March 17, 2024
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Or at least, that is the day I am posting this article. All things Irish is the theme. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to share a few Irish wedding traditions and vows.
In ancient Ireland, wedding traditions were either born out of religion, superstition or the wishing of luck or good fortune. Some of these traditions are still followed today, such as wearing a veil and carrying fragrant flowers. These were originally intended to protect against evil. However, two Irish traditions are no longer followed. One is avoiding having your wedding during the harvest season or on Saturdays. Ironically, Saturdays in September and October are now the most popular months for weddings. Another tradition was to eat salt on your wedding day.
At Irish ceremonies, one might see lucky shamrocks and perhaps tiny horseshoes in the bride’s bouquet or as part of the decor. Irish brides once carried a real horseshoe down the aisle, open side up, so the luck would never run out. Another superstition dictates that the bride must walk down the aisle with a sixpence coin in their right shoe for more good fortune.
It's common for brides of Irish heritage to customize their wedding dresses by adding Celtic symbols like knots, crosses, or shamrocks in white embroidery to readymade dresses or custom-made ones. They can add Irish lace to their headpieces or veils for an elegant touch. In colder weather, brides may opt for a traditional bridal cloak made from wool or a combination of lightweight wool and Irish linen to stay warm.
Irish kilt tartans stand for the counties and districts of Ireland, while Scottish kilts represent their clan in their tartan design and color. There is also an Irish national tartan, which became famous in response to the British's Anglicization of the Emerald Isle. In traditional Irish weddings, the groom wears a formal kilt outfit. Typically, the groom wears a Brian Boru jacket, which is named after the Irish warrior king, a white tuxedo shirt with a bow tie, knee socks with ribbons that match the color of their tartan, a Sporran with shamrock detailing, and Ghillie Brogue shoes. It is more common in America for the groom to wear an Irish kilt than in Ireland. Many pipers, Irish musicians, and Irish dancers wear kilts, too.
While we typically think of green as the color associated with Ireland, it was not the official color of the country until the 19th century. When King Henry VIII left the Catholic Church to form his Church of England, he named Ireland an independent protestant kingdom and granted them the right to have their coat of arms and flag: a gold Celtic harp on a blue background. For hundreds of years, Ireland's flag was blue. Blue was also considered lucky for brides, as it was the color of fidelity and symbolized the bride’s commitment to their partner. Don't be surprised if the wedding has blue elements along with, or instead of, the many shades of green.
Handfasting, a popular symbol of unity at many weddings, is an ancient Celtic tradition that dates back 2,000 years. This is where we get the term “tying the knot.” Handfasting was an engagement or commitment ritual allowing the couple to live together for a year and a day to see if they were compatible; if they were not, they could merely separate. Today, many opt to have a handfasting ceremony instead of lighting a unity candle or perhaps in place of vows. The officiant places a ribbon or cord around the bride and groom's hands while saying vows of promise and commitment they agree to aloud. All four hands are bound together, or the more popular way is to tie only the bride and groom's right hands together. To read our article on all unity ceremonies, click here.
Wedding rings with clasped hands can be traced back to ancient Roman times. The Irish Claddagh ring, which first appeared in the 18th century in Galway, features two hands holding a heart with a crown above it. The way the Claddagh is worn silently communicates a message to those who know its meaning. When used as an engagement ring, the Claddagh is worn on the left hand, with the bottom of the heart pointing away from the wrist. During the wedding ceremony, the rings are placed on the left-hand ring finger, with the point of the heart facing inward towards the wearer's heart. A nice touch is to have the inside of the rings engraved with a Gaelic sentiment.
In many cultures, ringing a bell is believed to have the power to keep evil spirits away. In some traditions, bells are also associated with bringing harmony and peace. For instance, bells are thought to ward off discord between the couple in a marriage. This is why church bells may ring after a wedding ceremony, or guests may be given tiny bells to ring as the newlyweds make their way down the aisle. Additionally, gifting a bell to the newlyweds is a common wedding tradition. You may even see Bells of Ireland flowers included in the bride's bouquet, as they symbolize good luck in the language of flowers.
Irish brides often carry a white linen handkerchief on their wedding day, an old tradition and a lovely way to showcase Irish culture in bridal attire. The handkerchief is embroidered with shamrocks, which is believed to bring good luck to the bride. After the wedding, the handkerchief is sewn into a bonnet as part of the first-born child's christening outfit in Ireland.
An essential part of an Irish wedding reception is the performance of Irish dancers. Irish dancing schools often perform with an Irish band or a Uilleann pipe player. While the Scottish favor the Highland Bagpipes, the Irish play the smaller Irish Uilleann Pipes. These pipes are used inside the church, as bagpipes are louder. Dressed in kilts and full regalia, they cut a dashing figure at an Irish wedding. The piper may play before the ceremony as guests arrive and announce the bride’s arrival at the church just before they lead the processional down the aisle. Having the piper lead the couple out together down the aisle during their recessional is also customary. Another choice is to have a harpist play the Celtic harp, renowned for its lyrical tone and the sound of the haunting Irish music written for it. As the national symbol of Ireland, the Celtic harp is included on everything from Irish government documents to labels on Guinness bottles.
The reception will feature Irish beverages, including Meade(or mead), the oldest drink in Ireland, made from honey. In medieval times, the bride and groom would toast each other with special goblets full of mead, carrying on with this tradition for a month or one moon cycle, hence the term "honeymoon." Other popular Irish drinks to be served include Irish mist liqueur, Irish whiskey, cream liqueur, cider, and beer.
An Irish wedding reception typically features multiple toasts and blessings, starting with family members, the wedding party, and friends before the traditional toasts start. Sláinte!
Many Irish Wedding blessings or vows have long histories and deep meanings. One will notice that Irish/Celtic blessings, vows, art, poetry, and songs often have a bent toward seasons, elements, and nature. Irish traditions center around trees, forests, rivers, coastlands, mountains, and valleys. Because of this, they can be used in religious and non-religious weddings.
Catholicism is the largest religion in Ireland. Many couples still opt for a traditional church wedding, so many Irish wedding vows come from Roman Catholic ceremonies.
The couple then exchange rings.
The couple then recites the following prayer, and the ceremony is complete.
Ancient Celtic Wedding Vows Pre-Catholicism:
The following are some old Irish blessings, usually used during toasts and speeches but can easily be incorporated into personal vows;
B. As A Light to The Eye, As Joy to The Heart
This is a common Irish blessing bestowed on the couple by the priest before leaving the church:
In Ireland, not only are there traditional vows that couples use, but there are also two choices. Couples have the choice to exchange vows in English or Irish. While saying them in Irish Gaelic gives the ceremony a very traditional and cultural feel, not everyone will be able to understand what the bride and groom are saying!
Most couples, even the gaeilgeoirs (Someone who speaks Irish) among us, will often choose English or a mixture of both. For anyone who wants to try to say your vows in Irish, here is a similar version of the traditional Irish wedding ceremony vows above;
This translates to the 'love each other faithfully, for richer or poorer' section of the ceremony, i.e., the vows proper.
This is the translation of the priest's blessing of the rings: “Lord, bless these rings and let them be a reminder of their love for one another.”
I wanted to share my favorite saying to close out my St. Patrick’s Day Post. “Everyone is a little Irish on St. Patrick's Day, except the Scottish, we're still Scottish.” I am Scottish. With the last name of Anderson, there is no surprise there. But since Scotts don’t have a big holiday celebrating Scottish traditions, I thought I would leave you with my favorite Scottish Vow. It speaks to the sacredness of marriage and the endless nature of love. This vow works for civil, religious, and traditional weddings.