As a wedding officiant, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing countless wedding ceremonies. And while all ceremonies are beautiful in their own way, there’s something about handfasting that always offers something special. For couples searching for a meaningful, one-of-a-kind wedding ceremony, handfasting is definitely worth considering.
Handfasting is a centuries-old Gaelic tradition where a couple’s wrists are bound together with a ribbon or cord, symbolizing the joining of two lives. Modern handfasting ceremonies still utilize cord-tying, but now it also involves customized vows, readings, music, and more. It’s a unique ceremony that allows the couple to tailor their wedding experience according to their personalities and beliefs.
in case you didn’t know, this is where the term “tying the knot” came from. In those days, couples would enter their engagement by going through a ritual where their wrists were bound together by a priest or elder for a year and a day. This ceremony would allow them to decide if they wanted to commit to each other permanently. Today, handfasting is used as an alternative to traditional wedding ceremonies and has even found a place in popular shows, such as Game of Thrones or Outlander.
One of the benefits of handfasting is that you can customize your wedding experience according to your preferences. You can even choose specific colors for the ribbon, whether symbolic of their relationship or just a favorite color, to use in the ceremony. If you’re curious about symbolism, check out this article here.
The handfasting ceremony allows the couple to be flexible in their choices. It doesn’t have to be religious, but couples could include their faith by incorporating prayer, bible quotes, or traditional hymns. Handfasting can also be incorporated with elements of other traditions, such as jumping the broom tradition or lighting a unity candle from the Christian tradition.
Handfasting’s the perfect ceremony for couples blending their traditions with modernity to create a meaningful and memorable wedding day. It offers a wide range of flexibility in a couple’s choice and allows them to incorporate an immense amount of personal touch. By adding handfasting into your wedding, we can bring back a meaningful ritual, making your wedding day a unique and memorable experience.
