What is Handfasting?

Wedding Celebrants can not only deliver a beautiful wedding ceremony which looks traditional but is bespoke and personal. Wedding celebrants can also deliver unique and stunning wedding ceremonies with additional wedding rituals like handfasting.

Hand-fasting is an ancient British/Celtic wedding tradition and it is having a huge revival in modern weddings. It creates a unique and stunning moment in your wedding ceremony which will long be remembered by you and your guests.

It is from the act of hand-fasting we derive the term “tying the knot” and why it is believed to be good luck for it to rain on your wedding day because, as we all know from soggy boot laces, wet knots are harder to untie.

There are a range of ways to had-fast a couple on their wedding day. It is a symbolic act performed with hands clasped so that the lovers’ pulse points are touching.

The cord used in hand-fasting can either be borrowed or hired, but most couples choose to buy theirs as the “knot” becomes a wonderful keepsake. There are many more beautiful tales and folklore about how married couples can use their “knot” to help them secure a long, happy and successful marriage.

The hand-fasting cord can be made of many materials including rope, ribbon or silk. Most popular is to choose colours which either complement your wedding theme or a range of colours which have a range of traditional meanings and attributes. For example: red for love and courage; green for fertility and luck; purple for health and strength etc.

Handfasting can be a lovely way of including others in a wedding ceremony like parents, grandparents, children or friends.

To find out more about how you could include hand-fasting in your wedding, feel free to get in touch.