After a unconscionable hiatus I am back to the blog. This weekend I had the pleasure of performing the wedding ceremony for Michelle and Sam. The ceremony was held outside at the Snipe Farm Retreat, just north of Chapel Hill, NC. The weather was wonderful and the ceremony was beautifully enhanced by the Handfasting Ceremony they employed within their wedding ceremony. If you have never seen the Handfasting ceremony, it is an ancient Celtic ceremony from which we get the term “Tying the Knot”.

There are many variations of the exact wording used in the ceremony. Let me know what you think of this:

 

This ceremony celebrates love and commitment. The commitment to be true in heart and mind is something that should never be lightly offered or arbitrarily accepted.

I will place a ribbon over the clasped forearms of the couple. A cord will then be draped over the ribbon.

The couple clasps their forearms together. I place a ribbon along their forearms. A decorated cord (about 5 feet long) is draped over the ribbon. With each of the statements below being said one end of the cord is draped around the clasped wrists until there is a “loop” around their wrists.

 

Celebrant – Know all of these things to be true:

 

These are the hands of your best friend, soon to be wearing each other’s rings.

These are your hands welcoming each other’s family as your own.

These are the hands that will work together toward your common goals, to prop you up or help you down.

These are the hands that will love and comfort you and wipe away tears of both sorrow and joy.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children as they hold your family together.

These are the hands that will heal your wounds both inside and out.

These are the hands that will open doors of opportunity for each other.

These are the hands that when wrinkled and tired will still reach for you at night.

 

Celebrant – I will now tie the knot.