Handfasting resources

Hey ladies,
Does anyone know of some good resources about handfasting? I'm having trouble trying to explain it, and thus far I don't think I've done a good job. Any ideas you ladies have to help me explain it to someone completely unfamiliar with it would be hugely helpful.

[Julz518]

We had a handfasting as part of our wedding ceremony. These are the links I found most useful. Luckily, our Pastor had been to a handfasting before, so we didn't have to do a lot of "explaining" to her.
http://paintscape.net/handfasting/page2.html
http://www.secularceremonies.com/sample.html

I'd be more than happy to send you the outline of our wedding ceremony as well, if you are interested. We used the invoking of the 4 directions, the handasting, and some more modern/earthy wedding vows. We also had a reading from the Prophet and some scripture, but you can easily leave those out.

As far as explaining it to people, it may be easiest to compare it to a Catholic wedding ceremony (esp. for your conservative FMIL) - At most Catholic ceremonies I've been to, the Priest drapes his stole over the couples hands to bless them (I think usually when they present themselves for marriage, before exchanging vows). The origin of this is from ancient celtic handfasting. I believe handfasting is also the origin of the phrase "tying the knot."

Most people got it when I explained it this way: Handfasting is an outward expression of what your souls do when you get married - your hands get tied together, as do your souls. Nerds that we are, DH and I also liked the symbolism of our arms and bodies forming the infinity symbol as our hands were tied together - symbolising the infiniteness of that bond...

Hope that helps!

[Julz518]

And if a photo would help, feel free to use one from our wedding:
http://mertzfoto.com/proofs/index.ph...ewGallery=1039
Password is willow.

Under "Highlights", go to page 2. Picture 366 is of the actual handfasting part of the ceremony. If you want more pics, I think my friends got more than the pro photog did, so I can look for you.

Julz, that would be great if you could send me the outline. My email address is on Facebook, but I could PM it to you as well if you want.

[Heather]

Originally Posted by Ciarrai

Hey ladies,
Does anyone know of some good resources about handfasting? I'm having trouble trying to explain it, and thus far I don't think I've done a good job. Any ideas you ladies have to help me explain it to someone completely unfamiliar with it would be hugely helpful.

Yep! A Wiccan Priestess here in Albany performs them all the time. I'll shoot her an e-mail to see if she can provide any additional info.

ETA: She just e-mailed me back and will forward a handfasting she recently performed without any type of religious overtone. I'll send it to you when I get it.

[Complicated Woman]

Here is a link to an entire outline of a sample handfasting ceremony. It might be helpful for someone who has never heard of it, even if you didn't want yours to be just this way.

http://www.weddingsbylance.com/cerem...-ceremony.html

Our pastor performed a "tying of the knot" for us, too. I thought it was really cool.

Thanks ladies! Hopefully I'll be better able to explain it with some resources behind me.
I'm hoping that it will put a much need Celtic edge into a wedding that thus far is full-on Portuguese.

[Julz518]

Ciarri -

I haven't been able to get on to facebook to look up your email address (ever since they changed the format, I can't even open the page on my computer ). Can you please PM me your email addy, and I will send you tht handfasting stuff.

Thanks!