Irish Wedding Traditions
If you or your wife or husband to be are Irish, have Irish heritage or live in Ireland, you might want to consider including some Irish wedding traditions into your big day.
Even incorporating just one or two traditions will help make an already special day feel extra special, and although the day is about you two will certainly please any Irish parents or grandparents.
Here’s 7 of our favourite Irish wedding traditions…
Horseshoes
The horseshoe is commonly included into Irish weddings, as a symbol of good luck and fortune. It is often given to the bride as a good luck gesture, and is also incorporated into the wedding décor whether it be as a table setting or favours.
Handfasting
One of the most well known Irish wedding traditions, handfasting is a unity ceremony that takes place during the marriage ceremony where the couples hands are tied together, symbolising the binding union the couple is undertaking.
DID YOU KNOW? “Tying the knot” originates from the handfasting ceremony!
Irish wedding attire
Often a groom at an Irish wedding will wear a kilt with a tartan that represents the county or district of Ireland they're from, and to accompany the kilt, they may also wear a Brian Boru jacket (named after the Irish warrior king), knee socks, a Sporran, a tux shirt and bowtie, and Ghillie Brogue shoes.
Irish brides my incorporate motifs like shamrocks and Celtic knots into their bridal ensemble and Irish lace is a popular choice for wedding dresses and veils. A tradition lots of Irish brides still do is to save a part of their wedding lace and use it for a christening gown.
A modern way of incorporating the lace look into your wedding is to have a lace themed wedding cake - so stunning!
Irish toasts and blessings
Irish receptions are legendary and if you have ever been to one you will know there are many rounds of toasts and blessings that happen before the traditional toasts. Family members, the wedding party and friends will all raise their glass to the couple so make sure to keep your glass full, but be careful not to sip too much with the first toast. Sláinte!
Dress in blue
Most Irish brides choose to wear white now but back in the day blue was the choice of colour as it signified purity. There are so many beautiful blue gowns you can choose from today making a nod to your Irish roots by wearing a blue dress would be a lovely tradition to honour.
Wild flowers
A really pretty Irish tradition that is very easy to incorporate into your wedding day today is to include wild flowers. Traditionally, Irish brides would wear a wreath of wild flowers in place of a wedding veil but if that is a bit too much for you, or you have your heart set on a veil then perhaps your flower girls could wear pretty wild flower crowns, or your bouquet could include wild flowers.
Wedding bells
The sound of bells is said to ward evil spirits away, encourage harmony and remind couples of their wedding vows. Honour this centuries old tradition by having someone ring a bell at key points during the ceremony and reception. You could also build bells into your wedding décor as a nod to the tradition, or include small bells in your bouquet.
There are lots more Irish wedding traditions to consider - these are just a few of our favourites. Whether you choose to incorporate some of the traditions into your wedding you can of course simply make a nod to your Irish roots by choosing Irish colours for your invitations and stationery.
Pure Invitation has the widest range of green, orange and white card colours allowing you to intermix as much or as little as you want to. Click here for green, here for examples of orange and here for our neutrals.