Hand-Fasting Ritual

The handfasting ceremony tradition is a Celtic wedding ritual with medieval roots. This ritual has its roots set deep in Celtic traditions of the Scots and the Welsh. Originally, the hands of the bride and groom were bound together with a rope, ribbon, or cord.

The wrapping and “tying of the knot” in the ribbon or cord forming an infinity symbol representing a oneness between the couple and symbolising the joining of their lives. It is also the origin of the expression, "tying the knot" that we still use today.

Today, hand-fasting rituals can either be designed with the entire ceremony centred around the binding of the hands or, as in most cases, as a simplified version that is used as an element within the wedding ceremony itself.

It involves binding the couple’s hands together with ribbons or cords to symbolize their union. In the middle ages, handfasting was used in place of a marriage license before weddings were recognized as legal responsibilities of the government and church. Each coloured cord has its own meaning, such as white for purity or red for passion.