Rope Braiding

Amber and Russell have a very close and personal relationship with God. Instead of a unity candle for their ceremony, they went with a ceremony called "God's Knot."  The three strands represent the groom, the bride, and Jesus Christ. "A cord made of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:12)  

Ehow.com describes the ceremony as this:

1. Secure the ends of the ropes to a metal ring.

2 Give the groom the metal ring to hold. He should hold it tightly and apply a little tension so that the bride can braid the strands tightly.

3 Instruct the bride to braid the ropes. To do the three-strand braid, bring the left strand over the middle strand. The left strand becomes the new middle strand. Bring the right strand over the new middle strand. Alternate bringing the outermost strands to the center.

4 Secure the end of the braid with a clasp to ensure that the braid does not come undone. The bride and groom can display the braid in their home to symbolize their union.

The colors signify:

• Gold Strand - Represents God
  
  The divinity of God is represented in Gold. This covenant relationship is initiated by Him, will be built under His authority, and is intended to glorify Him.
  
• Purple Strand - Represents the Groom
  
  As a new creation in Christ, the majesty of the Groom is represented in purple. As the husband loves his wife and submits himself to the Lord, the Lord in turn will demonstrate His great love in the marriage relationship.
  
• White Strand - Represents the Bride
  
  Having been cleansed by salvation in Christ, the purity of the Bride is represented in white. As the wife honors her husband and submits herself to the Lord, the Lord in turn will nurture and strengthen the marriage relationship. 

Visit this website to learn more about it or purchase cords. This ceremony is exclusively meant in a religious manner, but you can make the other cord stand for something else, like an ideal: loyalty, love, trust, etc.