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This page describes Handfasting as a Unity Ceremony. Samples of Handfasting ceremonies can be found the Handfasting page. The ribbons should be at least 4 ft long. The color interpretations can be your personal ones, but here are a few suggestions: Red represents a passion for life, physical energy and health. Orange shows sweetness, trust, and creativity. With yellow you bring in respect, personal power and spontaneity. Compassion, unconditional love, and balance are represented by green. Blue is the color of communication, contentedness, harmony and self expression. With Indigo you bring in intuition, wisdom, emotional intelligence and charisma. Violet represents peace, spirituality and selflessness. White is the color of purity and a connection with a Higher Power, God, Divine and Spirit.
Version 1: Officiant reads and ties. Joined hands make the infinity symbol.
We will borrow from the ancient custom of Handfasting for our Unity ceremony today. Handfasting is a traditional form of betrothal, the origins of which are largely lost in the mists of time. It is from this ritual that the term “tying the knot” originated.
__________and _________ please join your right hands and then your left. Note that you have just made the infinity symbol representing that love has no beginning and no end. (Officiant then takes the cord and wraps around one person’s left hand and the other person’s right. As she does so she explains the significance of the color(s) selected by the couple. )
Heart to heart, and hand to hand, you are joined together in marriage. The ___ ribbon brings blessings of ______________. The ____________ribbon symbolizes__________
With _______we bring in_________etc.
______and _________ you are now not only joined in love, but also in commitment. May your days together be filled with joy, adventure and peace.
Version 2: Each ribbon represents a blessing. Tying can be done by officiant or others. Officiant does all the reading.
We will borrow from the ancient custom of Handfasting for our Unity ceremony today. Handfasting is a traditional form of betrothal, the origins of which are largely lost in the mists of time. It is from this ritual that the term “tying the knot” originated. ______ and __________ please join hands.
(As the blessings are read, different color ribbons are tied on their joined hands. The tying can be done by the officiant, bridal party, or family members. . The number of ribbons and blessing must equal the number of people tying. If the officiant, ties you may have as many/few ribbons/blessings as you like. You can add whatever blessings you choose and have as many (or as few) as you like. Some suggestions are love, tenderness, compassion, communication, laughter, acceptance, abundance, strength, understanding, patience etc.)
May this marriage be blessed with _____________
May this marriage be blessed with _____________
May this marriage be blessed with _____________
May this marriage be blessed with _____________
May this marriage be blessed with _____________
May your lives be blessed always.
Version 3: Bridal party members select ribbon colors and blessings for the couple. Bridal party members tie and each speaks the significance of the color and their blessing/wish as they tie the couple’s
joined hands.
We will borrow from the ancient custom of Handfasting for our Unity Ceremony today. Handfasting is a traditional form of betrothal, the origins of which are largely lost in the mists of time. It is from this ritual that the term “tying the knot” originated. _______and ________ please join hands. The bridal party will be tying the ribbons as they send the couple wishes and blessings.
The bridal party walks forward one at a time (alternating sides) As they tie, they speak the significance of the color and the wish/blessing,
Version 4: Bridal party members select ribbon colors and blessings for the bride and the groom as individuals. Bridal party members tie a ribbon on either the groom’s or the bride’s hand and each speaks the significance of the color and their blessing/wish as they tie. Officiant then takes the hanging ribbons and makes one final knot representing the union.
We will borrow from the ancient custom of Handfasting for our Unity Ceremony today. Handfasting is a traditional form of betrothal, the origins of which are largely lost in the mists of time. It is from this ritual that the term “tying the knot” originated. ____ and _________ please join hands. The bridal party (or others of your choice) will be tying the ribbons as they send the couple wishes and blessings.
The bridal party walks forward one at a time (alternating bride’s side, grooms side) As they tie, they speak the significance of the color and the wish/blessing. They can pick their own colors and blessings. For example: Yellow is for laughter. Green is for abundance. Blue is for communication. Purple is for spirituality. Red is for love.
Officiant then takes all the ribbons and ties them together below the couples joined hands saying. May this marriage be blessed with these many gifts.
Version 5: Bridal party selects ribbons and blessings. Officiant reads as they tie couple's joined hands.
