Hand Fasting Ceremony, Help?

That's cute! I've never seen anything like that.

We are doing a knot ceremony where FH and I will tie a Fishermans knot but, I like this, it's different.

I'd like to know how it works, also!

You do realize that a hand fasting is for a year and a day? I really would suggest you look into the actual meaning of it before you include the kids.

http://tworarebirdstietheknot.com/page2.html

A year and a day? Wtf? Lol

Nevermind. Not interested, anymore.

I will stick to my Knot ceremony.

We are taking the meaning as something different, Tying us together as a family. There are so many traditions and superstitions that just dont apply anymore.

I like the idea of this. I think you can take the meaning any way you like it. I think you should do it at the end and walk down the aisle holding hands tied together.

We are doing a hand ritual.... not sure if it's the same or not, but I got the idea from my officiant's website. http://www.weddingsbylou.com/Menu-of-Ceremonies.html

Click on "Hands"

Handfasting was originally a type of engagement/pre-marriage that lasted for a year and a day in some historical societies. I believe it has Celtic/Pagan/British Isles connections. It gave the couple the chance to see if they could survive marriage to each other. After a year goes by, the couple could either split as if they had never been married or could decide to enter permanently into marriage.

However, now days it is also used as a symbol of unity in traditional wedding ceremonies. If you do a handfasting during your regular wedding and sign the license and everything, you will still be married.

Whatever it's historical meaning, the symbolism is still perfect for modern unions.

No, sweetie, you dont spend the rest of the ceremony tied together Handfasting is to tie your souls together as one. its very symbolic, magical, and spiritual. I would suggest using more than one ribbon or tie and at the end of the ceremony when you take it off, there is enough for both you and your husband to wear around your wrist, neck, wherever you would like to put it.

And if i can add.... if you are incorporating your children, please make sure you are all together holding hands in a circle. in my beliefs, the circle is unity and eternity and any ceremony like a handfasting should incorporate this. i can explain more but i dont want to offend anyone as people come from many different backgrounds... feel free to message me ANYTIME if you have questions, i will be glad to help. my FH and i are taking this road as well (not with the kids though, i like your idea however!)

No. you slip the cord or cords off before you walk down the aisle.

The Future Mrs Drakthal: please refer to Jessica's effective explanation. Back in the old celtic/pagan days before the church took over, "handfastings" were indeed only for 1 yr and a day, to essentially see if you were compatible and then you made it legally official. HOWEVER, that is not the ONLY version of a handfasting, & nowadays it is more symbolic, the union/joining. There is no right or wrong way to do this, as it is the same concepts as the sand thing (sorry dont know what it is) or other symbolic types of union. She is allowed to interpret it as she wants, as I have. I am legally marrying FH, but we are doing the actual handfasting with cords, as we are pagan.

@ Ella.. we are doing the same. Are you using a cord or ribbons and if ribbons.. more than one.

Not sure I know the tradition, but really like the feeling and meaning of this.

We're also planning on a handfasting. You should have your officiant tie the knot loosely enough that it will stay knotted but you can slip your hands out of it.

Handfasting was also done in rural/remote areas where there were no priests/ministers, or they would only come by every few months to a year. Couples were joined in front of friends and family for as others have said a year and a day, that way they also had time for someone who was connected to the church to "official" marry them.

I have some pagan relatives who had handfastings, and they didn't leave it on for a year and a day, even though they go waaayyyyy back, and one of them is even the mirror image of Queen Boadicea (not that that means anything, but I think it's a fun similarity). B-) Pretty sure nobody still does it for that long; it would be close to impossible to take that time off from work, in today's society!

@Marie

We are not using anything but holding our hands