Handfasting

It’s thought that the phrase ‘Tying the Knot’ is rooted in the Celtic marriage ritual of handfasting. This involves tying the Bride and Groom’s wrists together during the marriage ceremony and symbolises the joining of two people. 

Photograph by Rachel Birch

This tradition is making a comeback, with more and more couples choosing to have a handfasting as part of their Humanist wedding ceremony.

Photograph by Gillian Shaw

When choosing ribbons for the handfasting, you might like to have colours to complement the theme of your wedding. Alternatively, ribbons could be made from the Bride and Groom's family tartans - once tied, these will symbolise the joining of two families. 

Photograph by GWS Photography

In the following photo, the ribbons were very special as one was made from material from the Bride's Gran's wedding dress and the other was knitted by the Groom's Nan. You can be as creative as you like and make it meaningful to you!

Photograph by Catching the Moments Photography

Knots have a place in the folklore of many cultures and usually symbolise unbreakable pledges. However, it’s not clear whether the expression ‘Tying the Knot’ derives from an actual knot used in marriage ceremonies or whether the knot is merely symbolic of a lasting unity. 

In the 1995 film Braveheart, William Wallace and his true love Murron had a handfasting ceremony.

Gemma and Marc's Wedding at The Caves

The Caves was the perfect choice for Gemma and Marc's stylish Halloween wedding. 

Dark and mysterious, these vaulted rooms beneath the 18^th century South Bridge have a special place in Scottish history and after over 100 years of being lost, the hidden vaults were rediscovered and magnificently restored. Marc and Gemma chose this venue because they found it perfectly fitting for this occasion and because Edinburgh is one of their favourite cities in the world.

They wanted to get married on their 15th anniversary of being together. The exact story of how they got together is a little hazy but we know one thing for sure - it was Halloween! 

Loving the gruesome cake and the rings on the zombie hand!

Gem is a Northern girl that thinks the way Marc says 'chocolate' is strange and Marc is a Southern guy that thinks mushy peas are weird! Those differences aside it's their love for animals and good food plus an identical sense of humour that make these two the perfect match.

For Gemma and Marc, marriage means they are officially reinforcing what has become an inseparable bond. They want to continue to love and support each other and also celebrate their amazing relationship with all of their family and friends. 

A very moving and personal part of the ceremony was when they exchanged their vows, which they had written themselves and had kept secret from one another until the ceremony.

Congratulations Gemma and Marc and thank you for asking me to be a part of your special day and for sharing these great shots by photographer Picturesbybish.

“Fiona, thank you so much for making our ceremony exactly how we wanted!”

Claire and Calum's Wedding at the Apex International Hotel

Although Claire and Calum now live in Dundee, Edinburgh holds an important place in their hearts as this is where they first met and they have fond memories of their times together here. 

Claire and Calum's wedding ceremony was very unique and personal to them. They are both fans of the film ‘The Princess Bride’ and so in my best Peter Cook voice: 

“Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together today.”

With the happy couple also being fans of Disney Pixar films, it seemed fitting for us to all join in to sing‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’, by Randy Newman from the movie ‘Toy Story’! 

The ceremony was also very much a family affair and included a lovely performance by Claire's dad, Alex of the song 'Wherever You Will Go', by The Calling. Claire’s uncle, Michael read the poem 'I Rely on You' by Hovis Presley and Calum's dad, Gordon read an extract from Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres, one of Claire and Calum's favourite novels. 

Congratulations Claire and Calum and a huge thank you for sharing your fabulous photos by Polarberry Photography!

“Dear Fiona, just a wee email to say thanks very much for being our celebrant at our wedding ceremony last week. You were fantastic and everything went amazingly well. It was a truly happy and memorable day. Thank you again for all your help and work in bringing everything together and for being a very important part of our special day.”

Kirsty and Euan's Wedding at Gilmerton House

This is one of Kirsty and Euan's favourite photos of everyone laughing at something said during the ceremony. It really captures what they hoped to create on their wedding day - a relaxed atmosphere full of love and laughter.

Their wedding took place on a beautiful September day in the grounds of Gilmerton House, a handsome Georgian mansion in the heart of East Lothian.

The couple met through work, and so it was fitting that their colleagues and friends James and Sarah, who have known them as a couple for longer than most people, shared their story with the guests.

Kirsty and Euan chose to symbolise their union with a Handfasting and the ribbons used had special significance as they were made from the Smith and Henderson tartans to symbolise the joining of their families. 

They also chose a lovely reading which celebrates diversity. We each have our own preferences - we like different things and we like different people. "Each To Their Own" we might say. W.H Auden said it more elegantly in the poem ‘Foxtrot from a Play’.   

The newlyweds made their exit accompanied by the Rose Street Quartet playing the theme from the Muppet Show!

Many thanks to Kirsty and Euan for sharing these great shots by photographer Marsailli Mainz.

"Dear Fiona, we wanted to thank you so much for performing such a lovely wedding ceremony for us. It was an absolute highlight of our wedding day and two months on people are still saying how much they enjoyed it.... Thank you also for all your help and patience in the run up to the day."