Blog
5 Old-Fashioned Irish Wedding Traditions For Your Big Day
Irish weddings are steeped in ages of tradition and include everything from practical considerations to lucky offerings. If you or your fiancé are of Irish heritage, consider paying homage to your ancestry with customs from ancient Irish lore. Bring a little of the Emerald Isle to your wedding hall in PA with one of these classic Irish traditions!
- Celtic handfasting. Perhaps one of the oldest Irish wedding traditions, the Celts used handfasting to symbolize the bride and groom becoming one. Perform handfasting by tying the couple’s hands together with a small piece of rope during the vows. This was said to create an unbreakable bond between the two.
- Multipurpose lace handkerchiefs. The Irish know that handkerchiefs aren’t just good for catching wedding tears — they’re also useful after the wedding. Irish brides would often save their lace handkerchief after the ceremony and stitch it into a bonnet for their first child’s Christening.
- Celtic cross engagement rings. While modern Irish couples can choose from a wide range of engagement ring styles, some couples are reaching back 400 years to the Celtic tradition of cross rings. Celtic cross rings, which feature two hands holding a heart topped with a crown, can symbolize everything from loyalty to friendship. However, when you wear the heart pointed towards your chest, it means that your heart is taken. These rings were often worn as Celtic wedding rings — and the tradition continues to this day.
- Lucky horseshoes. Many cultures consider the horseshoe to be a symbol of luck, but Irish brides used to take this meaning to a whole new level, carrying a horseshoe down the aisle. Today’s brides maintain the magic by wearing horseshoe earrings or a horseshoe pendant with their dress.
- Pre-wedding goose dinners. Have you ever wondered where the phrase “his goose is cooked” comes from? Medieval Irish couples would feast on a boiled goose with the bride’s parents the night before the wedding ceremony. According to tradition, as soon as the goose was eaten, the groom could no longer back out of the marriage!
No matter your heritage or traditions, Village Caterings’ wedding halls in Philadelphia can help you achieve the perfect wedding ceremony. Give our team a call today at 215-437-3337 for more information or to get started!