Handfasting, or hand tying, involves the happy couple’s hands being bound together with ribbon or cord to represent their commitment to each other. Their hands are wrapped together in an expression of their love, with words to accompany the ritual.

Handfasting is thought to date back more than 2,000 years and has Celtic roots. It is where the term “tying the knot” comes from.

A quaich, or loving cup, celebrates the couple’s bond, with each taking a drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, from the same cup. It is an ancient Scottish ritual which traditionally involves the drinking of whisky.

The Sand Ceremony represents two lives blending into one. Each partner pours their own sand into a shared vessel, creating a visual representation of their commitment and unity.

You can also include relatives from both sides of the family, to signify the coming together of two families. A sand ceremony can also represent the blending of cultures and beliefs.

This ceremony involves the couple lighting their own individual candles, which they then use to light one unity candle. Family and friends will then be invited to light their own candles from the unity candle flame, in a symbolic act of togetherness and the merging of two families.

The Oathing Stone is an old Scottish tradition where the couple place their hands upon a stone while saying their vows. The tradition comes from the ancient Celtic custom of “setting an oath in stone”.

Couples often choose a stone collected from a favourite place, such as a beach or local beauty spot. The stone can then be engraved with, for example, a Celtic knot, the ceremony date, and the couple’s initials.