Irish Italian Weddings
When people of Irish and Italian descents marry, long-standing cultural traditions meld into a memorable celebration. Despite the distance between Ireland and Italy, some of both nation's wedding customs are remarkably similar.
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Irish Wedding Customs
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Irish brides accessorize with blue, the ancient color of purity. In ancient Ireland, the color blue symbolized purity. White dresses symbolizing purity and virginity were not common in Ireland until the 1500s. Many Irish brides still accessorize with a blue garter or handkerchief. Carrying English lavender represents love and loyalty and promises a long, happy marriage.
Braided hair is a symbol of feminine power, so Irish women often incorporate braids into their bridal hairstyle. St. Patrick's Day is believed to be the luckiest day for marriage.
Italian Wedding Customs
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Italian tradition states that a veil hides the bride from jealous spirits. Italians believe that marrying on Sunday brings the couple the greatest luck. The front of the wedding chapel is decorated with a tied ribbon to represent the bond between husband and wife.
The bride's veil is meant to hide her face from jealous spirits, and many an Italian groom carries a piece of iron in his pocket for good luck.
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Shared Wedding Customs
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It's traditional for a wedding couple to walk to the ceremony together. Both cultures believe it's lucky for a couple to walk to their wedding location together. An Irish-Italian wedding is bound to be followed by a huge feast, as mandated by both countries' customs. Both celebrate weddings with the finest food and drink---and dancing into the night.
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- Photo Credit wedding image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com Shoe Garter image by Francois du Plessis from Fotolia.com Brides Veil image by Kevin Cooke from Fotolia.com wedding image by Aliaksandr Zabudzko from Fotolia.com
