Page 36 - The Essential Wedding Ceremony Idea Book

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Handfasting Ceremony
The term "tying the knot", which is still used widely today, 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: <Bride and Groom> 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: <Bride and Groom>, 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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