The Scottish term itself roughly translates into "to strike a bargain by joining hands," and was considered a Celtic tradition during a wedding ceremony. It's also historically part of all Pagan and Wiccan celebrations, dating hundreds of years. In fact, handfasting expert and designer Oleta Collins explained when it first originated, duos needed to wear the ribbon for a year and a day, and then decide if they would like to stay married.
If they wanted to separate, it would be as if they were never married. Sort of like a 'trial marriage' rather than a traditional wedding. Today, the cords don't hold quite as much legal meaning but they can still be a special way to honor this milestone. As a modern celebrant for some couples who appreciate the symbol of unity the ceremony presents.
By using carefully-selected cords of various colors that represent different promises to one another, couples begin the start of their married life—quite literally—tied together. Interested in including a handfasting ritual as part of your ceremony? Here, everything you need to know about a handfasting ceremony:. Imagine standing up at the altar, prepared to exchange vows and tie the knot.
The term 'the knot' actually originates from the handfasting ceremonies! As Collins explains, the officiant or minister will tie knots around the couple's hands, wrists and arms. Because there is no 'right' way to do this, the duo getting hitched can decide what works for their personal preference. It can be as simple as wrapping around a single knot to tying them into a stunning infinity knot," Collins continues. Following the tying of the knot, couples may choose to leave the cords on for the remainder of their ceremony, or remove their hands and continue with the service.
In some other instances, Bethel Nathan , an ordained officiant, says couples actually tie their own knot. And other versions don't use a knot at all, but rather wrap a single, long ribbon or cord around their joined hands. Some of her couples choose to include important people, like parents, in helping to wrap the ribbons around their joined arms.
Other times, she's the only one participating. Since wedding traditions are created when two people decide they're important, you get to guide this Scottish unity ritual. As Nathan explains, everyone chooses different speeches during this special moment. And people will decide to have a handfasting ceremony at various times within the celebration. Some officials do it at the end, but I like doing it combined amongst the vows and rings at the core of the ceremony," she explains.
Again, because the handfasting ceremony is directed by the couple, they decide how long it should be. If you choose to incorporate your vows throughout the experience, it will likely last around ten minutes, Nathan estimates.
But, if you are simply doing the tying knots only, Collins estimates no more than three to five minutes. While Nathan says these are the most common definitions associated with handfasting ceremonies, some couples will give different meanings based on their personal relationship.
Say, for example, the color 'purple' was the bride's mother's favorite hue, she may select that one as a nod to her own family member. How many should you pick? A handful—or should we say, an armful? Traditionally, Collins says the cords are created out of elastic material that is woven together with other colors and then tied.
If you want, you can customize them and change the material to lace or ribbon or incorporate all of them. Collins says some choose to add Celtic knots, gold leaves, entwined trees, or other meaningful symbols. Love words? Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with: More than , words that aren't in our free dictionary Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes Advanced search features Ad free!
Join Our Free Trial Now! Learn More About handfasting. Statistics for handfasting Look-up Popularity. Style: MLA. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary. How many cords are in a Handfasting ceremony? What do the colours of Handfasting cords mean? Some different ways you can use colour in the ribbons and cords of your handfasting include: Your past, present and future — every colour or fabric will represent a different period Your dreams, hopes and adventures as a couple Special people in your life — for example, if you have children they could be symbolised with one colour, your parents with another and so on Your personalities — you could have a yellow ribbon to express the joy in your partnership, a red for the passion, blue for the deep, thoughtful emotions Any promises that you are making for your marriage, such as gold for success or green for exploring the natural world as one Any faith communities that you hold dearly … or it could even just be in line with your wedding colour scheme!
Who can conduct a Handfasting? Handfasting ceremony script. Are there any other traditions that go alongside a Handfasting? How can we personalise a Handfasting ceremony? Posted in Ceremony Inspiration , Weddings. Tagged with Wedding Ceremony , Handfasting , Wedding rituals.
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