​​Weddings and Handfastings

 

Weddings are deeply personal and one size does not fit all. I specialize in customizing wedding ceremonies that reflect the unique vision of each couple and the message they want to convey to their commumnity.  

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Personalized weddings are great for partners of different faiths, agnostics, and those who don't consider themselves "religious."  A customized ceremony sets your wedding apart and provides a unique and memorable experience for all.  

 

As a Reverend with the Universal Life Church your wedding will be legal so long as you have a valid wedding license. 

 

Can I include my children?

Yes. Anyone old enough to understand the meaning and importance of keeping a promise can participate. Including the children a wedding or parting ceremony sends a powerful statement of inclusion that helps lower any anxiety toward being in a “blended family.”

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Can I honor my Ancestors in my ceremony? 

Yes. Honoring desceased parents or ancestors can easily be added to any ceremony.  

 

 

What's a Handfasting?

 

A "Handfasting" is a Pagan/Wiccan wedding custom. Pagan and Wiccan ceremonies came mostly from the peasant class living in small rural communities when marriages were negotiated contracts with escape clauses for women and a time when paternity was not an issue. The Handfasting was an opportunity to state the terms of the agreement to the community and to solemnize the oaths before the Divine.

 

Today, it is a simple and beautiful custom with profound symbolism and magick. The couple holds hands facing the Priestess or Priest. The other hand is left free. The free hand represents that each person is making their commitments in "free will, " and that all promises, first and foremost, are always rooted in promises made to themselves, and to the Lord and Lady.

 

The clasped hands represent the couple's private and public vows to each other. Then the Priestess or Priest wraps their personal cord of rank and dedication around the clasped hands of the couple. The wrapping of this braided cord "binds" the couple to keep their vows to each other. By using a cord woven by their own hand and with great intention, the Priestess or Priest is giving the couple and their promises her or his personal blessing, endorsement, and protection. This means that the officiant, is putting their magical reputation forward to boost the magickal reputation of each partner.

 

In the language of Wicca, a vow uses the power of the spoken word. We call it "Word Magic." The use of the cord in a Handfasting ceremony casts a "binding spell." The binding is then sealed by a blessing of the Lord and Lady and the collective energy of the couple, the officiant, and the guests. The result is that each partner is now oath-bound or honor-bound to keep whatever vows he or she has made.

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Can I solemnize my alternative lifestyle?

Yes. A Handfasting ceremony is a great option for those who want to solemnize an alternative lifestyle, Polyamorous couples can form a family covenant with a Handfasting ceremony so long as laws are not broken.

 

We want a trial commitment but aren't ready for "marriage."

Pagans and Wiccans seldom pledge "'til death does us part." Instead, they often say: “For as long as love lasts." The words and promises are always their own. So long as it does not involve the state with a marriage license, such trial unions, and partnerships are negotiated in terms of duration, with renegotiation clauses and agreements that address questions of monogamy and other issues that are important to each couple.