Handfasting
Celebrate your bonds of love the ancient way
Honour your heart’s ties
Handfasting is a sacred celebration of love in all its forms, and a tradition with a long history from Saxon and Viking culture and beyond.
Harness the energy of the season with your own handfasting ceremony at one of our festivals, honouring your bonds whether as a wedding, vow renewal, engagement, or a friendship or family ceremony.
Our next handfasting opportunity is at Summer Solstice, 21st & 22nd June 2025
An ancient setting
Each handfasting at Butser takes place in our oldest roundhouse, dressed and reserved especially for you. We hold our handfastings exclusively on festival weekends, harnessing the energy of the seasons at Beltain, the Summer Solstice, or Equinox in autumn.
For your handfasting, you’ll be joined by the celebrants who will guide you through the ceremony. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet with them ahead of your handfasting to personalise the ceremony to your special bonds.
Jump into the future
Handfasting is more than just an event — it’s a commitment and a celebration. Join us at the start of the day for a cord blessing ceremony, and invite your friends and family to enjoy the day at the festival with you.
After your handfasting, you’ll be gifted a traditional hazel besom and woven handfasting cord used in the ceremony to honour your relationship.
Crown your special day
Bring the magic of the seasons home with a handcrafted brass or copper circlet, inspired by ancient tradition and customised with your and your loved one’s initials.
Requires additional purchase of £60 per circlet.
Handfastings
Traditional — £170
An intimate and unique ceremony in our oldest roundhouse. Includes a pre-meeting with the celebrant, your 20-minute ceremony, handcrafted besom and cord, and two tickets to the festival.
Wishbearer — £200
Only available at Beltain. Join the official procession and become part of the wickerman burning ceremony after your handfasting, and get close to the flames with the best seats in the house.
FAQs
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Eva Greenslade is a pagan celebrant, birthkeeper, and shamanic practicioner empowering people through ancient ceremony. She believes in reclaiming ancient customs for modern times, and offers nature-based ceremonies for all of life’s rites of passage.
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All handfasting ceremonies are held in our oldest roundhouse, an intimate and special space that has been reserved, decorated, and blessed for the ceremony. The roundhouse has enough space for a few others attending Summer Solstice to join you, witnessing your ceremony and participating in the relevant blessings. You may wish to invite your friends and family with tickets to attend, or welcome strangers to share the space and celebrate with you.
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Before the festival:
A consultation meeting with the celebrant in advance of the festival to tailor your ceremony to the bonds you wish to honour.
On the day of Summer Solstice:
Two entry tickets to the Summer Solstice day of your choice
An intimate cord blessing with the celebrant and other handfasting couples.
Our oldest roundhouse reserved, dressed, and blessed for your ceremony.
A personal and loving handfasting ceremony lasting twenty minutes.
Items from your ceremony to take home:
A traditional, handcrafted wooden besom, custom engraved with your names.
A handfasting cord made of natural materials.
A certificate of handfasting to commemorate the occasion.
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Our handfasting ceremonies are a joyful, humanist celebration of love and nature, rooted in ancient tradition but not tied to any specific religion or belief system. They are open to all who wish to honour their bond in a meaningful way, whether as a wedding, vow renewal, engagement, or a commitment of friendship or family. We welcome people of all backgrounds to take part in this special ritual, embracing the energy of the solstice and the beauty of the natural world in a spirit of unity and joy.
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While inspired by historical customs, our ceremonies are symbolic rather than legally binding.