Add a timeless handfasting ritual to your wedding ceremony with this simple officiant script!

 

 

We love short, sweet, and small wedding ceremonies! (Well, we love all wedding ceremonies, but we've got a soft spot for ceremonies that keep things simple and personal!)

 

But brevity doesn't have to boring... If you’re searching for a way to give your simple wedding ceremony more oomph, consider a adding a handfasting to the mix with this sweet sample wedding script! 

We’ve added a new wedding script to our library! Click here to see the full ceremony:

 

• A Simple Handfasting Ceremony Script 

 

 

This simple officiant script opens with a warm welcome to guests and sweet words about the meaning of marriage.

 

Next, the officiant guides the couple through a straightforward 'declaration of intent' (the 'I do's), followed by the exchange of wedding rings and personal written vows. 

 

After the vows, the handfasting ritual begins! We've included wording for spiritual and secular couples, so you can choose the handfasting wording that workds best for you. As the wedding officiant performs the handfasting ritual, they'll say a few words on the meaning of handfasting, the symbolism of the the handfasting cord, and the beauty of marriage. 

 

From the Script (handfasting ceremony wording): 

 

OFFICIANT TO THE GATHERING

"Hand-fasting is an old tradition. With each wrap of the cord / ribbon, you deepen your commitment to each other, vowing to respect and support one another, to grow with each other, to offer each other compassion and understanding, and to take each new challenge and adventure as it comes, together. Let this bond be strong and loving!"

 

After tying the knot (literally!), the officiant will pronounce the couple married in a simple pronouncement, and bring the ceremony to a close. The couple can keep the handfasting cords or ribbons as a keepsake to remind them of the wedding day.

Short, sweet, and oh-so special! 

 

• See the full Simple Handfasting Ceremony Script here! 

 

Photo:  Veronica Gonzalez Gonzalez/Wirestock / Adobe Stock

New to the handfasting ritual? Celtic handfasting, Pagan handfasting, Christian handfasting, and other 'varieties' of the handfasting ritual all use the same approach - wrapping a cord or ribbons with variations on wording, readings, and handfasting cord colors. These details are up to you! Head here for More handfasting ideas and inspiration. 

 

 

What is a handfasting ceremony? 

 

‘Handfasting’ is a unique unity ritual that involves wrapping a cord or ribbon around a couple's hands during a wedding ceremony to symbolize their commitment. The handfasting cord (or cords) can be tied in a knot by the wedding officiant, a beloved friend, a spiritual elder, or the couple themselves.

 

Handfastings are visually beautiful and deeply meaningful! The act of tying a couple's hands (or wrists) together symbolizes the joining of two lives and two journeys into one path, and the couple’s commitment to support and love one another each new day. 

 

And because handfasting doesn't have any specific religious or spiritual meaning or rules, the tradition can be (and has been!) incorporated into any type of ceremony. Handfasting can be included in a Christian wedding, Pagan wedding, or any nonreligious, religious, interfaith, nondenominational or spiritual wedding ceremony! Big or small, traditional or nontraditional, virtual or in-person, handfasting always fits! 

 

Did you know? Handfasting is a traditional wedding custom. Common interpretations of handfasting are taken from Celtic and Pagan wedding traditions that were popular in the British Isles -- thousands of years ago!

 

 

Who can perform a handfasting ceremony?

Ask a friend to get ordained online with AMM to officiate your wedding! 

 

Who can perform a handfasting ceremony? Friends and relatives can perform your handfasting ceremony as an ordained minister through American Marriage Ministries! 

 

Online ordination through AMM is legally recognized in every state* (it's much harder in Virginia, where we're looking into our options), and it's easy and free to apply. Learn more and get ordained online free with AMM by clicking the links below:

 

• Become a Minister today with AMM
• Weddings By State: Wedding Officiant Registration Requirements

 

 

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Next, learn how to tie a handfasting knot with these simple instructions:

 

How to Tie a Handfasting Cord:

The Infinity Knot. 

 

 

 

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Your 'How To' Handfasting Ceremony Guide! 

 

Handfasting: From Ancient Rituals to Modern Ceremonies

 

Explore the origins of ancient Paganism and learn how to add the magic of handfasting into your own wedding or commitment ceremony.

 

This deep dive into one of the most exciting trends in weddings is inspired by love stories that reach far back into the misty origins of human history, when Druids and Priestesses dispensed esoteric wisdom, cast powerful spells, and magic and nature were one-and-the-same.

 

Written and illustrated by AMM’s own Jessica Levey, this book is full of whimsical illustrations, and carefully researched and crafted stories and imagery that are your ticket to your own adventure.

 

 

ORDER HERE! 

 

 

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Need another sample script for a wedding ceremony? 
Visit the Wedding Ceremony Script Library.

 
We know that writing a ceremony from scratch can be a daunting process, especially if you’re officiating on short notice. To make things easier, we keep our Sample Script Library well stocked with wedding ceremony templates and sample scripts for you to choose from. These scripts are a great starting point, with sections to add to, leave out, or reorganize, as you personalize a ceremony. 

 

We have more scripts for handfasting ceremonies too, including a Pagan Handfasting Script with Fire, Flowers and Offerings!

 

Find them all in the Library using the Handfasting tag.

 

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Read more about handfasting ceremonies: 

 

• Handfasting and Virtual Weddings -- Keeping Traditions Alive in Modern Microweddings

 

• Plan a Simple Wedding Ceremony With Inspiration from One Couple’s ‘Year and a Day’ Pagan Engagement

 

• How to Include Family and Friends In Your Wedding Ceremony

 

• A Modern Humanist Handfasting Script (Sample Wedding Script / Template)

 

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Updated July 23, 2024