Handfasting And Wedding Rituals

An overview of wedding rituals for neopagans features ceremonies inspired by a wide range of influences, mythological love stories, and belief systems, including interfaith ceremonies allowing for just about any combination of religions, and tips on finding officiates, suggested readings, and more.

Everything You Need to Plan Your Pagan Wedding Handfasting is quickly becoming a widely practiced tradition, not only for pagans, but for people from all walks of life. This book is a thorough resource that shares rituals, sample vows, and all the information you need to plan your own ceremony or serve as a celebrant for others. In Modern Handfasting, you will discover the history, legal considerations, logistics, and magic of the big day. Author Liz Williams—a priestess and longtime celebrant—guides you through writing your vows, opening the ceremony, creating and consecrating a circle, calling the quarters, tying the knot, and closing the ceremony. You will also discover tips and stories from other couples and celebrants as well as practical information on early planning, troubleshooting unexpected problems, finding a celebrant, and performing love magic. Learn how to choose flowers, dates, and other details with magical correspondences.

As Wicca, Withcraft, and other Pagan religions gain in popularity, there is a greater need for the traditional wedding rituals of handfasting. Offers couples tips on blessing a physical union, empowering a new family, planning a memorable ceremony, dealing with non-Pagan friends and relatives, and much more.

From the #1 wedding brand comes this indispensable resource, completely revised and updated, to help you choose the perfect words, music, and traditions for your ceremony and reception The ceremony is the cornerstone of your wedding celebration. There are countless ways to make it your own, from meaningful poetry readings to the music that plays as you walk down the aisle. The Knot Guide to Wedding Vows and Traditions is an important resource for brides and grooms. New and expanded topics in this edition include: -Interfaith ceremonies and blending spiritual traditions -Ways to use technology to enhance your ceremony -New online resources for finding the perfect words for your vows, program, and more -Gay marriages and civil unions -Popular song choices that are already considered classics Throughout, you’ll also find a rich and inspiring selection of both classic and original ideas for: -Religious or secular vows and readings -Traditions and symbolic rituals -Speeches and toasts -Music for the processional, recessional, and the special dances at the reception

The Wedding Journey is a unique guidebook that couples contemplating marriage will value. Rev. Hannah Desmond incorporates both ancient teachings and leading-edge thought in the crafting of wedding ceremonies for twenty-first century couples. She offers sage advice and assistance for creating your wedding ceremony, personal vows, and a fulfilling marriage. Hannah has created authentic, contemporary wedding scripts, which can serve as complete wedding services or as templates in the creation of your own ceremony. The ancient Celtic wedding practice of Handfasting is included, with a full explanation of tying the knot. You receive guidance as you begin the process of creating your ceremony, accessing your deepest emotions, and verbalizing your true feelings through your wedding vows. Beneficial practices and exercises are included to help alleviate the stress that may arise as you plan your wedding and prepare for your transition into married life. Hannah introduces effective techniques for harnessing the power of your thoughts, words, and emotions to alleviate distressful misunderstandings and allow for greater communication and a deeper bond in your marriage. With humor and compassion, Hannah helps you avoid some of the wedding pitfalls she has witnessed in her twenty years as a wedding celebrant. There are anecdotes to make you laugh and advice on a myriad of unique wedding elements from using your astrological flower in your bouquet to incorporating a unity ritual in your ceremony. The information and assistance offered throughout The Wedding Journey provides couples with fresh ideas and the emotional support and understanding necessary to create a deeply meaningful wedding ceremony, powerful and enduring vows, an awakened heart, and the flow of great love, prosperity, serenity, and joy into their marriage.

The Wiccan calendar is marked by significant festivals, called sabbats. The most famous is Halloween, also known as Samhain, but you will be familiar with others, too, such as the Summer and Winter Solstices. Wiccans celebrate these sabbats with rituals, crafts, and food and drink, and in this book, Silja reveals how you can bring some of that magic into your life, even if working as a solitary witch. She also details other special days throughout the year, such as August 23, the Roman festival of Vulcanalia, which is celebrated with bonfires. Discover, too, how Wiccans celebrate personal rites of passage, such as the naming of a baby and a couple committing to each other in a Wiccan wedding, known as a handfasting. Finally, Silja explains how to write your own daily, weekly, or monthly rituals to bring you peace and happiness. Lavishly illustrated throughout, this is your essential guide to all your Wiccan celebrations.

Newly updated for a new audience of independent, out-of-the-bridal-box thinkers, Offbeat Bride is today's go-to source of support for couples who dare to walk off the beaten aisle Unenthused by a white wedding gown and bored by the hoopla of the Hollywood-style reception, Ariel Meadow Stallings found herself absolutely exhausted by -- and horribly distanced from -- the nuances of traditional nuptials. So, she chose the aisle less-traveled for her own wedding day. In this newly updated edition of Offbeat Bride, Stallings humorously recounts the story of the original offbeat wedding -- hers -- and shares anecdotes and advice from dozens of other nontraditional couples. She provides plenty of insider tips for avoiding extra costs and cumbersome obligations, along with a clever planner to help you create your own special day. Both practical and enjoyable, Offbeat Bride validates choosing the funky, different, and offbeat over the traditional, and leads couples through the planning process--from unique ideas on how to announce the engagement all the way to answering the question, "So, how's married life?" Stallings is the ultimate guide to the alternative wedding of your dreams, encouraging every bride and groom to create their own distinctive celebrations of partnership and love.

Unenthused by a white wedding gown and bored by the hoopla of the Hollywood-style reception, Ariel Meadow Stallings found herself absolutely exhausted with the nuances of traditional nuptials . . . so she chose to take a walk off the beaten aisle. In this updated edition of Offbeat Bride, Stallings humorously recounts the story of the original offbeat wedding-hers-and shares anecdotes and advice from dozens of other nontraditional couples. She also includes a chapter on budget weddings in today's weak economy, along with sidebars, tips, tricks, and planner encouragement to help you figure out your special day. What results is a combination of hilarious wedding stories and tons of helpful how-tos-a perfect mash-up of memoir and handbook. At once practical and enjoyable, Offbeat Bride validates choosing the funky, different, and offbeat over the traditional, and leads couples through the planning process-from unique ideas on how to announce their engagement all the way to answering the question, "So, how's married life?" Stallings is the ultimate guide to the alternative wedding of your dreams, and with Offbeat Bride, she brings you a book that serves both as an encouragement and celebration of aisles less traveled.

Every engaged couple wants two things: a meaningful wedding and a lifetime of happiness. This great gift book is a cross-cultural collection of marriage folklore that will help you achieve both. Create your own lucky traditions with nods to each other’s heritage, customs from places you’ve visited together, and auspicious rituals that just feel special. Whether you are just engaged or you’re days away from tying the knot, you’ll gain insight every step of the way. With this book as your guide, you can make your own luck in love.