Handfasting is the marriage rite used by many neo-Pagans and Wiccans. In some cases, other people who are fashioning a wedding theme around their Celtic ancestry may also use this term, even if they are not Pagan, per se. The term itself comes from the custom of shaking hands over a contract. "Handfasting" refers to the hands being bound together with a cord as part of the ritual. Ever heard of "tying the knot" or "the ties that bind"?
In modern Pagan traditions, it may be used either in the informal betrothal sense, or may be used as a legal wedding, complete with wedding license. For some it is a year and a day, renewable "so long as love shall last" and for others a commitment to be together throughout this life time, or through many lives.
Below I have included some F.A.Q.'s written by others, which may answer questions you have before you proceed into more detailed material.
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