Pagan Blog Project: Handfasting

Since next week I will be heading down to see Destiny again (I'm so excited), I figured that I should do my PBP post now while its fresh on my mind.  Let's see......

*After five minutes of checking the list and thinking*

Well, I would have liked to have done more research before doing Hermes Trismegistus, and my last few have been a little heady.  Okay sure, Forge Ahead was somewhat opinion based, but it was more of a State of the Union Address kind of opinion, very heady indeed.  Let's go for something with more feeling.  How about we talk about handfastings?  But not about the history or a glance at the ritual, let's talk about more things that have to do with feelings *puts on thoughtful specs*

I was an odd child growing up.  Much like a lot of girls I knew, I dreamed of a wedding (I grew up in Fiftiesland).  I mean, I didn't put too much stock into it, just a few ideas that I liked and wanted.  As I grew I moved into and out of phases of thinking about it to not thinking about it.  Interestingly enough, the happier I was the more I gave thought to it, maybe it has to do with the oxytocin, I don't know.  I haven't given it some thought since I was around 17, and again around 20, but I recently meditated on the idea again, wondering what I would like, and it wasn't because I recently reblogged a photo set of a Doctor Who themed wedding.

So what would I want for my handfasting?  Well, I can picture it being in the great outdoors on a nice decently temperatured day, maybe sometime in late summer or early fall.  I could see it done in the shade of a tree or something, with things hanging off the tree, ribbons and windchimes more than likely.  There will be chairs, I'm not going to have people stand around in a circle and such, so chairs are go go go.  People got bad backs and shit.  I would want light and celebratory music, nothing grand, so wind-instruments and string instruments as long as its not overly fancy.  And I want a wedding altar incorporating a Roman design, like those plaster columns you can buy at like Michael's or Hobby Lobby, except done up nice, maybe two of them, with a sort of platform resting on them.

Something like this.

In fact, I wouldn't mind some more Columns, reminiscient of a Roman Ruin of sorts.  Could always have the handfasting in Europe, but that might cost too much money for some to fly out and have a hotel just to watch a wedding in a ruin.  Then again, I love the romantic feel of some Roman ruins like that, its like you can still feel the people there, worshiping, playing, living, and breathing.  The ceremony won't be a complex fair, I feel like to much ritual and ceremony actually would detract from the beauty of a handfasting itself.  I would rather the incense be the wonderful late summer air and such.  To mutate my Charlemagne: "let my wedding chapel be the rocks and the trees, and the birds in the sky."

Charlemagne: Wait, that wasn't me, that was all Connery!

And what's this about Pagan rituals?  I thought I ended them!

*drops mic, storms off stage ranting*

So that is how I imagine my handfasting, if I ever have one.  something simple, yet romantic.  I think that's the most important thing for a handfasting to be, romantic.  I feel like the best way for the romance to come is to just let it come naturally, don't force it, or try to make it conform to some sort of David Tutera dream wedding (though, from what I know, the guy works miracles).  So let me end it by wishing that, if you are reading this and are planning a handfasting, may your union be fruitful and happy, and don't ask me to plan it either, you might get a Doctor Who themed wedding.