Your Irish Wedding Guide: Customs, Traditions and Food
| April 23, 2011 | Posted by admin under Wedding |
Many couples choose to celebrate their heritage or love of Ireland with an Irish wedding. While an authentic Irish wedding would ideally occur in Ireland and include Irish wedding traditions, many couples don’t have the means to make this a reality. Instead, they opt for a wedding that has elements of an Irish wedding. Whether they choose to do this by including an Irish theme or Irish foods, they celebrate their heritage or love for Ireland in their wedding. On this page, I’d like to provide a few ideas to help get you started.
Ireland is often called the “Emerald Isle”. This is a result of it’s lush green land, which is caused by heavy rainfall. The colorful landscape is one of the reasons that Ireland is a popular destination, and is where you can start in regards to wedding planning. It makes sense to incorporate the color of emerald into your wedding. Emerald green and white are colors that go well together, and these colors can be used for anything from an informal to formal wedding.
Traditional Irish weddings, in particular, became especially popular as a wedding theme a few years back and continue to capture the imagination with their charm. The interest in this style of wedding has grown so strong, in fact, that author Bridget Haggerty has filled an entire book with information on ways to incorporate Irish customs, traditions, and flourishes into the wedding festivities.
Of course, the most famous symbol of Ireland is the shamrock. If you do not have shamrocks available, you can use clover as a substitute. Whether you decide to hold your wedding on Saint Patrick’s Day or not, you can use shamrock (or clover) as a part of altar displays and centerpieces. The groom and groomsmen can use it in their boutonnieres. Another idea is to replace the traditional flower petals in the flower girl’s basket with shamrock (or clover). Whether you decide to use this symbol in your wedding or not, it does have a fascinating history that you may be interested in learning about.
The history of the Irish is also fascinating, and you may decide that you want to celebrate a part of that history. In most cases, people who decide to do this incorporate Celtic elements into their wedding. This can be as simple as an invitation adorned with Celtic knots, or can include elements such as a handfasting. As for music, Celtic music or a piper (bag-pipes) are appropriate. Kilts can also be used as an element, though generally kilts represented a family (tribe) and were used only by that family. With such a rich history, it’s no wonder that there are many traditions that you can incorporate into your own Celtic wedding or Irish wedding.
Irish Wedding Traditions
Below you will find simple explanations of a few Irish and/or Celtic traditions to incorporate into your wedding. It is my hope that these descriptions will give you inspiration to read more on the subject, and fully delve into the subject.
Handfasting – This was a way that couples could “pre-marry” themselves when no priest was visiting, and was most often practiced by those in remote villages. The ritual involved a rope/ribbon being tied around each persons wrist, and represented a commitment between the two persons. Children born to those who were handfasted were considered legal (lawful heirs), which gives the indication that handfasting was an actual marriage rather than a “trial marriage” as is commonly believed.
A Year and a Day – This was the period of time that a couple would have to be married before gaining the rights of their marriage. One of these rights included inheriting land. The idea of a “year and a day” being the length of a handfasting was popularized in novels. While it may have some basis in fact, I have yet to find it.
Claddagh Ring – The Claddagh ring states “With these hands I give you my heart and I crown it with my love”. The hands represent friendship, the heart represents love, and the crown represents loyalty. There are many conflicting stories about the Claddagh ring, and I invite you to read a few and figure out which you believe to be true. Whether the stories are true or not, the Claddagh has become a symbol of love and marriage.
Good CD. Music is lovely with several well-known and not so well-known pieces. The selections are good – not all the same songs one gets with other wedding music recordings.
The Horeshoe – I’ve been told that a horseshoe is given as a wedding gift to the bride and groom. This is to be kept in their home for luck.
Jumping the Broom – While this is primarily known now as an African-American tradition, “jumping the broom” can also be symbolic for those planning a Celtic or Irish wedding. The broom was a symbol of hearth and home, and as an Irish tradition, this may have it roots in an ancient festival where women would “jump a broom” (or ride?) to ensure fertile crops.
Mead – Mead is a wine like drink made from (in it’s simplest form) honey, water and yeast. It was believed to improve virility in a man and fertility in a woman, and had a significant place at weddings. It is from mead that the word honeymoon got its start. It is said that the groom would capture the bride from her home. Then would come the wedding feast, where mead was passed freely and with generosity. After the festivities, the groom would “hide” the bride from her family for a “full moon” of time. This was in hope that the bride would then be with child, and the marriage could not be challenged. What started with honey (mead) ended with the moon. So it is said, but I haven’t researched this enough to speak with any authority on the subject. I can tell you that Mead (especially home-made) is a wonderful drink. It would be an interesting (and unique) addition to a festive wedding.
Other Elements – There are many other traditions or customs that could be included, but you’ll find many of them (such as the garter toss) as traditions still. Green on the wedding dress is considered unlucky, but the Irish (and most other cultures, including the US) have worn various colored dresses throughout history. It is lucky if the sun is shining on your wedding day, and if you face the sun after marriage it is said that your children will be beautiful.
Is it Traditional? – Take all traditions with a grain of salt. Some traditions have been found to have no basis in fact, while others seem to have some basis. Regardless of this fact, many become traditions through popular use or belief. One very good example is that of the white dress representing virginity. Only in the past 50-60 years it seems. Prior to that, it may have meant purity, as in “purity of the heart” or “purity of the soul”. Yet, this symbolism of virginity is often still referred to as a “tradition”. I attempt to research traditions to the best of my abilities, but it’s often hard to find concrete evidence of traditions. As a result, I present all wedding traditions to you as wedding lore and legend rather than fact.
Irish Recipes and Food
The history of people can often be found best through the food that they eat, and the Irish are no exception. One menu I’ve seen for weddings in particular is that of corned beef & cabbage and Irish soda bread, but you can incorporate the “flavor” of the Irish with many wonderful Irish foods. Pick your favorite and enjoy the meal! Beer (especially dark beers) can be served if you will be including alcohol in your reception, and works well with heartier foods. Mead is hearty, but tastes wonderful with lighter foods such as chicken. Of course, you can always rely on champagne or wine if you wish.
Irish Wedding Traditions: Using Your Irish Heritage to Create the Perfect Wedding
This book is chocked-full of Irish traditions, superstitions, and folklore! This little book is not only helpful, but it is fun to read as well. From poetry to floral ideas and music, it gives you a great jumping-off place.
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