Handfastings -An Old Tradition - Should You Include A Handfasting Ritual In Your Wedding Ceremony?

Jan. 19, 2013 - PRLog -- Handfastings -An Old Tradition With A New Twist, Should You Include A Handfasting Ritual In Your Wedding Ceremony?

You have seen it - a rope tied around the couples hands when they marry - Handfasting Cord Ritual - a beautiful and versatile ritual to incorporate into your wedding ceremony. Perfect to incorporate family, friends and children. A creation of family and long life together - but beware, also a binding. A serious vow made connecting the couple and their family forever!

Handfasting. The tradition is so old there isn't a definite date. The ritual of taking a cord or ribbon and tying the couple's hands together as they say their wedding vows.  A beautiful symbol of binding, a promise that can not be undone or divorced from. A level of commitment that the traditional ceremonies just aren't reaching any more.  

Today, more and more couples are looking for a way to express a longer deeper commitment to each other. Many have been married before and want their new partner to know a greater level of commitment or they have children from another marriage and want them to feel apart of the ceremony too. The combining of family, perfect for same sex couples  all can be perfectly illustrated by adding the symbol of a handfasting ritual. It ads a level of personalized meaning into the wrapping and tying of the rope during the wedding ceremony that can be personally intimate to the couple.

The concept of a Handfasting is said to have originated with the ancient Celtic culture generally thought to be a cornish or scottish engagement ceremony binding for a year and a day. But research shows the handfasting ritual is found in almost everyone's ancestry. The term "tie the knot", which is still used today, originates with the practice of handfasting.

I am a Chicago area Wedding Officiant and I have been working hard to bring this amazing wedding tradition back to common practice. Maybe by its reintroduction, the handfasting will help people understand the seriousness of making and keeping their promises. Rev. Pamela owns and operates "Tie The Knot" custom made handfasting cords. http://Handfastingcord.net and marries hundreds of people every year in her Chicago 1920's Sears Home.

The handfasting ritual is perfect to retro-fit into almost every wedding ceremony to denote the couple's intentions. It doesn't mater what faith, or believe system, the handfasting can reflect their love and their reasons. I use handfasting rituals for

o       addition level to a traditional ring ceremony, or in place of one

o       renewing vows & anniversaries

o       spiritual marriages & legal ones

o       engagement announcement event for one year and a day

o       same sex & heterosexual couples

o       those with children to tie the family together

o       family generations tie to the past to future

You can commission your handfasting cord or make your own. When I make a cord I incorporate personal prayers, luck and protection into the cord. The cord colors are selected by the couple according to their magickal properties and powers of good luck for the couple's future. Handfasting cord colors (http://handfastingcord.net/Handfastingcord%2Chandfastingc...) can be found on http://handfastingcord.net

Five strands of rope are braided to create this apx seven foot long sacred tool. I mark each prayer with Magickal oils, and a bead or charm which is braided into the rope. I use them to mark particular prays that coincide with the written ritual that accompanies the cord. I would recommend making your cord in this way or hiring someone to make it for you. The cord should be a charged magical item filled with positive energy, old world magick and prayer for the good will of the couple and their life together.

DestinationWeddingChapel.com in Chicago is the private home of Rev Pamela Magnuson. Rev Pamela takes in-person appointments to perform spiritual handfastings and those accompanied with a cook county illinois marriage or civil union license to make it legal too. The wedding venue is a 1920's Sears home with a beautiful spring garden and bridal suite and is perfect for the couple's elopement or 30 guests.