"Tying the knot." Yep, it's the euphemism for marriage that comes right from the handfasting ritual in a wedding ceremony. The first time I was asked by one of my wedding couples if I would do a handfasting in their ceremony, I said yes, of course. But I was pretty intimidated by it. As it turns out, I had nothing to be worried about. Now having done handfasting in quite a number of weddings, I've modified and adapted a style of handfasting ritual that works well in a contemporary ceremony.