Does the luck of the Irish extend to weddings? We decided to have a look at some of the unusual and interesting Irish traditions and superstitions that relate to the big day.
Did you ever wonder where the phrase tying the knot came from? Before Christianity was established in Ireland (in around 432 AD), couples would practice a Celtic commitment ceremony known as hand-fasting. An ancient Pagan tradition, the ritual involved tying the hands of the betrothed together well before their wedding day – a similar premise to an engagement. The couple cross wrists and hold hands, ribbon or cord is then wrapped around the wrists in figure eight to represent infinity – hence ‘tying the knot’.
Thought to have originated in the small fishing village of Claddagh in Galway in the 17th century, the Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish wedding band. The ring comprises two hands holding a crowned heart; the heart, hands and crown are said to represent Love, Loyalty and Friendship. Customarily the ring was handed down from mothertodaughter. While many couples, even those not of Irish descent, are choosing the Claddagh symbol for their engagement and wedding rings, one word of caution: it is said to be very bad luck for a person to purchase a Claddagh ring for themselves. It must be given or received as a gift, maybe drop some cheeky hints to your partner to be!
Irish Wedding Blessings And Prayers For Your Ceremony
Another important point to note is how you wear your Claddagh ring - if you are engaged or married the tips of the crown should be facing out, whereas if you are not romantically involved the tips should face the wrist, indicating your availability.
All Irish will tell you the importance of the Child of Prague statue, the extravagantly dressed statue of the baby Jesus that holdsthe fate of the weatherin his miniature plaster-cast hands. While it is common knowledge one must place the statue in the garden the night before the wedding to ensure good weather, there is widespread disagreement on the exact details.
According to wedding experts One Fab Day, these are the main theories - we’ll leave it to you to take the pick from the following for your special day!
Melbourne Irish Wedding Ideas And Popular Venue Choices
Don’t worry too much as here at Cloughjordan House we have a Child of Prague statue outside our marquee, ready to work his meteorological magic!
A lovely wedding tradition is saving a whisky soaked tier of the wedding cake for the christening of the couple’s first child. The bride would also carry a lace handkerchief on her wedding day to be later made into a baby’s bonnet for the same occasion.
Moreover, when it comes to the wedding cake, be wary of your mother in law sneaking a piece or two into her handbag. In Irish tradition, as the bride walked through the doorway to her new home for the first time, her mother in law would break a piece of the wedding her cake over her head. This was to ensure that both women would always be friends – again – if only it was this easy!
Ten Tips For Planning An Irish Wedding From Overseas
It seems back in the day, there was a small army of evil spirits or faeries ready to swoop in and ruin the wedding at each turn! Thankfully, there were also many strategies to avoid this…
During the ceremony, guests were supplied small bells to ring at certain points, intended to ward off evil spirits. Meanwhile, the original purpose of bridesmaids was to wear similar dresses to the bride, to confuse and outsmart the evil spirits (and the bride’s exes!).
Whiskey played an important role, but it a slightly different manner to today; before guests and the couple arrived at the wedding reception, whiskey would be sprinkled on the grounds to ward off evil spirits and to wish the bride and groom well.
Vintage Irish Wedding At The Lodge At Ashford
Prior to the wedding meal, the bride and groom would eat a small portion of salted porridge, to protect them from the ‘evil eye’. Next comes the first dance, in which case the bride would not, under any circumstances, lift both feet off the floor. Of course, if she did, the faeries would swoop in and carry her away - because as you may have figured out, they had a special liking for brides.
Finally, after an exhausting day of warding off the evil spirits, when retiring for the night, the bride and groom must always, always leave at the same time, and together; if the bride was left alone the faeries would be sure to come and take her away.
Did you know that the origin of honeymoon was in fact related to mead, a honey fermented drink that was used to toast the couple? As tradition has it, the couple were given enough mead to toast each other each night for one full-moon after the wedding – hence honeymoon.
