Adding Irish Culture to Your Wedding

Ireland is an ancient culture with wedding traditions going back thousands of years. Steeped in magical folklore and old-fashioned superstition, these traditions can be easily incorporated into today's weddings as a way to pay homage to your Irish heritage. Here are some simple ways to add a little Emerald Isle to your ceremony and reception.

Harvest Knots

As the history goes, Irish men would declare their intentions of marriage by giving their fiancee harvest knots of straw decorated with flowers. They might also give their intended bells to wear in her hair or around her neck. Add a bell to your bouquet or even wear a small harvest knot symbolize your Irish heritage.

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The Lucky Horseshoe 
The bride may want to include a horseshoe inside her bouquet, as tradition. Just make sure to remove it before the flower toss. Some women also sew a small horseshoe into the hem of their wedding dress in Irish weddings.

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Lace

Ireland is known for its intricate and high quality lace. Add this delicate traditional Irish decoration to your wedding gown, wear it as a veil, or simply carry a handkerchief to dab your eyes during the ceremony. 

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The traditional Irish Wedding Bell 
A hand held Irish Wedding bell is sounded by the new husband immediately after the ceremony. This bell will accompany the new couple to their home as a reminder of their vows. Tradition goes that it is supposed to be rung during an argument as a reminder of the love they shared on their wedding day. For a modern Irish wedding. small bells could be distributed to your guests to ring after the ceremony, much like the throwing of rice.

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Playin' o' the PipesDespite having Celtic roots, bagpipes are traditionally Scottish. So for a truly Emerald Isle affair, locate an Irish uillean piper to lead the processional or recessional.

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Irish Wedding Feast
It is customary in Ireland for the bride's family to host potluck wedding feast. Each guest brings a traditional Irish dishe such as soda bread, coddle, and stew. Even if you're having a more formal reception, you can still celebrate this Irish tradition by having a "feast" for your bridal shower or rehearsal dinner.

Giving the Claddagh

The Claddagh is probably the most recognized Irish symbol - two hands holding a heart underneath a crown is symbol for "Let Love and Friendship Reign". It is seen most often in Ireland inspired weddings from wedding rings and Celtic-inspired bridals gifts to candles engraved with the "faith ring" to wedding day jewelry worn around your neck as a reminder of your heritage. Incorporate the Claddagh into the brand of your wedding and include it in your invitations, decoration, place and favor cards.

And for further inspiration, here is a lovely inspiration board for an outdoor Irish wedding we found over at Things Festive. A sweet, modern twist on a tradition as old as time, marriage. Enjoy!

Have a deLicious Day! Go with the good stuff! Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Irish Wedding Week: Requirements for Getting Married in Ireland by Annie Byrne

Welcome to Irish Wedding Week! Since St. Patrick's Day is this week, we thought we would honor our Irish ancestors and give you all things Irish, from marriage requirements and customs, to photos and favors and wedding planning advice.  To get us started, our guest blogger Annie Byrne from Aislinn Events in Ireland, gives us some quick advice on what it takes to get married on the Emerald Isle.   

Photo: Woodward Photography

Getting Married in Ireland

By Annie Byrne, Guest Blogger from Aislinn Events

What better place to bring your family and friends for your wedding than a country full of fabulous scenery, historic and quaint venues, heritage, culture, beaches, great music, friendly people and simply full of fun things to do. – and I haven’t even mentioned the pubs!

Photo: Woodward Photography

This is what you get in Ireland and since you can legally marry in a church, an approved venue or in the Registrar’s office, it is easier to get married here than you may think.  I am always concerned when I see websites telling couples “how to get married in Ireland.” More often than not the information is well out of date. As your Destination Wedding Planner in Ireland,  here is the real deal.

1. There are no residency requirements for marriages in Ireland.

For couples living abroad who want to marry in Ireland, you must first connect with The General Register Office to begin filling out the proper paperwork. With prior agreement from the Registrar, your paperwork and intent to marry notification may be done by mail. However, you must also meet with the Registrar in person a minimum of 5 days before your marriage. A great time to do this would be when you come over for a scouting trip.

The following requirements are needed by all couples who want to have a legal valid marriage in Ireland, civil or religious.

• You must have the capacity to marry each other meaning, be at least 18 years old, and not currently married. Freely consent to the marriage and observe the marriage notification process as required by Irish law as outlined below and by contacting the HSE {Health Service Executive} immediately in the county where you want to marry.
• All couples will be asked to produce: Passport as ID, Birth Certificates, if either party is divorced, original final decrees in respect of all previous divorces, if widowed, death certificate of the previous spouse and the civil marriage certificate for their first marriage and the fee of €150. Additional documentation may be required in some cases and the Registrar’s office will advise if needed.
• You will be asked: the intended date of marriage, if it is a civil or religious ceremony, the names and dates of birth of their witnesses, and details of the proposed solemniser (your officiating priest, religious leader or other legally recognized Celebrant) and venue.
• You will also both have to complete a declaration  stating that they are not aware of any lawful impediment to the proposed marriage. This will be provided to you.

