Irish Wedding Ideas: Express Your Irish Side at One of Life's Most Precious Moments!

Irish wedding ideas are a wonderful blend of age-old Irish culture and customs, and a terrific opportunity to express your Irish side, wherever you are in the world!  We have witnessed many unique wedding experiences with an Irish theme - and they are an experience to be treasured.

If you find yourself inspired to know more about Irish customs like these, please pay a visit to our main section on Irish trivia and traditions here...

Meanwhile, please enjoy our favorite Irish wedding ideas!

Irish Wedding Ideas: The Proposal

The special nature of Irish weddings starts with the proposal.

In some parts of the world you might hear a simple "Will you marry me?" or "Will you do me the honor of being my wife / husband?"

But in Ireland a traditional wedding proposal is just as likely to be something less direct, even a touch humorous. For example, "Would you like to hang your washing next to mine?"

Or for those of you who really like to shake things up, there's always the classic Irish proposal: "would you like to be buried with my people?"

That should work!

Irish Wedding Ideas:  The Wedding Date

The superstitions that influence a wedding date in Ireland are similar to those of other cultures.  One superstition says the last day of the year is extra lucky to hold the wedding on, while Childermas Day is not.

The month of May has never been considered a lucky month for weddings, (although it is typically a beautiful time of year and many do choose this month.)

Irish Wedding Ideas:  The Ring

A Claddagh ring has two hands with a crowned heart in them.

If you are not in a romantic relationship, the crown's tips should be worn towards the wrist; this means you can be approached.  However, if you happen to be engaged or married, these tips should be turned outwards.

So be careful putting on your Claddagh rings, people - especially the morning after a pub-crawl.

Better yet, just never take them off!

For more information on Claddagh wedding rings, check out our section on Irish wedding rings.

The Irish Wedding Gown

In years gone by, the typical wedding gown was blue, not white because blue was a symbol of purity dating back to ancient times.  Today it is very common to see blue trim on the dress, or a blue-trimmed garter.

We love the gowns that are adorned with Celtic symbolism like the one you see here.

For more ideas and examples, visit our section on Irish Wedding Gowns.

The Irish Bridal Bouquet

In the Irish wedding tradition, lavender symbolizes luck, devotion, loyalty and most of all love. Adding the lavender to the bouquet guarantees a long and happy union for the couple.

At least, that's the idea!

Another Irish wedding idea you might consider adding to the bridal bouquet is a small horseshoe, or a replica of one made in porcelain or fabric.

In Irish themed weddings, a horseshoe is a sign of luck. ALWAYS carried upward so the luck won't 'run out.'

Now if you decide to carry a real horseshoe, be careful, especially when tossing the bouquet into the unmarried crowd.

The Irish Wedding Cake

Irish wedding cakes are traditionally fruitcakes.

If fruitcake is not your thing, it's perfectly ok to have different cakes on different layers.

Often the top layer is an Irish whiskey cake, and is saved for the christening fo the couple's first born child.

Click here for more information on Irish wedding cakes!

The Irish Wedding Reception

In the Irish wedding tradition, as in many cultures, the happy pair takes to the center of the floor, so the groom can show off his new bride (and his jiggy footwork) with their first dance as a fully-married couple.

The reception might also include blessings, toasts, and favors!

The first person to congratulate the bride should always be a man. This brings luck, while if it is a woman it is thought to be unlucky.

Departing an Irish Wedding

As you leave the ceremony, it is very important to look up, and sometimes, to duck down. Why?

Chances are, somebody will throw an old shoe over the bride's head for good luck. The amount of good luck is directly related to the aim of the thrower.

And ladies, if your new mother in law busts a piece of wedding cake over your head, be cool. According to Irish wedding tradition, this means the two of you will be friends for life. After you get the cake out of your hair!

A Few More Tips ...

To bring even more Irish flavor to your wedding, offer your guests some creative Irish gift ideas!  You could also consider writing Irish-themed vows or blessing your service with Irish wedding songs.

Want More Irish Traditions?

It is probably obvious - at Irish Expressions, we love Irish traditions!  Expressing ourselves through Irish-themed activities gives us a deeper sense of connection with Ireland, wherever in the world we happen to be!

Over the years, we have created many downloadable, share-able Irish games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, and much, much more.

Want them right now?  Keep reading to learn about "Your Irish Expressions Playbook."

What's Next?

At Irish Expressions, our our goal is simple: to provide you with a unique Irish experience, on demand, wherever you are in the world.

If you have enjoyed our section on fun Irish trivia and customs, you have probably been exposed to many of the most exciting traditions that Ireland has to offer!

Will that entice you to visit Ireland - or to return if you have already been? 

We hope so!  

But even if that is not possible, you can still enjoy the magic of Ireland in these pages.  Check out the links at the top of the page for simple instructions on how to explore Irish landmarks, sing Irish songs, enjoy Irish food, and much more!

More Fun With Irish Expressions

Congratulations on learning more about the Emerald Isle and discovering what we like to call your "Irish Side."  You may be thinking "I'd love to actually VISIT Ireland but that's really not in the cards right now.  What am I supposed to do with the stuff I just learned?"

Well never fear!  Since 2009 we have collected all of the best printable, shareable resources we could find, to help you put your new knowledge of Ireland to good use.  We've put them all together in a single download we call "Your Irish Expressions Playbook," which contains over 50 pages of games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, travel guides and much, much more.

Purchase them ALL for one small price, print as many copies as you like and share them with your friends - with no limitations!   But order soon - we are already adding to the Playbook for future editions and this price will not last long. 

Oh, want one more reason to order right away?  If you buy YOUR copy of the Playbook now, you will be allowed to upgrade to any new future edition for FREE.

ORDER YOUR IRISH EXPRESSIONS PLAYBOOK HERE

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