Adding Celtic Touches to Your Big Day

Modern Irish brides tend to wear traditional wedding gowns, but if you’ve really got the spirit, have your guy don a kilt. It’s Celtic, it’s customary, and it’s common to have groomsmen wear kilts too.

Another tradition to look into is “handfasting,” in which the couple has a trial marriage for “a year and a day.” Handfasting’s origins are up for debate; some think it’s too pagan for an Irish (usually Catholic) wedding. If you want to honor your heritage by including handfasting, consider extending the engagement for a little over a year’s time. You can hold a pre-wedding ceremony announcing the handfasting period, even hire someone to officiate. Talk to your house of worship about the custom, to see if they have any objections or advice.

Musically speaking, everyone loves in Irish jig, and a seasoned DJ can probably find you a few appropriate tunes. You can also hire an Irish band (Irish drinking songs are a huge hit and a huge party-starter), or add bagpipes to the celebration. For food, add some corned beef and cabbage and soda break, and, true to form, serve fruitcake in addition to the main cake. Mead, a honey-wine drink, is a popular libation, and rumored to be the origin of the phrase “Honeymoon.”

The Claddagh Ring has a fabled history, designed with two hands holding a heart, and adorned by a crown. Once again, modern brides might want something a little more contemporary, but there’s no law that says you can’t have two rings, or wear one as a necklace. Whenever you add traditional touches to your ceremony, it’s a question of how much of the old you want to add with the new. Lucky for you, it’s all good.

Nowadays, there are a couple of ways to “go green” at your wedding. The first one involves the environment, of course, while the second brings to mind the fabulous fun you can have planning an Irish wedding: Shamrocks, or clovers, are one of the most common symbols of Irish tradition and can be incorporated into centerpieces, color schemes, dresses and hairstyles. While St. Patrick’s Day is a perfect date to pick if you want to make an Irish statement, it’s not always practical. Shamrock green is the next best way to bring the spirit to your day. Couples make green-icing cakes, place green tablecloths around the site, and serve green beer. (No one’s gonna cause a fuss if you change the latter to green-apple martinis.)

-David Toussaint

Check Out Planning a Catholic Wedding
Check Out Balancing Modern Wedding Planning with Traditional Customs
Check Out Welcoming Out-of-Town Guests In for Your Wedding