How to involve other people in your handfasting ceremony
“Ah, what happiness it is to be with people who are all happy, to press hands, press cheeks, smile into eyes.”
A celebrant tying a third knot into one of my Nine Knot designs (in shades of green). Check out similar designs here
Traditionally a handfasting is between a couple and their celebrant - though for a non legally binding ceremony you could easily omit the celebrant also, as all you need are two hands! But on such a special day, a lot of people naturally want to involve their family and loved ones in the ceremony. This blog post gives you some ideas for ways to do this at all stages of your ceremony, from initial planning through to the day itself.
BEFORE THE CEREMONY:
In this stunning Bloom design cord, each daughter chose a flower
Design the cord together
This is such a simple and effective way to include your loved ones, who could help to select cord colours or any meaningful charms or flower accents. As I have several cord designs that use tartan ribbon, it may also be possible to incorporate your clan tartan!
I specialise in designing custom cords from scratch, meaning that it is possible to design a cord from inspiration where several people contribute to the final cord. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss the elements of your cord design.
This dazzling Nine Knot design in purple and gold incorporated fabric from the wedding dresses of both the bride’s and the groom’s mother
Use heirloom materials for your cord
I can incorporate any personal materials you send me into a cord, and this not only allows you to include loved ones who are present on the day but also those who can’t be with you in person. A classic example would be incorporating pieces of material from the wedding clothes of parents, grandparents, or other special people in your life. Get in touch to discuss the possibilities!
DURING THE CEREMONY:
My Infinity Knot designs can be used to brilliant effect when it comes to involving loved ones in the cord-tying itself
infinity knot with companion cords
This works best with my infinity tie style designs, which have a loose section in the middle for tying the infinity knot, though you could use another style. The idea is that several people each place a cord over the couple’s hands, and they are all gathered up by the celebrant and an infinity knot is tied. You could do this either with several of my infinity tie designs or you could get one main cord and then get a few ‘companion cords’. Those can either be ribbons or small braids, depending on how much bulk you want to work with. To get multiple companion cords with your main cord, please get in touch for a custom quote.
Another view of the gorgeous Nine Knot handfasting cord - perfect for tying a vow into each knot
Involve other people in tying the knot
This works particularly well with a centre knot design like the Nine Knot (which you could have designed together with your wider family or heirloom materials as discussed above). The cord is placed over the couple’s hands and then several knots can be tied underneath to seal in the vows, each by a different family member (see my video guide for an explanation from a celebrant). You can make as many knots as you like, but if it’s more than three it’s best to be in touch to request a longer cord - contact me for this, or any other customisations.
I hope you have found this post helpful. If you would like to work with me on designing your own custom handfasting cord, please don’t hesitate to get in touch :)
Love,
Ceo