Popular tunes are the "Highland Fling" and the "Stack of Barley," as well as jigs, reels, and hornpipes. Once the agreements were signed and the dinner was eaten, there was no way the groom could get out of the wedding, which is how we get the expression, “His goose is cooked.” Use Claddagh rings for wedding bands, and be sure to take a look at some of the modern interpretations of the Claddagh. When many years this day has passed, fondest memories will always last. So it's not unusual for them to hook up at a wedding and pipe the couple into the mass or at dinner. Linen or lace handkerchieves for multi-purpose Irish wedding traditions. Also, don't forget that one way to celebrate your love of all things Irish is to honeymoon in Ireland -- it's gorgeous, and oh-so-romantic.The traditional Irish menu -- Irish soda bread, corned beef, and cabbage -- is perhaps not something you'd typically crave, but when cooked right and served up at a big wedding fete, it's positively delicious (not to mention that it all gets washed down with plenty of whiskey and Guinness Stout). Try to incorporate this beautiful fabric into a gown or veil. The Claddagh Ring. Put a modern spin on the custom by both exchanging one, maybe after the first look, when you have some time alone together.Raise a glass of bubbly or a drink made from honey called “mead.” In ancient Ireland, it was common for wedding guests to toast the newlyweds after the meal with this fermented beverage poured into goblets.After the bride and groom enjoyed mead at their wedding, their parents would also make sure they had a supply to last a month, or a full cycle of the moon, which is where we get the term “honeymoon.” It was believed they would be blessed with a son within a year.Martha Stewart may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on this website.To keep evil spirits away and to ensure a harmonious family life, bells were historically chimed at Irish weddings. It's traditions like bagpipes, kilts, and Claddagh rings that keep Irish eyes smiling during the wedding festivities. Traditionally Irish brides … Ever frugal …
Here are a few of the Irish wedding traditions that have made their way over from the old country and into Irish American wedding celebrations.Named after Claddagh, a fishing village in Galway (in Western Ireland), the Claddagh ring is handed down from mother to daughter and is used both as the betrothal and wedding ring. "Mi na meala," the month of honey, refers to the month after the wedding when the newlyweds celebrated by drinking mead, a brew made of fermented honey. And don't forget the traditional Irish wedding cake, a fruitcake filled with almonds, raisins, cherries, and spice and laced with brandy or bourbon.While bridal fashions in Ireland resemble the rest of the Western world, one distinctly Irish touch is Irish lace. So we drink a cup of Irish mead and ask God's blessing in your hour of need." Most pipers wear Celtic kilts -- plaid skirts that their ancestors wore in medieval times. That’s the next choice facing the bride. The guests respond: "On this special day, our wish to you, the goodness of the old, the best of the new. Irish weddings were most commonly held during “Shrovetide,” or the days preceding Lent, with the most popular day for a ceremony being “Shrove Tuesday,” or the day before Ash Wednesday.