Wedding Ceremonies
A wedding ceremony can be whatever you would like it to be, inclusive, fun, relaxed, formal, with family and friends participating. With a number of readings, music of any type, musicians playing, or digital through the PA system. The canvas is blank until you speak with me and then, together, we paint something beautiful and memorable.
Get in touch and tell me about your ideas for your dream ceremony.
Ireland Wedding Traditions
There are many Irish Wedding rituals that can be include in your wedding and I have detailed some of the more popular ones below. If you have seen something that you would like to include in your wedding ceremony, let me know and we can design something together.
I had a wedding last summer at Kinnity Castle where the couple, who had travelled from America, wanted to include a Chinese Tea ceremony ritual in their ceremony. It was absolutely lovely, both the couple and their parents loved it.
It's up to you as to what you inclue in your ceremony.
Please get in touch to discuss your ceremony.
Handfasting ritual
In today's ceremonies, a very popular Ireland wedding tradition is the handfasting ritual which is used to symbolise a couple’s connection and devotion to one another.
There are a number of ways a couple can personalise this ritual. They can choose who from their friends and family will place the handfasting ribbons. Each colour has a meaning and it is the couple who decide what colours and meanings they use for each ribbon.
In the wedding ceremony the couple link hands. The hands that they link are their left hands as the left hands are the ones that have a direct link through to their hearts.
Where a couple has children, it is possibe for the children to be included in this ritual and they can come forward and tie the knot for the Bride & Groom, AKA, Mum & Dad, or I can.
This is an uplifting and very couple oriented wedding ritual with lots of history.
Blairscove, Durras, Co Cork
Radisson Blu, Ditchley House, Little Island, Co Cork
Sand blending ritual
The Sand Blending ritual is a modern Ireland wedding traditions that a lot of families like. This can take place near the start of the ceremony and represents the uniting of the couple and their families.
The example shows a unique sand sculpture.
The colours can have meaning attributed to them, but usually couples choose colours that they like. Children can choose their own colours. This will mean that whenever they see the finished sand sculpture, they will be able to recognise their own layer of sand.
Extended family members can pour sand to represent the couples wider extended family and friends.
I've even had sand poured to represent the couple's fur baby (their dog!).
At the end of this ritual, the Best Man can take the sand sculpture and show it to all the guests.
Memorial candle
The Memorial candle is something that most families choose as sadly, many people have had loss. This Ireland wedding traditions happens at the start of the ceremony.
It can be keep simple by having a plain white pillar candle.
Lots of couples I work with choose a candle decorated with verse, or the name of a loved one. If you want a decorated memorial candle, Etsy is a great place to start looking.
Barnabrow House, Cloyne, East Cork
Unity Candle
We have probably all seen a Unity Candle ritual whilst at a traditional religious ceremony. An Ireland wedding tradition that is still loved. Do remember though that it's not necessarily a good choice for outside weddings with our wonderful Irish weather!
There are many more options in a Celebrant led ceremony. The symbolism is about the uniting of the couple and also their two families.
This ritual can be performed by the couple, on their own or family members can be involved.
The two outer candles represent the two families and where family members are involved, parents, or just one parent, take a flame from the candle representing their family and first the bride's family give the flame to the Bride. Then the other parents take the flame from the Groom's family candle and give the flame to the Groom.
Some final words are said and then the couple take their lighted candles to the unity candle and light it. Two flames becoming one.
Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co Cork