Page 35 - The Essential Rainbow Wedding Ceremony Idea Book

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Handfasting Ceremony
The term "tying the knot" originates with the practice of handfasting. During the ceremony, the couple's hands

are tied together with one or several colored cords or ribbons. In handfasting cords, all of the colors have

meaning. The cords themselves can either be several colors braided together and then used for a single cord
ceremony, or each colored cord can be draped one at a time. Here are some meanings attached to the colors:

Red - will, love, strength, fertility, courage, health, vigor, passion

Orange - encouragement, stimulation, attraction, plenty, kindness.
Yellow - attraction, charm, confidence, balance, harmony

Green - fertility, luck, prosperity, nurturing, beauty, health, love
Dark Blue -for a safe journey, longevity & strength

Light Blue - tranquility, understanding, patience, health

Purple - healing, health, strength, power, progress
Black - strength, empowerment, wisdom/vision, success, pure love

White - spiritual purity, truth, peace, serenity and devotion
Gray - balance, neutrality

Pink - love, unity, honor, truth, romance, happiness
Brown - for healing, skills & talent, nurturing, home & hearth, earth.

Silver - for creativity, inspiration & vision, and protection.

Gold - for unity, longevity, prosperity, strength.

A Sample Handfasting Ceremony (modifications are made if there is only one cord, not several)

Officiant, to Couple: <Couple’s Names> I bid you look into each other’s eyes.

Officiant: Will you honor and respect one another, and seek to never break that honor?
Couple: We will [the first cord is draped over the hands]

Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?
We will [second cord is draped over the hands]

Will you share each other's laughter, and look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?
We will. [third cord is draped over the hands]
[Cords are tied loosely together under couple’s hands]

Officiant, to Couple: <Names>, as your hands are bound together now, so your lives and spirits are joined in a
union of love and trust. Above you are the stars and below you is the earth. Like the stars you love should be a

constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow

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