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Irish Weddings Ideas
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Make-up bells. The chime of bells is
thought to keep evil spirits away, restore harmony if a couple is fighting.
Also remind a couple of their wedding vows. Giving a bell as a gift has become
an Irish tradition. You could also have your greeters hand out tiny bells to
your guests to ring as you process. (You might want to let them know when
they’re supposed to be rung - perhaps mention it in your program along with an
explanation of the custom). Guests could also ring their little bells at the
reception in lieu of clinking glasses.
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Flowers. In the old days, many Irish
brides wore a wreath of wildflowers in their hair; they also carried them in
bouquets. For my daughter's wedding, our florist designed gorgeous bouquets
that included a flower called Bells of Ireland. In Wales, brides carried live
myrtle and gave a sprig to each bridesmaid which they planted. If it grew, the
bridesmaid would marry within the year. If you're planning a more general
Celtic celebration, this might be worth considering.
Portents and omens:
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A fine day meant good luck, especially if the
sun shone on the bride. If you’re a Roman Catholic, one way to make certain
that it won’t rain is to put a statue of the Infant of Prague outside the
church before your ceremony.
Reception and Beyond:
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Bunratty Meade is a honey wine that’s served
at the Bunratty Castle medieval banquet. It’s from a recipe based on the
oldest drink in Ireland and if you’ve never tasted it, it’s well worth trying.
In the old days, it was consumed at weddings because it was thought that it
promoted virility. (If a baby was born nine months after the wedding, it was
attributed to the mead!) Couples also drank it from special goblets for a full
month following the wedding, which is supposedly where we get the word
honeymoon. This was to protect the couple from the fairies coming to spirit
the bride away.
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Ancient custom: In the old days, couples ate
salt and oatmeal at the beginning of their reception: Each of them took three
mouthfuls as a protection against the power of the evil eye. Also, when a
couple is dancing, the bride can't take both feet off the floor because the
fairies will get the upper hand. Fairies love beautiful things and one of
their favorites is a bride. There's many an Irish legend about brides being
spirited away by the little people! For the same reason, it's bad luck for a
bride to wear green. I’ve also heard that it’s bad luck for anyone to wear
green at an Irish wedding - but I think it really only applies to the bride.
It's also bad luck for a bride or the groom to sing at their own wedding.
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