How to Add an Irish Touch to your Wedding Day

Wedding planning is an exciting and busy time for any bride to be. However this can be especially true if you are planning to have a very traditional affair, such as an Irish wedding. But even if you are not Irish, anyone can add the rich meaning and symbolism of an Irish wedding into their big day. Doing so can not only add an extra layer of meaning and closeness to the day, but also make your wedding stand out from the rest. In this post I'm going to share a few of the ways you can bring an Irish twist to your wedding, to hopefully make your day extra special!

The kind of wedding ring used in Celtic culture is the Claddagh ring (where the ring shows a heart being held by two hands). This ring symbolises friendship, love, and loyalty - the basis of a happy and lasting marriage. These words are often engraved inside the ring as a constant reminder of what is important. How special is that?

Handfasting is another important tradition that is fulfilled in an Irish celebration. This is done by taking a piece of ribbon or rope and physically tying the couple’s hands together. Originally this was done as an engagement ceremony to show the couple’s intention to get married in the future. However today it is done during the ceremony (either during or after the vows) to show that the couple is now one. You could even make this extra special by having the ribbon embroidered with your wedding date and initials.

In a traditional Irish wedding the bride would carry an actual horseshoe down the aisle to bring good luck to the marriage. Of course today it is more appropriate to add decorative horseshoes into the decorations instead. You could even add a small horseshoe charm to your bouquet for a more subtle approach. Irish brides also wore blue dresses instead of white, which may be a step too far for some brides. So why not incorporate blue into your bridesmaids dresses or colour scheme instead!

As you can see there are many ways to incorporate some Irish traditions into your wedding day. The infographic below shares a few more ideas to consider. I hope this has given you some inspiration!

Infographic Design By Claddagh Ring

This is a collaborative post.