Are there any Irish wedding traditions/customs that you are using either in your ceremony or reception??
Janice
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Re: Irish Brides....
we just did the jig at the reception, I did not want to go too overboard since DH is Puerto Rican, but my cousin had a clover theme, and she had some in her centerpieces too. Her tiara also had clovers in it
nov04LIbride
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Re: Irish Brides....
We had an Irish band (that also plays a lot of mainsteam music--I think they played one Irish song for my grandma). They were great though. FM me for info.
Ladybug63
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Re: Irish Brides....
We are using a solid gold band from someone who is happily married (my cousin) to use in the ceremony but I'm not sure if that's Jewish or Irish.
We are having my father bagpipe me out of the church and also having the Nassau County Pipe and Drum Band play at the reception.
Our toasting flutes have little shamrocks etched on them.
I made the Martha Stewart pillow that has four, 4 leaf clovers sewn into the corners.
I think that's it.
ETS: We also have a celtic unity candel for the ceremony.
IrishBride-05
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Re: Irish Brides....
Well, the Irish are very superstitious so, first off, we're getting married on a Friday - it's supposed to be bad luck to do it on a Saturday. I'll be putting the Child of Prague in the garden (or flower box) the night before for good weather (not sure if that is Irish or religious). The Catholic ceremony is the same everywhere, so we're just going to have a couple of pipers and maybe a drummer at the Church and reception. I'm going to have a horeshoe attached to my garter (good luck in Ireland). I'll be giving a speech at the reception and so will my dad, which is common over there. I can't think of anything else, but we are having an Irish band, so we'll do some ceili dancing too!
ETA - I almost forgot, my FH and his two GM's will be wearing the Irish National tartan dress kilt.
beautyq115
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Thanks so much! I think we are going to have bagpipers too...friend of the family is retired NYPD Pipes and Drums
laughinlala
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We will have bagpippers
Johnny&Maur
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Re: Irish Brides....
Bagpipers at the reception for a little bit...and a song or two by our band. We are also incorporating some italian traditions for FH...and i think using a 'garlic meets gaelic' theme for our favors, lol...
no stress bride
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Well we also did it on a Friday night!! I also had bagpiper outside and then he piped my father and I over the bridge into my ceremony!!
melissaandsean
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Re: Irish Brides....
We are incorporating:
1. Bell Ringers for my processional
2. I bought a ring bearer pillow from fourleafclover.com, which has real four leaf clovers on the edge and I'm making a flower girl basket which will have the same.
3. We are having the 'Irish Wedding Blessing' read at our ceremony
4. rehearsal dinner is at 'Irish Times Pub' in Holbrook
5. I bought some four leaf clover decorations, that we're going to incorporate some how. There's tons of stuff out now for Paddy's Day.
6. The plan is to include some 'Bells of Ireland' flowers in my herbla bouquet.
7. There will be a horseshoe somewhere too. Either embrodiered into the lining of my dress, or my hankie, or on my shoes, or something. This is a must!
One thing we didn't do....we didn't follow this Old Irish proverb:
Married when the year is new, he’ll always be loving, kind and true When February birds do mate, you can wed or dread your fate If you wed when March winds blow, Joy and sorrow both you’ll know Marry in April when you can, joy for maiden and for man Marry in the month of May, you will surely rue the day Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you’ll go Those who in July do wed, must always labour for their bread Whoever wed when August be, many a change is sure to see Marry in September’s shine, your living will be rich and fine If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry If you wed in bleak November, only joy will come, remember When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last
;) Oh well, you can't do everything!
Edited to add #8: We are getting married on Friday too, which is supposed to be good luck. The irish have WAY too many superstitions though.
melissaandsean
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Re: Irish Brides....
For fun, some more superstitions:
-A fine day meant good luck, especially if the sun shone on the bride. If you're a Roman Catholic, one way to make certain that it won't rain is to put a statue of the Infant of Prague outside the church door on the wedding morning. -It was unlucky to marry on a Saturday -Those who married in harvest would spend all their lives gathering -A man should always be the first to wish joy to the bride, never a woman -It was lucky to hear a cuckoo on the wedding morning, or to see three magpies -To meet a funeral on the road meant bad luck and if there was a funeral procession planned for that day, the wedding party always took a different road -It was bad luck if a glass or cup were broken on the wedding day -A bride and groom should never wash their hands in the same sink at the same time — it's courting disaster if they do -It was said to be lucky if you married during a growing moon and a flowing tide -When leaving the church, someone must throw an old shoe over the bride's head so she will have good luck -It's bad luck if newly-weds don't meet a man on their way home from the church -If the bride's mother-in-law breaks a piece of wedding cake on the bride's head as she enters the house after the ceremony, they will be friends for life -At one time, the groom was locked inside the church on the wedding day in case he got cold feet!
Johnny&Maur
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Whoo Hoo for me!!!
'Marry in September’s shine, your living will be rich and fine'
Too bad we can't afford to pay attention right now!!!
wood2be
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Re: Irish Brides....
Both families are very Irish, despite our German last names! These were our invites.
The first page of our program had a claddagh and the an Irish claddagh saying. The last page had an Irish Wedding Blessing.
During the ceremony we had the Irish Wedding Song sung. When we were pronounced man and wife, everyone rang these bells. We gave them out with the programs. The Irish believed that the 'ringing of bells, is said to chase away evil spirits and bring harmony to the newly married couple'.
DH had an Irish penny in his pocket and I had a six pence in my shoe. Not smart when your wearing sling backs!
We had a bagpiper lead us out of the church and there were lavender petals mixed in with the rose petals that were tossed.
At the reception my Mother arranged for a toast with Meade and they played 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling'.
The day after the wedding, we had a 'Scattering Party' which is basically the same as a 'Day after Brunch'. The Irish all get together the day after to discuss the previous days event, before they 'Scatter' to their own homes.
I think that was it. Oh, our toasting glasses were from Waterford and someone did through a shoe over my head at some point.
