how to protect your ketubah during the ceremony
I recently heard this question from a bride:
I want my ketubah to be displayed under the chuppah and have the rabbi read it aloud during the ceremony. But how do I protect the ketubah during the ceremony?
To keep your ketubah safe, you want to frame it as soon as possible. But you need it open and accessible for your signing ceremony. So what do you do? I recommend that you purchase a simple poster frame to temporarily protect your ketubah during your ceremony. This is a simple frame made of a sheet of plexiglas and a backing board that are held together with plastic clips that run down the side. They are inexpensive, available in many different sizes, and available in most art and frame shops.
I recommend that you place the ketubah in the frame before your wedding day — this will keep it flat (especially since most ketubahs get shipped rolled) and safe. It also makes it easy to transport to the place of your wedding. At the beginning of your signing ceremony, simply unclip the plexiglas and place it aside. Once your ketubah has been signed (and mazel tov, by the way) have one of your wedding party reframe it and bring it down to the chuppah. Use an easel at the chuppah to make sure that your ketubah can be seen by everyone, and is easy for your rabbi to grab when it is time for him to read it. The easel and frame also make it easy to display your ketubah during the reception, keeping it flat and safe from fingerprints and accidental champagne spills.
Another benefit of this frame? It makes the ketubah hard to lose! I have had several customers ask me to reprint their ketubah after it got lost during the wedding reception. A large framed piece of art is much harder to misplace than one stored in a shipping tube.