Peter and I spent this past weekend working on the ceremony and mostly what we will say during the exchange of rings. We found a website that had over a hundred different suggestions of things to say instead of the traditional, “I, Carrie, take thee, Peter, to be my lawful (awful -haha!) wedded husband… for richer, for poorer… in sickness and in health…” – you all know it! We found a version that really spoke to both of us and captured not only the beauty of marriage, but also reflects what we truly feel for each other.

We also finalized the handfasting verbiage portion of the ceremony. If you’ve never heard of or seen a handfasting ceremony, it’s quite cool! It’s an old Celtic ritual and literally is a binding of the couple’s hands with long cords or ribbons. It is also the origin of the phrase “tying the knot.” This was used long before Christianity and has made a recent resurgence as an alternative to traditional wedding vows.

Leave it to us to be extra thorough. We’ll have our own personally written vows, the handfasting, and the exchange of rings. Plus, we’ll have a reading, and the officiant has listed in the line-up “Carrie and Peter’s Story.” I’m looking forward to that!