Handfasting Cord Colours & Their Symbolism

As I mentioned in my last blog post, traditional handfasting ceremonies will include one coloured ribbon being laid upon the couple's clasped hands after each vow is read. Here are some colour guides you may* want to use.

• White: purity, devotion, peace

• Red: passion, love

• Dark Blue: strength, longevity

• Light Blue: health, patience

• Gray: balanced

• Black: wisdom, empowered

• Green: fertility, luck

• Yellow: charm, harmony

• Orange: plentiful, kindness

• Purple: progress, power

• Pink: romance, happiness

• Gold: unity, longevity

• Silver: protection, inspiration

• Brown: earth, home

*MAY want to use. I say this because we are our own bodies of symbolism and if you wish to have the cord represent a different colour for you... so mote it be!

Photo Credit: Kendra Pierroz

"We made our cord together, with the colours that had magical correspondance to certain things we wanted in our marriage, like love, passion, prosperity, fertility, etc. Some people do theirs differently (cords can be bought pre-made and also plain ribbon used), but since the whole wedding was an invocation and ritual of powerful magic, it made sense to do the spell that way!"