A Surprise Event at the 2024 Gathering

At our Gathering, we held a ‘surprise’ event.  Three couples celebrating anniversaries renewed their marriage vows in a Handfasting ceremony.  Handfasting is an ancient Celtic ritual that was a common marriage ceremony in Ireland and Scotland until the mid-1700s.  During the rite, the hands of the couple are tied together with a cord, ribbon, or strip of tartan symbolizing the binding of two lives.

Young MacAulay attendees escorted the “brides” to meet their “grooms” where Bud MacAulay Lush led the couples through the meaningful ceremony.  Held lakeside under a flower festooned arbor and accompanied by the sounds of the bagpipe, the MacAulay Handfasting was a truly magical occasion.  See all the Handfasting photos HERE