Bind your hands together once more under a glowing sunset.
Short summer reads…
Handfasting at a vow renewal is one of the most visual ways to say "we would choose this again". Your hands are joined, a cord or ribbon is wrapped around them, and for a moment, the two of you are literally tied together.
I'm Leon, a celebrant and photographer at Twilight Ceremonies. Handfasting is something I am happy to include in your sunset renewal, and here is how it works.
What Handfasting Is
Handfasting is an old ritual found in Britain and Ireland, and it is often linked with the phrase "tying the knot". Today it is a symbolic part of a ceremony rather than a legal one. It needs no particular belief, so it suits non-religious renewals just as well as any other kind.
How It Fits Into Your Ceremony
A handfasting often sits just after your refreshed vows. You face each other and join hands, the cord is wrapped around them while a few lines you have written together are spoken, and then the knot is tied. Many couples slip their hands free afterwards and keep the knotted cord. We shape every part of it together, so it can be as simple or as detailed as you like. How a vow renewal ceremony is put together shows where it sits in the wider ceremony.
Photo: I Love Colour, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Choosing Your Cord
There are no rules. Some couples use ribbons in colours that mean something, some braid three strands together, and some use something from their wedding day, such as a piece of lace or the ribbon from a bouquet. Bring what feels right, and we will make sure it is long enough to wrap comfortably.
Why It Suits a Sunset
Handfasting is slow and close, so it photographs beautifully in low, warm light. Your hands, the cord and the sky behind make some of the most treasured images of the evening.
Where You Can Hold It
The Sunset Vow Renewal is £450.00 on the offerings page, at a location of your choosing. Moel Famau, the Anglesey coast, the Llŷn or your own garden all work, and you can choose anywhere that means something to you.
A knot you can keep long after the sun has gone. Read what to wear for a sunset vow renewal, then speak to me about adding a handfasting to yours.
Hands bound, hearts sure, the sky turning gold.