Handfasting is a tradition that we might associate mainly with Braveheart, but not only does the tradition continue to this day, it is likely the source of many wedding phrases and concepts.
The ritual of handfasting is believed to be thousands of years old and to have originated in the Celtic tradition where the couple’s hands would be bound together, likely in place of a wedding ring, which at that time was only a viable option for the aristocracy. The practice was popular among pagan couples that did not have access to a marriage official. Some say couples would even bind their hands together to symbolize engagement and then a year later they would be able to decide if they still intended to marry.
Whether you are familiar with handfasting or not, you are likely to use a phrase that derives from this ancient practice in preparing for your wedding. “Tying the knot” and the concept of “asking for the bride’s hand in marriage” both have their origins in handfasting. Some even believe that the idea of shaking hands to seal an agreement comes from handfasting as well.
While the handfasting tradition still persists to this day, some couples use a newer version of this tradition in their ceremony and tie a fisherman’s knot. The two parties will each hold one end of two lengths of rope and then tie them together as shown below. The fisherman’s knot is used because when the ends are pulled the knots join together and the combined knot actually strengthens through tension. Couples often embrace this symbolism and use a knot-tying ceremony to indicate their desire for their marriage to strengthen and draw them together even in times of stress and difficulty.
Couples have found many creative ways of incorporating the idea of “tying the knot” into their wedding day. So if a handfasting or knot-tying ceremony isn’t what you are looking for, there are many decorations you can feature with a caption about “tying the knot.” A couple we saw recently, appealed to the traditional saying, and their guests’ love for food, and included pretzels at their reception!
So if the tradition of handfasting inspires you, if you want to literally “tie the knot,” or if you simply want to include a fisherman’s knot because your spouse is such a catch, any of these observances can serve as a nice complement to your ceremony!
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