TYING THE KNOT IN YOUR HUMANIST WEDDING CEREMONY
Steph and Tom tied the knot with a macrame cord they made themselves. About today photography About today photography
Knot tying is a symbolic act where the couple’s hands are tied together - with ribbon, cord or you can even get specially made handfasting cords
The verb ‘handfast’ in Late Old English means ‘to formally promise, or to make a contract’.
In the 12th to 17th century handfasting, in England at least, meant you were engaged to be married.
Handfasting was legally binding, and once the couple decided they wanted to get married, following their engagement they would make their vows and then they were married.
To do this the couple would take each other’s right hand, and state out loud that they chose and accepted each other as married.
If you are looking for a legal handfasting ceremony this can be done in Scotland by certain celebrants authorised by the Registrar general -feel free to get in touch for more info about this if that is what you’re looking for).
Ake and Eulee are into rock climbing and used their own rope to form their knot.
Today, tying the knot is a popular ritual that can be included in a wedding or civil partnership to signify the binding together of two people (or more - you can include your children or significant other people in your ritual).
You can work this symbolic act into your humanist wedding ceremony in your own way and this is a gorgeous way of involving significant people in your ceremony - inviting them to add a ribbon or cord to your handfasting ritual to form a multi-stranded knot.
In this ceremony your joined hands can be tied together with ribbon, rope, or any material that has meaning to you. Or you can make a knot by getting ribbons laid over your hands, by your important people, in a way that forms a knot as you pull your hands apart - as if by magic!
You are left with a knot as a keepsake! Sometimes they come out neat, sometimes messy - much like life!
This is a popular ritual for wedding ceremonies and it’s easy to see why! If you’re keen to include this in your ceremony let’s chat about how to make it super personal for you!
©Elizabeth Naomi Photography
