A woman has shared the details of her dream wedding with pagan rituals including hand-fasting, a drinking ceremony, an owl ring bearer and riding a ‘unicorn’ to the venue.
Harriet Emily, a sound bath and meditation practitioner, decided she wanted an alternative ceremony “connected to the earth”, to celebrate her pagan beliefs.
Sharing the day with her non-pagan fiancé, Felix Matthews, 35, many magical elements were included, making this a fantasy come true.
To top it all off, Harriet made her entrance atop a ‘unicorn’ named Flame.
“I was meditating in the morning and suddenly had the image pop into my mind where I saw myself riding a horse down to the front of the castle,” the 27-year-old from Buckinghamshire, told http://NeedToKnow.co.uk .
“I found an incredible horse called Flame and when I found out that she could be dressed as a unicorn for the day, it felt like the most magical entrance I could possibly imagine.
“As the unicorn is also an emblem of Scotland, it felt very fitting.”
Harriet was raised practising spirituality, attending psychic development circles and being taught the importance of nature, so the choice to include this in her wedding was simple.
“Paganism gives me a strong foundation for connecting to the earth and seeing the spirit within all things.
“It keeps me grounded, but also teaches me the importance of nature and the interdependence between ourselves and the earth. It has also been an important way for me to remain connected to my roots.
“Felix is not pagan, but he has always been very respectful of my beliefs.
“He has a strong connection to nature and really resonates with this aspect of paganism.”
In addition to the unicorn, a barn owl acted as the ring bearer, flying the lasting symbols of love down the aisle.
She said: “We had seen some videos of owl ring bearers before and found them to be such a magical addition to a wedding ceremony.
“I have a personal affinity with owls, and I have always seen them as a spiritual totem that guides me through life.
“Having a real-life owl during such a pivotal moment in our lives felt incredibly special.”
Included in the ceremony were several ancient pagan rituals such as lighting candles to connect them with the element of fire, representing love, warmth and passion, drinking from a quaich, a two-handled cup known as the love cup, and hand-fasting.
“Our hands are bound together with a sacred knot to represent the union of our two souls together in this lifetime,” added Harriet.
“Once we untied the knot after, we then placed our rings on each other’s fingers as a representation of that vow from our hand-fasting.
“It was a truly beautiful moment.”
Tying the knot at Neidpath castle in Scotland, the happy couple included mystery in every aspect of their wedding, cutting the cake with a real sword, making their vows under a leafy arch and donning flower crowns.
Achieving all of this on a budget of £20,000, Harriet and Felix said ‘I do’ on 7 June 2023.
“Every element of our day was exactly how we hoped it could have been,” she commented.
“I loved that we both managed to spend such quality time with those we love dearest and have them witness our union and commitment to each other.”
