes" according to Amy Vanderbilt in 1952. It did not need to be an elaborate cake - it was traditionally a heavy fruitcake soaked in liqueur. This is the cake, according to tradition, that unmarried female guests would take home and put under their pillows in order to dream of their one true love.

photo via Martha Stewart Weddings

For brides that are looking for something vintage and unique, who would like to have a groom's cake, and are planning on having favors - this accomplishes all of that! Slip a note in the boxes explaining the tradition to your guests, and to save on the cake cutting fee that many venues have, simply cut the cake prior to the wedding and put into the boxes. From Martha Stewart Weddings: "Assembled in the shape of a three-tier layer cake, store-bought boxes hold individual slices of the groom's cake, ready for the guests to take home; tucked between the white boxes are ranunculuses, sweet peas, hyancinths, and lilies of the valley."

Read more at Marthastewartweddings.com: White Favors: Boxed Groom's Cake

Here's some good resources for cake slice boxes: Assorted colors/finishes - Bayley's Boxes (wholesale and bulk pricing), and white quilted - WeddingFavors.com.

And some great resources for vintage wedding traditions: Your Vintage Wedding by Nancy Eaton and Vintage Weddings by Daniela Turudich