How to Plan an Irish Wedding

Weddings in Ireland are an important time for renewal and continuity for the bride and groom. The couple often takes this time to connect with their roots in an effort to find a sense of tradition and identity to bring to their new family.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Wedding Gowns
• Bridal Bouquets
• Flowers
• Horseshoes Of Satin
• Irish Wedding Cakes
• Claddagh Rings

1. Select a date for the wedding. The last day of the year is considered an especially lucky time for an Irish marriage.

2. Choose claddagh rings for your wedding bands. These traditional Irish rings, when worn on the ring finger of the left hand with the heart facing in, tell the world your heart is taken forever.

3. Hire a piper to play at your ceremony. Contact your local St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee for help in finding one.

4. Ask a child to present a satin horseshoe to the bride at the conclusion of the ceremony. This represents good luck. Insert the horseshoe open end up (so the luck won't run out) into the bridal bouquet.

5. Honor the person who introduced you to each other with a special toast at the wedding. This tradition stems from the days when a matchmaker had that role.

6. Serve a traditional Irish wedding cake, which is a fruit cake filled with almonds, raisins, cherries and spice, and laced with brandy or bourbon. You can order this or make it yourself.

7. Sign up for ceilidh (dance) lessons for the bride and bridal party prior to the wedding to learn some Irish dances to perform at the ceremony.

8. Hire a band that can play popular Irish songs, such as "The Irish Wedding Song," "Oh Danny Boy," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," and "My Favorite Irish Rose."

9. Include a song or dance that reflects your family's specific heritage.

10. Tie harvest knots out of straw and decorate them with small flowers or bells to give to guests as favors. Attach a scroll explaining the significance, which is that young Irish men traditionally gave these to their girls to show their devotion.

11. Suggest your florist weave tiny harvest knots into your bouquet.

Tips & Warnings

• Save the horseshoe from the wedding as a family heirloom to pass on to your children.

• Remember the Irish tradition that a sunny day is lucky, and a rainy one is not. Hope for sun on your wedding day!