Just the couple and the officiant met on a rustic bridge over a stream near a backwoods cabin.
This ceremony, celebrating their 5th anniversary, fulfilled the couple’s desire for the handfasting they wanted but did not have when they got married. The officiant joined the couple at the cabin they rented for a vacation.
Ceremony script
Couple and officiant gather on the bridge.
Land Acknowledgement
We begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on the Adirondack hunting territory of the Kanyengehaga, the people of the place of the flint, of the Mohawk Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, ceded in 1797 without council approval. We acknowledge that our presence here is the ongoing legacy of settler colonialism which includes the exclusion and erasure of many indigenous peoples. We are committed to working to dismantle that legacy and to uplifting the name Adirondack and community members from the Mohawk Nation who reside alongside us.
Officiant calls the 4 directions as inspired by the setting.
Officiant offers brief address about recommitting and reaffirming vows to each other.
Handfasting with Vows
Groom holds out his hand, Bride lays her hand on top of Groom’s.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
Lay first cord over hands.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
Lay second cord over hands.
These are the hands that will comfort you in illness and hold you when fear or grief racks your mind.
Lay third cord over hands.
These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.
These are the hands that will give you support and encourage you to chase your dreams. Together, everything you wish for can be realized.
Tie the infinitely knot on top of hands with cord ends hanging. Stays like that for vows.
This handfasting binds not only your hands but your souls. You make these promises today with the understanding that you are committing to be partners, and to honor your souls’ eternal connection. The knot you tie and the promises you make here greatly strengthen your union and are sacred.
Knowing this, Bride and Groom, is it your intent to enter into this commitment to one another?
[Couple] It is.Bride, will you share in Groom’s pain, and seek to protect him from it and ease him of it?
[Bride] I will.Groom, will you share in Bride’s pain, and seek to protect her from it and ease her of it?
[Groom] I will.Drape one cord end from the front over Bride’s wrist.
And so the first binding is made.
Bride, will you share in Groom’s joy, rejoice in it with him, and look for the best in him always?
[Bride] I will.Groom, will you share in Bride’s joy, rejoice in it with her, and look for the best in her always?
[Groom] I will.Drape one cord end from the back over Groom’s wrist.
And so the second binding is made.
Bride, will you share in Groom’s hardships and toil, so that the two of you may grow together?
[Bride] I will.Groom, will you share in Bride’s hardships and toil, so that the two of you may grow together?
[Groom] I will.Drape the second cord end from the front over Bride’s wrist.
And so the third binding is made.
Bride, will you share in Groom’s dreams and work with him to fulfill them?
[Bride] I will.Groom, will you share in Bride’s dreams and work with her to fulfill them?
[Groom] I will.Drape the second cord end from the back over Groom’s wrist.
And so the fourth binding is made.
Bride, will you use your anger to strengthen and temper the bond between you and Groom?
[Bride] I will.Groom, will you use your anger to strengthen and temper the bond between you and Bride?
[Groom] I will.Drape the third cord end from the front over Bride’s wrist.
And so the fifth binding is made.
Bride, will you honor and respect Groom, treating him as an equal in this bond?
[Bride] I will.Groom, will you honor and respect Bride, treating her as an equal in this bond?
[Groom] I will.Drape the third cord end from the back over Groom’s wrist.
And so the sixth binding is made, and the binding ceremony is complete. Draw the knot tight now to signify the eternal bond you have made to one another.
Couple takes hold of the cord ends draped over their wrists with their free hands. They pull the three cord ends away from each other to form the infinity knot.
We mark this as the moment you forever embrace not only one another but everything that has risen up out of your union. Your steadfast partnership has nurtured love from the ground up. From this time forward, you will continue on your paths, seeking goodness and light in every direction, strengthened evermore by the goodness and light in one another.
I call on you to protect one another. To cherish every moment. To find humility when it is needed. To support, uplift, and encourage the heaviest of hearts and the wildest of dreams. This marriage is your gift to bestow upon the world around you when you demonstrate the divine magic that is a lasting love.
Please seal your binding with a kiss.
Officiant releases directions.
Couple sprinkles bird seed as offering to Earth.