International: Níl Aon Leigheas Ar An Ngrá Ach Pósadh-The Only Cure For Love Is Marriage

By Tara FayLots of Irish traditions center on Celtic mythology, and marriage is no different. A traditional Irish wedding follows many rituals, like the placing of the child of Prague outside the bride’s house the night before the wedding, which is said to help when praying for good weather. In fact, there are so many superstitions surrounding the statue that it is said to perform better if it’s missing the head. The Irish are very good at laughing at themselves, and when explaining this to someone they may finish with the line “only in Ireland.”“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”Brides often follow this old superstition. For our something blue, we often use a miraculous medal, which brides frequently stitch inside of their dress. The miraculous medal is a medal created by Saint Catherine Labouré following a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Many brides borrow the medal to wear in the belief that wearing it will bring them special graces through the intercession of Mary. It’s also believed they borrow luck from the family member who loaned it.Poetic license—and the license to marry where you pleaseIrish history is rich with poets and writers; therefore, for the ceremony booklet, lots of brides and grooms will select an Irish saying or piece of poetry for the back. W.B. Yeats poetry is one of the more popular choices.Nowadays, in addition to choosing the words for the back of your ceremony booklet, you can choose the location. Since November 2007, when Ireland introduced a new law, ceremonies can legally take place in a building other than a church or registry office. This has meant a large increase in the number of non-church weddings.However, no matter where a bride and groom marry, music is significant, with many opting to include traditional Irish/Celtic music with instruments, such as an Irish harp to Uilleann pipes (softer sound to bagpipes), or a small traditional group of musicians. People also like to include prayers or songs in Irish (Gaelic).For church services, both Catholics and non-Catholics use a lot of candles to symbolize rebirth and new beginnings. Use of greenery symbolizes the green of the countryside.Irish weddings—an excuse to celebrate to the wee hoursFinally, as with most Irish parties, an Irish wedding party tends to have a slightly longer life span than in other countries. The day starts with a traditional service, followed by a drinks reception (cocktail time), and then guests will be seated. Normally, after the bride and groom are announced into the room, grace is said. At the end of the main course, the wedding cake is cut. The traditional cake for a wedding is fruitcake. Tradition says if an unmarried female guest sleeps with some wedding cake under her pillow, she will be married within the year.Then, after dessert, tea, and coffee are served with the wedding cake, toast drinks are served, and the speeches start. Once the speeches are finished, dancing starts and doesn’t finish until 2 or 3 a.m. Dancing is a part of our heritage and frequently part of the entertainment. Some couples opt for a mini Riverdance or others have a céili, which essentially gets all guests involved in the dancing. Most traditional Irish dances involve set pieces where the guests position themselves around a circle or in long lines facing each other, and, sometimes, the band includes a caller who lets them know each step as it happens. Afterward, guests usually retire to another area and start a sing-song of traditional Irish songs—often lasting into early morning, with the bride and groom frequently leading the songs in celebration.