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wrote of it in his book "The Monastery:" "When we are handfasted, as we term it, we are
man and wife for a year and a day; that space gone by, each may choose another mate,
or, at their
pleasure, may call the priest to marry them for life; and this we call handfasting."
Handfasting was suppressed following the Synod of Whitby in 664 [CE}...when Celtic
Christianity was abandoned for the Catholic Church.
Even though the historical legitimacy of handfasting as a form of trial marriage is in
doubt, some Wiccans and other Neopagans today create handfasting rituals for their own
use or adopt ceremonies written by other Neopagans.
During the 1995 movie, Braveheart, Mel Gibson, in the role of William Wallace, was
handfasted with his girlfriend Murron. Handfasting has since grown in popularity among
Cowans (non-Pagans) -- particularly those whose distant ancestors lived in ancient Celtic
lands.
What is the legal status of a handfasting?
They certainly can result in a legally-recognized, permanent marriage or
(after 2000-JUL-1 in Vermont) a civil union. However, certain legal standards have to be
met, as specified by the applicable state and province. A common set of requirements is:
The officiating person must hold a valid license issued by the government to perform
marriages. Obtaining such a license is a simple procedure for clergy who are affiliated
with an established denomination. Some jurisdictions require a faith group to have been
registered for an minimum number of years before their clergy are eligable for licensing.
In many cases, the regulations
assume that a traditional church structure is in place, with a defined laity and clergy;
Wiccans, other Neopagans, Aboriginal spirituality, etc. sometimes
have difficulty adapting to these requirements.
A marriage license has to be purchased in advance. Various jurisdictions have
regulations which prohibit the issuance of a license if the couple do not meet certain
gender, age, medical, and consanguine criteria. A license may expire after some period of
time. If a spouse has been married before, proof of divorce or annulment is normally
required.
A minimum interval of time may be required between the purchase of the license and the
ceremony. There must be witnesses at the ceremony, other than the officiating person
and the couple, who will sign the license. A minimum of two is typical.
The couple must be aware that they are engaging in a ceremony that will be cause them
to be permanently married according to state/federal law. You might wish to check in
advance with the local office that issues licenses.
Various states and provinces have their own special regulations. Alternately, a
handfasting can be simply a declaration by a couple that they wish to form a temporary
or permanent "common-law" relationship. The couple would not be married after the
ritual.
Couples who wish to have their handfasting recognized as a legal marriage may
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