Andreea & Jonathan

The name comes from a highly symbolic element of the ceremony: the act of tying the hands of the bride and groom with a ribbon, allegorically representing their union and commitment to each other. This commitment can also be expressed by the exchange of rings and wedding vows.

In Neopagan groups, and particularly in Wicca, the ceremony has been reinterpreted, becoming the customary rite of union, both trial and permanent, practiced in most cults. The union can last for “a year and a day,” for a lifetime or for all eternity, beyond biological life. In fact, handfasting often represents soul union, rather than physical union, and therefore in the next cycle of reincarnation the couple should meet again and reunite.