At every Jewish wedding, a marriage contract, Ketubah, is signed by the groom, bride, and witnesses. The Ketubah outlines the basic financial (and otherwise) obligations of the husband to his wife and the amount of money he will owe the woman he is about to marry in case he'll decide to untie the knot he's about to tie. One might say that such matters are not apropos at a time like this. The sages of the Talmud, who instituted the Ketubah, believed that security that comes with the Ketubah contract only woks to further strengthen the bond that is in the process of being formed. In fact, it was prohibited to finalize the wedding ceremony without a Ketubah contract. In most Orthodox circles, Ketubah is read under the Chuppah by an honored guest. Throughout history, the Ketubah document was very adorned and skillfull calligraphy was applied when drafting it. Some hang it up on their wall as wall art and a memento of their wedding.
A Centuries old Ketubah From PortugalHere are some random images of the Ketubah being signed at various Jewish weddings.
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