| Honor your Emerald Isle heritage with traditions | | | | four-tiered confectionary concoction. Eeeek!Noise |
| that are romantic, clever, and a couple that are | | | | MakersA noisy way to ring in your nuptials with |
| downright strange. Uncover here how to fill your | | | | the luck o' the Irish is to have a recessional like |
| wedding with all things Irish save the Blarney | | | | those in Celtic history: instead of throwing rice |
| Stone.Harvest KnotsAccording to history, Irish | | | | upon exiting the church, men would fire rifles or |
| men declared their intentions of marriage by | | | | other firearms into the air to signal that a couple |
| giving their fiancee harvest knots of straw | | | | is wed. Not your traditional exit (most churches |
| decorated with flowers or bells to wear in their | | | | would frown upon guns in the parking lot), if the |
| hair or around their neck. Make a harvest knot to | | | | men use blanks in their guns, and if you are |
| wear on your wedding day, or place one in your | | | | getting married in an area without noise |
| bouquet to symbolize your Irish heritage.CeilidhThe | | | | ordinances, then fire away, Irish style.Giving the |
| steps of Irish folkdances are called ceilidh. Treat | | | | CladdaghTwo hands holding a heart underneath a |
| your attendants to an Irish dancing lesson, and | | | | crown is the Irish symbol for "Let Love and |
| then "perform" a jig to traditional Irish music at | | | | Friendship Reign". Share your Irish heritage with |
| the reception.Lace! A way to incorporate Celtic | | | | your attendants by giving them Celtic-inspired |
| pride into your wedding attire (besides | | | | gifts marked with the claddagh. Give your maid of |
| hand-beading four leaf clovers all over your gown) | | | | honor a candle gift engraved with the "faith ring", |
| is to adorn yourself with beautiful Irish lace. | | | | or jewelry made of claddagh. Buy claddagh |
| Known for its intricate patterns and zenith quality, | | | | wedding rings, or wear the Irish symbol around |
| wear a veil or carry a handkerchief made of this | | | | your neck on your wedding day as a reminder of |
| intricate Irish decoration.Playin' o' the PipesInfuse | | | | your heritage.Tokens of HairA more unusual Irish |
| your ceremony with the strains of the Irish pipes. | | | | tradition is for the man to give the woman he |
| Although bagpipes have Celtic roots, they are | | | | loves a bracelet woven of human hair. Symbolic |
| traditionally Scottish. For a truly Emerald Isle affair, | | | | of acceptance, when the woman wears the circle |
| locate an Irish uillean piper to lead the processional | | | | of hair, she is linking herself to him for life. There's |
| or recessional.Irish Wedding FeastThe customary | | | | no mention of exactly who's hair it is, however, |
| wedding feast in Ireland was a potluck hosted at | | | | so if wearing hair jewelry gives you the heevies, |
| the bride's family's home. Each guest brought | | | | see "Harvest Knots" for the same idea, using |
| traditional Irish dishes such as soda bread, coddle, | | | | straw instead. Lucky DatesThe traditionally |
| and stew. Even if you're having a more formal | | | | superstitious Irish believed that the last day of the |
| reception, you can still celebrate this Irish tradition | | | | year is especially lucky, since the couple would |
| by having a "feast" for your bridal shower or | | | | wake up on the first day of their new life on the |
| rehearsal dinner.The Wedding CakeOld custom | | | | first day of the new year. Plan your wedding for |
| dictates that the Irish wedding cake (usually a | | | | December 31, the luckiest of Celtic days.Jackie |
| dense fruit cake with white icing) was cut by one | | | | Duescher provides the customer service for |
| of the bride's sisters or bridesmaids. Where would | | | | Keepsake Favors as well as inspiration for many |
| they cut it? Over her head, of course. The bride | | | | of the favor creations on the site. Jackie has a |
| remained seated while the groomsmen held the | | | | special knack for finding Irish themed favors for |
| cake over her head while her sister or best friend | | | | weddings other occasions, and she firmly believes |
| did the honors. Our only concern: this tradition | | | | that a favor doesn't have to be expensive to |
| works best and safest when the cake is NOT a | | | | impress your guests. |