We will borrow from the ancient custom of Handfasting for our Unity Ceremony today. Handfasting is a traditional form of betrothal, the origins of which are largely lost in the mists of time. It is from this ritual that the term “tying the knot” originated. _____and ________ please join hands.
The bridal party has selected the ribbon colors for this ceremony, each representative of a wish or a blessing.
Officiant reads the colors, state who they are from and the blessing as the bridal party members come forward to tie.
________has chosen a ________-ribbon, representing her blessing of _______ (they come forward and tie the couple’s joined hands )
________has chosen a ____ribbon, representing his blessing of ______ (they come forward and tie the couple’s joined hands)
Version 6: Bridal party selects ribbon colors. Officiant ties single ribbon or groups of ribbons (depending on size of bridal party and number of blessings) as she reads each blessing. No identification of who chose what color and what it means to them.
We will borrow from the ancient custom of Handfasting for our Unity Ceremony today. Handfasting is a traditional form of betrothal, the origins of which are largely lost in the mists of time. It is from this ritual that the term “tying the knot” originated. The bridal party has selected the ribbon colors for this ceremony. ____________and ________ please join hands.
May this marriage be blessed with Love (officiant chooses ribbon(s) and ties as she reads)
May this marriage be blessed with Laughter (officiant chooses ribbon(s) and ties as she reads)
May this marriage be blessed with Understanding (officiant chooses ribbon(s) and ties as she reads)
May this marriage be blessed with Compassion (officiant chooses ribbon(s) and ties as she reads)
May this marriage be blessed with Tenderness (officiant chooses ribbon(s) and ties as she reads)
May your lives be blessed always. (officiant chooses ribbon(s) and ties as she reads)
Version 7: Officiant asks a series of questions and after each response ties a new ribbon. Couples may create their own questions.
Will you honor and respect one another?
We will [the first cord is draped over the couples' hands]
And so the first binding is made (optional)
Will you support each other in all life’s journeys?
We will [Second cord is draped over the hands]
And so the binding is made (optional)
Will you communicate lovingly and truthfully?
We will [third cord is draped over the couples' hands]
And so the binding is made.(optional)
Will you share each other's laughter, and look for the brightness in life
and the positive in each other?
We will. [fourth cord is draped over the couples' hands]
And so the binding is made.(optional)
Version 8
Different intro- anyone can tie the ribbons/read the blessings
_____and_____
have chosen to incorporate the ancient Celtic ritual of Handfasting into their
wedding ceremony today. It has been
written that in the 18th and 19th century only the very
wealthy and affluent could afford church marriages. The common folk showed their commitment by
Handfasting, under the jurisdiction of common law rather than canon law.
Traditionally, it was performed by a priest or priestess, Chieftain, Leader,
Shaman, or Elder of the community who would invoke the energies of the four
natural elements and directions to create a sacred circle in which the couple
could be joined. The cloth that binds their hands was usually the tartan plaid,
representing the groom's clan or family group. It is from this ritual that the
term “tying the knot” originated.
In today’s
ceremony,(I/the bridal party/friends /family) will be bestowing blessings as they tie the ribbons.
Version 9 Use the reading I Promise by Dorothy Colgan as the basis of the questions asked before tying of ribbons. We will borrow from the ancient custom of Handfasting for our Unity Ceremony today. Handfasting is a traditional form of betrothal, the origins of which are largely lost in the mists of time. It is from this ritual that the term “tying the knot” originated. The poem, I Promise by Dorothy R. Colgan serves as the inspiration for the questions asked for today's handfasting. Do you promise to give the best of yourselves and to ask of each other no more than you can give? we do ( tie ribbon) Do you promise to respect the other as their own personand to realize that their interests, desires and needsare no less important than your own? we do ( tie ribbon) Do you promise to share your time and attention and to bring joy, strength and imagination to your relationship? we do ( tie ribbon)
Do you promise to keep yourself open to the other to let them see through the window of your world into your innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams? we do ( tie ribbon)
Do you promise to grow along with each other, to be willing to face changes in order to keep your relationship alive and exciting. we do ( tie ribbon)
Do you promise to love each other in good times and in bad, with all that you have to give and all you feel inside in the only way you know how. Completely and forever. we do ( tie ribbon) | |
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