The Stillman Wedding: The God’s Knot

Photography by Jillian Michelle via Katelyn James Photography

When John and I were planning our wedding ceremony, we really struggled with some of the things we wanted to include.

To us, the wedding ceremony was THE single most important part of our wedding day. It was our time to profess to each other, quite literally, in front of God and ev’rybody how much we love the Lord, each other, and our commitment to both the Lord and each other.

It’s a HUGE deal. Marriage is, like, a HUGE deal. You know.

But you see, the thing is, we are not very old school. I was not going to walk down the aisle to Canon in D or Here Comes the Bride. While that is TOTALLY fine for some, that’s just not our style. I mean, the groom and groomsmen wore JEANS and cowboy boots for pete’s sake.

We also didn’t want the traditional Unity Candle ceremony. Again, while that’s AWESOME for some, it’s just not our style.

That’s when I learned about the God’s Knot ceremony.

It was PERFECT for us and our pastor, being the awesome pastor that he is, LOVED the idea, too and really help to make it a unique part of our ceremony. It was a great witness to our friends, family, and guests about how committed we are to putting the Lord at the center of our marriage.

What is the God’s Knot ceremony?

Basically, you have this Cord of Three Strands – one purple, one gold, and one white. While the pastor speaks and explains the significance of each strand, the groom holds one end of the cords and the bride braids the strands.

It’s all based on Ecclesiastes 4:12.

¹² Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Here’s the reading that our pastor read during the ceremony:

The braiding of the three stands demonstrates how JOHN and MOLLY are joined by God in marriage. Each strand holds special meaning.

The Gold Strand symbolizes that the Lord Jesus has been invited by JOHN and MOLLY to the position of authority in this marriage relationship.

The Purple Strand represents the groom. As a new creation in Christ, the majesty of the Groom is represented in purple. As JOHN loves his wife and submits himself to the Lord, the Lord in turn will demonstrate His great love in the marriage relationship.

The White Strand represents the bride. Having been cleansed by salvation in Christ, the purity of the Bride is represented in white. As MOLLY honors her husband and submits herself to the Lord, the Lord in turn will nurture and strengthen the marriage relationship.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 reads, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Today, JOHN AND MOLLY have been woven together by God as ONE in marriage!

Furiously braiding.

[All photography by Katelyn James Photography]

There’s even a fancy-schmancy explanation card that goes along with the strand.

Photography by Jillian Michelle via Katelyn James Photography

And, of course, after the wedding, we have a permanent reminder of our commitment to the Lord and to each other to hang in our home.

Crappy photo by me.

This is our strand hanging in our living room with two photos of us during the ceremony. I thought it looked good. The picture, clearly, doesn’t do it justice.

Now, I will say that I originally tried to DIY and make the cord of three strands myself with supplies I got from the craft store. It was a MAJOR DIY failure. So, at the last minute, to save myself the stress and headache of trying to fix it, I just went ahead and paid the $30some dollhairs for the “OFFICIAL” Cord of Three Strands.

Although I’m a HUGE proponent of DIY, I would highly recommend NOT trying to DIY this…

Anywho. What do you think? Did you do any Unity Candle alternatives in your wedding? What other ideas have you seen? Post a comment with your thoughts below!

xoxo, all for now.