A Fabulous Fall Irish Wedding In Red And Gold
Of course we mustn’t forget that by drinking the mead it also protected the couple from those pesky (and determined) faeries who were still waiting in the wings to spirit the bride away!
We hope you learnt something from the above, if you want to read even more about Irish wedding traditions, The Independent has a great article about ‘what’s in, what’s out and what’s out there’ when it comes to modern Irish nuptials.Traditionally in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is considered the luckiest day of the year to be married. Whether you have ancestral roots in Ireland or just want to add a little luck o’ the Irish to your celebration, we are sharing 13 ways to bring some Irish wedding traditions into your wedding day!
We chatted with Irish-native and luxury destination event planner Tara Fay and she is sharing some of Ireland’s storied influences to weddings and how you can bring a touch of Ireland to your wedding. Tara launched the first Irish-based event planning service in 1997 and has since hosted many couples, celebrity, and high profile clients in Ireland, plus abroad. She consults the Irish tourism board for weddings, is a reality TV host, and is recognized as one of Harper’s Bazaar’s top wedding planners in the world. Be sure to follow her on Instagram for year-round inspiration!
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/__opt__aboutcom__coeus__resources__content_migration__brides__public__brides-services__production__2018__11__29__5c002b8b741bd82da0c43f90_suzanne-and-eamon-wedding19-5e94c867e3b4428b89f1a0c6eb361559.jpg?strip=all)
Diy Irish Wedding At The Millhouse
Did you know in ancient Ireland, newlyweds were toasted with a mead made of honey, and were given the brew to drink for 30 days, or otherwise known as a moon’s cycle? Hence the honeymoon! The cocktail represented luck and fertility, and to ward off any evil fairies. Ireland is full of history, pride, folklore, and traditions commonly (or perhaps less known!) to weddings.
We have a rich and storied history of lace, particularly helping the Irish economy re-establish in the 1800’s after the Great Famine. Local regions of Ireland have distinct pattern qualities, and techniques have been passed between families over many generations. In fact, Irish lace has served Royal Weddings over the years. Queen Victoria transformed bridal fashion with her white Irish lace gown for her 1840 wedding, and in more recent times, also by Princess Diana and Duchess Kate Middleton. If Alexander McQueen isn’t in your budget or style, Irish lace can always be incorporated on table surfaces or carried in a bouquet wrap (which is also traditionally used in christening the couple’s first child, known as the magic hanky). Don’t feel you have to limit yourself to fabrics! Beyond fashion, lace patterns can also be represented in cake patterns, or across your stationery and printed products.
Think of the creative and functional ways braids may be included in your hair, or possibly other decorative moments to weave fabrics. In Celtic tradition, braids represent femine power and good luck. So embrace your inner Khaleesi and proudly include delicate, intricate or more relaxed bohemian-styled braids for your wedding look.
An Irish Wedding At Castello Di Petrata
The Claddagh ring represents three beacons to marriage: friendship in the shape of hands; loyalty as the symbol of the crown; and love by the heart. A generational tradition of Ireland, the ring is often passed from mothers to their daughters. The ring is worn on the right hand when single. The point of the heart looks south of the fingertips until the ring’s owner is in a committed relationship, thus flipping the ring. Upon engagement, the Claddagh ring moves to the left hand with the heart’s point still facing north, and once married, the ring is flipped again and remains on the left hand with the heart pointing downward. Other modern adaptations could incorporate this pattern on nail art, embroidery on a ring pillow, or custom welcome bag totes.
Storytelling is a bit of an inherited and long lasting generational tradition of Ireland. We’re proud of many romantic authors and creatives. Explore the writings of classically known poets like WIlliam Butler Yeats, Oscar Wilde, and James Joyce. The Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) has a fabulous website with abundant resources to learn more about our history of literature, particularly an on-demand radio program highlighting past and present Irish literary figures.
One of our most famous and signature traditions, the term tying the knot actually comes from the ceremony tradition of wrapping the couples hands in fabric, knotting the couples’
