Traditions: The Hand Ceremony

This ceremony is a lot different than the unity candle, but it does hold the same significance. Most couples that choose to do this ceremony choose to do it after they’ve exchanged rings. When the couple exchange rings, still facing each other the officiant then instructs them to join hands or place their hands flat together (palm to palm). After the couple join hands, the officiant will then recite a hand poem. There are lots of poems out there, but here is a sample poem that is usually said during the hand ceremony:

“These are the hands that will hold your hands for a lifetime. The hands that will be at the end of every embrace. They are the hands of your very best friend. The hands that feel like none other. They are the hands that will build a future together. The hands that will tenderly hold your children, and will encircle your family and make it one. The hands that will wipe life's tears of both joy and sorrow. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours offering the same unspoken support and tenderness with just one touch."