I cannot emphasize enough, if you want to get married in Ireland, whether you live here or not, start your paperwork as soon as possible.  Even if you don’t know your priest’s name or your venue yet just get started.

 Photo: David Lavery Photography 

2. Once the Registrar has approved all required details as above, you will be issued Marriage Registration Form (MRF), which is needed for any legal marriage.  Bring all documents and information requested by the Registrar the in-person meeting and a MRF can be issued to them immediately. The MRF should be given to the registrar or religious solemniser performing the marriage prior to the legal ceremony.

The Registrars are extremely busy and while I have always found them very helpful and hugely patient and efficient, be prepared with as much as you can as soon as you can.

But I’ll say it again, consult the HSE  and General Registrar’s Office for full information, links and phone numbers that you will need. Do it as soon as you know you want to get married in Ireland and it will be all down {a lush grassy green} hill from there.

Photo: David Lavery Photography

If you want to get married on the beach or a clifftop or somewhere else outside, you can do that providing you have done a legal ceremony first. But as a start, the above information should really get you going! 

Enjoy the process, Ireland is an amazingly gorgeous, ethereal, whimsical and ancient place for you to get married and oh yeah, contact me if you need any help to plan it!

Live, Love, Laugh and Dream!

Annie 

Annie Byrne is an American wedding planner and coordinator based on the Dingle Peninsula. Her experience is pretty extensive with hands-on experience in all areas of hospitality, catering, weddings and corporate event management at the high end and within 5 star properties. Over the last 5 years, Annie had been involved in the planning and executing hundreds of stunning weddings and fabulous events. Opened in 2009, Aislinn is taken from an Irish word meaning “inspired vision/dream,” so very fitting for a Destination Wedding Planner in Ireland and working with your vision and dream.

What is your Irish Wedding dream? 

We can be found on Facebook and Twitter! As always if there is something you would like covered, let us know! 

Have a deLicious Day. Go with what's good!

{Real Wedding Round Up} Taj in Boston | Andover's Berry Pond | DIY in South Africa

I love looking over Real Weddings - seeing how others pull off their big day is a great way to dream and discover what is possible for yours. They inspire outside the box thinking, encourage courageous and creative choices, and bring tears to our eyes with their beauty and obvious love. 

For today's Real Wedding Round Up, here are three current favorites of mine: Sita + Anik at the Taj in Boston by Binita Patel Photography, Geoff + Dianna by DMPJ by Glen Cooper, and Bo + Ryan by Jacki Bruniquel of Durban, South Africa as seen on Wedding Chicks. 

Sita + Anik at the Taj in Boston

Every single one of Binita's weddings is festive, full of color and life and very simply, love. It doesn't get any more perfect than that. This wedding is one such occasion. You can't help but fall in love again and again and again.

Binita says, As she took those first few steps down Newbury Street and prepared to see her groom for the first time that day, you could just feel the excitement in the air.  And when Anik turned around to see he dazzling bride, the expression on his face was nothing short of awe.  They smiled, they laughed and they hugged and made an oh-so perfect pair as their silhouette glowed in front of Burberry. Read more by Binita...

Geoff & Dianna: A church wed, Scout songs, Mother Nature and even Chinatown

I simply love Glen Cooper and his group over at Decisive Moments Photojournalists - they produce some of the most colorful, heart thumping, smile inducing, sigh producing wedding photos. I feel really good inside every time I check out their blog. I chose this one because it is so REAL...not to be cliche...but it is genuine and honest, the way wedding photography should be.

Goeff and Dianna had one of those weddings where we covered so much ground from Medford to Andover and back to Chinatown in Boston for a reception celebration that won’t be forgotten. Any Boston wedding photographer would have loved these two and their free-wheeling spirit. Read and see more by DMPJ...

Handmade Wedding in South Africa 

We found this incredible adorable wedding by Jacki Bruniquel over at The Wedding Chicks and had to share it. It is DIY, sass, sweetness all rolled into one...oh yeah and a gorgeous bride to boot, who is as crafty as she is bold. Well done.

Bo is a California girl who fell in love with a South African boy and got married at the most beautiful gorge on the South Coast of Natal. Against all advice, Bo went with a red and purple theme and spent many hours on all the details. When she couldn’t find red polka dot fabric for the little girls dresses, she just made them herself! She had a very clear vision of what she wanted and actually made most the pretty details in this wedding herself (roping in family and friends of course). Read more here.... 

So there you have it, our Real Wedding Round Up, gorgeous wedding, exquisite details, all captured by the discerning eye of the photographer. Gosh, I wish I was getting married again...oh wait I am. Oh yeah...swoon.

Upcoming: An Engagement Reveal, Miss Aimee and Her Rockabilly Sweetheart, next week, all from the Emerald Isle and Edson Dias and Dias Photo soon to grace our little slice of blog heaven!

Have a deLicious day. Go with the good.