What are Irish wedding traditions?
Irish & Celtic · also called Claddagh ring, Irish wedding customs, Celtic wedding
Irish wedding customs run from the Claddagh ring and handfasting to the magic hanky, the ringing of bells and a horseshoe carried for luck. Most are small, portable and easy to fold into any ceremony, which is why couples with distant Irish heritage adopt them more readily than almost any other tradition.
The Claddagh ring
Two hands holding a crowned heart: friendship, love and loyalty. How it is worn is a message in itself - on the right hand with the point of the heart outward means unattached, turned inward means spoken for, and on the left hand turned inward means married.
Claddagh rings are frequently used as the actual wedding band, and equally often passed from a grandmother, which makes them a natural 'something old'.
Bells, hankies and horseshoes
Small bells are rung during the ceremony or given to guests, said to keep bad spirits away and, more usefully, to remind a couple of their vows when they later argue - many couples keep one at home for exactly that stated reason.
The magic hanky is a lace handkerchief the bride carries and cries into, later stitched into a christening bonnet for a future child and unpicked back into a handkerchief for that child's own wedding. A horseshoe, traditionally real and now usually a small ornament, is carried points-up so the luck does not run out.
Handfasting and the wedding band
Handfasting is Celtic in origin and is covered in its own guide. Irish weddings also lean heavily on live music, and a trad band for part of the night - fiddle, bodhrán, accordion - is common even at otherwise modern receptions.
Planning it properly
A tradition only goes well if the people running your day know it is coming. These are the things to say out loud, and who to say them to.
- Tell your officiant which customs you want
- Bells, a hanky and a horseshoe all need a cue or a mention. They are easy to include and easy to forget on the day.
- Size a Claddagh ring properly if it is the band
- An heirloom ring may need resizing, which takes weeks and should be done by someone who has handled one before.
- Ask about a trad set
- Many bands will play an hour of traditional Irish music and then switch. Agree which part of the night it covers.
- Decide who carries the horseshoe
- It is traditionally carried by the bride and is the sort of thing that gets left in a hotel room.
Common questions
How do you wear a Claddagh ring?
On the right hand with the heart pointing outward means unattached; turned inward means in a relationship. On the left hand with the heart turned inward means married.
What is the Irish magic hanky?
A lace handkerchief the bride carries on her wedding day, later stitched into a christening bonnet for a child, and unpicked back into a handkerchief for that child's own wedding.
Why do Irish weddings use bells?
Bells are rung to ward off bad spirits, and are also given to couples as a reminder of their vows - a bell kept at home to be rung during an argument is a common and quite practical piece of the tradition.
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