5 popular Irish wedding traditions

 

Irish weddings are traditionally a time of celebrating family and friendships from around the world. It is a time of drinking, singing, laughing, and a hearty amount of partying. Amid the celebration, you'll find rich symbolism and a healthy dose of superstition. For this post we take a look at five popular Irish wedding traditions.

 

Irish wedding ring

 

Claddagh ring: The Irish Claddagh ring (pronounced “klahda”) is the traditional Irish wedding ring and also doubles as an engagement ring. Its distinguishing design offers unique symbolism and meaning that means different things depending on how you wear it. Each feature of the ring adds to its meaning: two hands (represent friendship) clasping a heart (symbolizing love) and usually topped by a crown (loyalty). While the meaning is clear, the origins of the Claddagh ring are shrouded among several legends.

 

Irish wedding band: Celtic knot wedding bands are the most popular design for Irish wedding bands because Celtic knot designs are crafted with a single thread that has no beginning or end. They symbolize the interconnection of life and eternity. On a wedding band, these loops are said to represent: eternal loyalty, faith, friendship, or love.

Handfasting

Before the church became involved in weddings, the handfasting ceremony was common in Ireland. It became the way couples were "officially" married. Today, this tradition is commonly used by couples for their unity ceremony, and the meaning of colors for handfasting cords adds another layer of symbolism and meaning to the couple’s special day.

 

 

Traditional Irish wedding toast

 

As far as wording goes, there isn’t one historic Irish wedding toast to fall back on. But the tradition of the Irish wedding toast does have a few idiosyncrasies to follow. Number one, the toast is to honor the couple. Even if the toast is funny, it should not put the bride and/or groom down. Secondly, it is common practice to use an Irish blessing, prayer, or proverb. For ideas, check out the Complete Guide to Irish Blessings.

Brass Claddagh Bell

 

Irish wedding bell tradition

The Irish wedding bell tradition started with the family giving the bride and groom a set of bells after they recited their vows. The couple rang the bells to ward off evil spirits and brought the bells home where they served as a reminder of the vows they made on their wedding day. Today, the Irish wedding bell is a popular wedding gift for Irish couples. It is to be kept in a prominent place in the home and when the couple argues they ring the bell to remind them of their wedding vows. If the dispute can’t be settled cordially, the bell is rung a little louder. This is supposed to purify and dispel stimulated emotions and change the perspective of the couple. This sounding of the bell also signals the end of the argument, even if neither the husband nor wife has ceded. It serves as a time out of sorts and allows the couple to cool down. For this reason, it is also known as the Irish make up bell.

 

The lucky Irish horseshoe

The horseshoe happens to be another Irish wedding icon. The shoes were traditionally given to the bride, most often by children following her wedding ceremony. She tied them to her bouquet and placed the whole lot next to the wedding cake during the wedding breakfast. I also read that the Celts sewed a horseshoe into the hem of the wedding dress for good luck. (This not only brought luck but also helped the dress hang properly). Have you ever wondered why a horseshoe was considered good luck in the first place? According to folk belief, iron held magical significance for the numerous Celtic tribes, and they thought it a lucky metal. Besides good luck, the Irish also believed the horseshoe to be a symbol of fertility. Following the wedding, the couple hung the horseshoe in their home, in the upright position like the letter ‘U’. This way luck gathered inside the U. (It’s worth noting that other societies believe the horseshoe should be hung upside-down to allow the luck to spill out on those who walk beneath it.

 

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Origins of the Handfasting Ceremony

Thinking of adding the symbolism of the handfasting ceremony to your wedding and would like to know more about it? As I delved into the history, I found many variations of this tradition, but the deeper I looked, the more I realized that much of what I thought I knew was, in fact, romanticized versions of handfasting “history.” For this post, first, I’ll include the embellished stories, and then for those interested in a more accurate account, I’ll offer that too.

Celtic handfasting

In ancient times, pagan worship included handfasting ceremonies and weddings. When the Celts migrated from Europe and settled in Britain around 7000 BC, they brought the ritual with them, and the practice continued well through the Tudor Period. 

Back then, handfasting wasn’t part of the wedding but took place a year and a day before the wedding. It represented a couple’s commitment to each other, as well as the intent to get married. The couple agreed to live in a binding relationship as a trial marriage for a year and a day. During this trial run, the couple learned whether or not they could survive married life together. When the time was up the couple either broke up or chose to marry permanently. This handfasting ceremony was performed in the presence of an upstanding member of the community like the local vicar, constable, or a wealthy landowner.

Handfasting in the British Isles

Handfasting was a custom practiced in the British Isles where it could be weeks or months before a clergyman stopped by rural villages. Here, handfasting was the equivalent to a common-law marriage of today. The bride and groom just clasped hands and professed themselves, husband and wife. Most of the time this was performed before witnesses and was referred to as an irregular marriage. As long as the bride and groom had reached the age of consent (12 for brides, 14 for grooms) and were not too closely related, irregular marriages were as valid as regular marriages. There were three types of irregular marriages:

1. Public declaration by the couple that they were husband and wife, followed by the consummation of the relationship
2. Mutual agreement
3. Living together and being recognized as husband and wife.

 

Christian handfasting ceremony

The influence of Christianity in the 16th century changed things up when it came to weddings. Many Protestant countries required a priest or minister for a marriage to be valid. In 1563 the Council of Trent did the same for the Roman Catholics. Marriage in the church became known as a regular marriage (valid marriage). The handfasting ceremony was performed by a clergyman and considered binding and legal in every way.

Where did the handfasting ritual come from?

It turns out that the origins of the handfasting ritual are found in Southern Scotland and Northern England Germanic. Their wedding customs succeeded Roman rites and consisted of two parts. First, the betrothal ceremony, followed by the giving away ceremony. The betrothal ceremony included a wedding contract where both sides agreed on terms. Once agreed upon, the contract was sealed with a handshake (clasping of hands--like all contracts were back then). The Anglo-Saxon term for this was “Handfæstung.” Similar terms are found in other Germanic languages. Over time, betrothals in Scotland and England became known as handfasting.

In the 1600s, after churches became involved, the wedding ceremony still took place outside the church. Some churches had a “marriage porch” for this purpose. Once the couple announced their consent before witnesses, including the priest, they clasped hands and kissed. Then all the people moved inside for the celebration of the Mass. (If the couple didn’t regularly attend church, they could wait and go to Mass the following Sunday, but this was not legally required.)

As for the idea of the year and a day trial marriage. It turns out that comes from modern romantic novels, and the concept was picked up by non-fiction writers (like me!) So handfasting with ribbons and cords wasn’t an ancient Celtic custom or even an ancient Scots custom. It turns out the handfasting ceremony we have today arose from a mix of old Germanic traditions (after conversion to Christianity), the romanticized concepts of modern writers like Sir Walter Scott, and old Scottish irregular marriages.

Meaning of handfasting today

With all this said, I still love the idea of the handfasting ceremony as we know it today. It still represents love and fidelity. Now that you know where it comes from, you can feel free to adopt it and make it your own. If you wonder where to start, check out the meaning of colors for handfasting cords. It can add another level of meaning between the bride and groom on their special day.

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