A significant part of any Jewish wedding ceremony is the signing of the ketubbah or marriage contract. The contract, which primarily benefits the wife, spells out the mutual obligations between husband and wife as a prerequisite to their marriage. It is regarded as a safeguard against hasty divorce. In the document, the bridegroom pledges a sum of money to the be paid to the bride in the event of his death or of their divorce. The ketubbah signing takes place before the actual wedding ceremony. It is witnessed by two people, who, along with the bride and the groom sign the document. Traditionally the two witnesses must be male, Sabbath-observers who are not related by blood to the couple. Today, many bridal couples choose to create new rituals which permit women and relatives to be signers.

The ketubbah is read aloud during the ceremony and then handed to the bride. It is incumbent upon her to keep it stored in a safe place, "for her protection."

The oldest ketubbah know to be in existence today is one that was found in Assuan, Egypt. It is written in a papyrus from the fifth century B.C.E. and bears the signature of two witnesses. Beginning in the Renaissance period, decorating the ketubbah became an art form, called illumination, which was cultivated by primarily by Jews of Spanish-Portuguese decent. Some fragments of early illumination work were discovered in a burial place for holy books (genizah) in Cairo.

There are still some couples who hire a scribe or calligrapher to write their ketubbah by hand and illuminate it. Most kettubot today are printed. Many still follow the traditional Hebrew-Aramaic of the Talmudic authorities, but many have new wording, that include or are exclusively English, and/or use more egalitarian text. There are many web sites and a variety of Judaica stores that carry ketubot. The couples' Rabbi can be another resource. He should be able to provide the couple with a selection of inexpenisve versions that are issued through his branch/movement. The ketubbah is not only a legal contract, but, for many, is also a piece of treasured artwork. Many couples use an artist's easel to display the ketubbah at their wedding, placing it next to the marriage canopy.