English Translations
Traditionally, kitubot were written in Aramaic, which utilizes Hebrew letters but is a language composed of Hebrew and Babylonian words. Although prayer was always said in Hebrew, the Jewish people in the period of the Talmud spoke the Aramaic language. The Talmud requires a ketubah, so having one is a rabbinic mitzvah, or religious commandment. However, the actual document itself is not essentially a religious one. It is simply a contract between husband and wife outlining his obligations to her, so an added translation is entirely appropriate.
Today many kitubot come with a translation into English. Since it should be seen as a legal document, the Hebrew and English texts should be separate on the page and each should be printed in a defined shape so that the texts themselves cannot be manipulated at a later time without becoming apparent.
Whichever ketubah you choose, you can decide if you will have a direct translation, a more poetic translation, or merely a section of the ketubah that is not in Hebrew or Aramaic but in your spoken language. You can put anything you like in this section. If you are not using a translation or loose translation of the ketubah, you can use a favorite poem or write your own vows to each other.
