October is such a beautiful time of year for a wedding on the Outer Banks. And last month’s wedding for Samantha and Jon had perfect weather for a beach wedding: bright sun, low wind, just beautiful! But this wedding had something special.

While working with Samantha to develop her ceremony she emailed me a link to a website (brides.com) which described a “tying the knot” ceremony in which the couple literally ties a knot to symbolize their love. We all worked together at the rehearsal, bride, groom, photographer, and wedding minister, and came up with a wonderful way to incorporate “tying the knot.”

I had to get creative and come up with the wording to use which is one of the best aspects of my vocation as an officiant. Here is what we did: after the vows and ring exchange, I announced, “Samantha and Jon have chosen to do something special to symbolize their love for each other by literally tying the knot.” I then asked for the two ropes that the best man had hidden in his pocket.

I then handed one rope to Samantha and one to Jon and said, “Each of these ropes represent your past, your own individual and separate lives before today. As you intertwine your ropes, you are joining your two lives into one, representing the present. The finished knot symbolizes your future, and how your love and marriage will continue to be strong. Samantha and Jon, please tie the knot.” Samantha and Jon then tied the two ropes into a fisherman’s knot, which is one of the strongest knots that can be tied.

Everyone enjoyed watching the bride and groom endeavor to get their knot tied. When they had completed tying the knot I stated, “Samantha and Jon have tied a fisherman’s knot. This knot, when the ends are pulled, becomes so strong that the rope will break before it comes undone. Please pull the ends of your rope.” When I asked them to pull on their rope, that was a cue to the photographer to zoom in for the shot.

After they had tightened the knot I then stated, “May this love knot be a reminder of the strength of your love and the binding together of your two hearts.” Great symbolism and a great ceremony for an Outer Banks wedding!

Be sure to ask me about a “Tying The Knot” ceremony for your special day, or feel free to ask for help in designing your own personalized wedding ceremony! We have several of the most popular wedding ceremonies to inspire you.