Our wedding is a tad different to the norm. Here in Scotland our faith is recognised and respected. So we are able to be married legally in the eyes of our Gods, as Christians are elsewhere.
Our wedding will acknowledge Viking custom, which shares some similarities with Scots marriage tradition too. If you wish to know more about our faith of Heathenry then take a look at The BBC's website on the subject. It was written by Heathens here in the UK.
The wedding ceremony will be officiated over by Pagan Celebrant Potia (pictured below), who is a recognised celebrant registered with the Scottish GRO and Scottish Pagan Federation.
If you wish to know more about Pagan rites of passage please visit Louise Parks website, the Pagan Federation celebrants coordinator.
Our aim is to re-construct (not re-enact) our wedding. That is, despite the fact we will be drawing from both Scottish and Viking traditions, style, religion and custom, we will not to be trying to look EXACTLY like they would have done. Cassie says she has no desire to be married in sack cloth (or crushed velvet)!!
We would like to think, that what we are organising is perhaps what our Scandanavian and Scottish ancestors would do if they were somehow miracously catapulted forward in time.
Just about everything that is used in our wedding will have meaning. Perhaps to someone outside our faith it may just all look very nice and pretty. But there are very few additions to our day that don't represent something either to ourselves or our faith.
This is NOT a handfasting. A handfasting in Scotland was a formal declaration of intention to marry...an engagement, a betrothal. In Viking communities this was known as a Handsal.
Financial talks were made before any formal agreement to marry and the handsal was the sealing of the deal...a handshake perhaps, sealing of hands and formal declaration. More information on viking weddings here
Many modern pagans are now having handfastings, and many non pagan couples are joining in this new tradition. This comes from a slight confusion over the technicalities of it, tho it isn't hugely inaccurate. You could become married at your handfasting if you mis-worded your declaration. Also if you had sex after the handfasting this would also mean you were married. Often people didn't wait for the travelling priest to turn up and formalise the marriage, so producing children after the handfasting was a sure fire way of showing the community that the union had indeed been blessed by god.
Further accurate and historical information on Handfasting can be found here. A piece writte by Sharon L Krossa on Historical handfasting.
The above top image is one created by Welsh artist Jen Delyth and is used with kind permission from kelticdesigns.com.
It is a representation of the Celtic tree of life, and recognition of Drew's Scottish ancestry. Equally the tree of life is a concept found in Norse mythology, the world tree of Yggdrasil. In the one image both Drew's and Cassie's family heritage are recognised and sealed in faith.
This is where we will get married The Old Mill Hotel Motherwell
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