Catriona Doherty Celebrant highlights everything you need to know about the handfasting ceremony.
Often seen in modern celebrant-led weddings, handfasting is an ancient Celtic ritual that involves joining a couple’s hands together with a cord or ribbon to symbolises their union and commitment to one another.
STEPPING BACK IN TIME
Dating back to pre-Christian times, handfasting was historically done to symbolise a form of betrothal or engagement period that would last for a year and a day.
When two people chose to be married, they were brought together to have a braided cord or ribbon tied around their hands as a symbol of their pledge. This binding was often accompanied by the exchange of vows and sometimes the sharing of drinks or food.
If, after a year, the couple decided to stay together, the union would become permanent. If, however, they decided they weren’t a good match after all, they were free to go their separate ways and choose another suitor.
In ancient Celtic society, marriage was not only a union between two people but also a union of families and clans. Handfasting offered a flexible and practical arrangement for couples to test their compatibility.
It’s undeniably romantic when you think about it – each person is with their other half by choice, they have chosen to be with that person above all others. Considering there’s more than 7.9 billion people in the world today, it’s quite the choice.
A PERSONAL TOUCH
Handfasting is a popular choice for weddings nowadays for a number of reasons.
It’s deeply symbolic and is a visual reminder of the deep connection shared by the two individuals who are coming together in marriage.
Also done in a vow renewals, handfasting represents a couple’s continued love for one another, and it’s a beautiful way to celebrate love that has stood the test of time.
The ritual offers a plethora of personalisation options. Couples can incorporate materials that honour their roots, heritage or a deceased loved one (e.g. a father’s tie); or choose colours that represents their values.
The practice also provides an opportunity to involve family or friends in a ceremony as they can drape the ribbon or cords over the couple’s hands.
There’s a wealth of designs to choose from online, from the decorative woven cord which is known as a crios, to coloured ribbon and braided cords. Ropes range greatly in price from £12 for an AliExpress ‘Wedding Lasso,’ to between £40 and £105 for bespoke handmade designs by Irish textile designers like Anamchara Cords.
YOUR WEDDING, YOUR WAY
There are lots of ways to handfast and there’s no right and wrong way; really it’s all about the focus of the intention, the couple and their unending love for each other. One example would be – the bride and groom, or bride and bride, or groom and groom holds their partner’s left hand. The celebrant places the cord over their hands and ties a knot, before inviting the bride and groom to hold the free end of the rope. The celebrant then asks the couple to slowly and gently release the hands that are connected and pull on the end of the rope – hey presto, a knot forms in the centre as couple have literally ‘tied the knot’.
Ask your celebrant to demonstrate a few ways to incorporate handfasting into your way, and I’m sure they will be happy to oblige.
Catriona Doherty is a wedding celebrant who conducts weddings and vow renewals throughout the Island of Ireland. For more information, email: catrionadohertyfreelance@gmail.com or see @catrionadohertycelebrant on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.
Caitriona trained as a celebrant with Entheos. For further information on Entheos, click here
