Handfasting: How to personalize this special wedding ritual
(Secular wedding ceremony officiant in Brussels, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark & Destination)
If you want a secularwedding ceremony , then you certainly want your yes-word to be as unique as your love. If you speak different languages and come from different cultures, you definitely want to integrate them into your wedding ceremony. A wonderful way to make the ceremony more personal and interactive is the handfasting - a ritual that originally comes from the Celtic tradition. It involves symbolically joining your hands with ribbons or a rope - a powerful image of love, unity and connection.
But how can you adapt the handfasting to your story and really make it your ritual? Here are a few ideas:
1. traditional & individual at the same time
If you come from a Celtic background or simply like the tradition, you can use a classic handfasting rope. To make it more personal, match it to your wedding color scheme or have it custom made - for example, through platforms like Etsy. This turns an old tradition into a very modern, stylish element of your wedding ceremony.
2. involve family & friends
It becomes even more personal if you involve your family and friends. Ask them if they would like to weave or knot a rope for you together. This can be a lovely bonding moment even before the wedding. If you have guests from different countries, the rope could even go "on a journey": starting in one country, then sent on to the next - until it finally arrives at my home in Brussels as your wedding officiant and is presented to you as a surprise on your wedding day.
3. tapes with meaning
Instead of a rope, you can also use individual ribbons. Choose the colors consciously according to their meaning - red for love, green for hope, blue for loyalty... Invite your witnesses, siblings or close friends to each hand over a ribbon and say a few words about the color and its meaning. This will make the ritual lively, interactive and a moving moment for your guests to feel honored.
4. a memento for life
You don't just have to put the ribbons away after the ceremony. You can keep the eternity knot that you tied during the ceremony in a beautiful glass jar or picture frame and hang it up in your home. This way, the symbolic power of this ritual will remain a part of your everyday life - a visible sign of your connection.
A handfasting ritual is a wonderful way to personalize your secular wedding ceremony and actively involve your guests. Whether traditional, creative or interactive - the design possibilities are endless.
👉 Are you curious? Get in touch - together we'll find the right form so that this ritual suits you and your love perfectly.
👉I am Katja Nielsen, wedding officiant & specialist for multilingual ceremonies in German, English, French, Dutch, Danish and Italian
👉You can find me in Brussels, Belgium and I am also happy to accompany you on your wedding adventure in Germany, France, Luxembourg, Denmark and your destination in Europe or worldwide
