5 Tips for Surviving Irish Weddings
Written by Ciaran on Jul 04, 2024 | 0 Comments
It's wedding season here in Ireland. July and August are the most popular months here for couples to tie the knot. Though marriage is a global ritual, there are plenty of distinctive local traditions that give Irish weddings their own unique charm with plenty of craic (“fun”).
Read on to find more about Irish weddings and more importantly, our top 5 tips on how to survive/enjoy them!
Irish Wedding Tip 1: Be dressed in your best
Though generally not formal affairs, most Irish wedding guests will be decked out in their best. Gents wear sharp suits and ladies typically wear colorful gunas (dresses), although suits are a growing trend for female wedding guests too! Be sure to keep the infamous Irish weather in mind in any sartorial choices! Best come prepared for four seasons in one day. Sun cream and sunnies in a bag and an umbrella just in case!
Photo Credit: Athlone Photography
Irish Wedding Tip 2: Dress for all seasons but hope for the best
Of course the Bride and Groom’s family will have been doing all in their power to get a “great day for it.” Candles will be lit, forecasts compulsively checked, and the Child of Prague statue will spend the night in the garden, all to ensure good weather. We are not sure where this tradition started but it is widely held that this small statue as the power to make or break the weather on a wedding day. Ireland isn't the only country where the Child of Prague is revered. But we seem to be unique in enlisting him to ensure good wedding weather!
Photo Credit: Niamh McCarthy @ One Fab Day
Despite best efforts, it being Ireland, there may be a spot of rain. But join the hopeful choruses of "Great day for it!", and "Weren't they blessed with the weather in the end?" if there's even a scrap of blue sky!
Irish Wedding Tip 3: Be prepared for an all day (and night) affair!
Although some details of an Irish wedding might change, you can count on it being long. They're marathons not sprints, starting as early as 12 or 1pm and running continuously to the wee hours of the following morning! This often catches wedding guests from overseas by surprise. Dancing until “late” on an Irish wedding invite means LATE. Another thing to factor in when choosing an outfit, especially footwear!
And be sure to have your vocal chords in fine fettle and a party piece prepared for the inevitable sing song once the dancing stops around 2 or 3 am! Despite crawling into bed as late as 5 or 6 am, you'll need to be fit and ready to go again the following day. Many an Irish couple are now opting for a two day celebration. You've been warned!
Myself and friends singing at a friends wedding.
Photo Credit: J. Chadwick
Irish Wedding Tip 4: Keep your energy up
All that celebrating takes quite a bit of energy. Luckily you can count on being treated to a several course feast at an Irish wedding. And guests can be quite ravenous by dinner given the early start. So don’t be shy, you will need those calories for all the dancing and singing!
Photo Credit: Weddings by Kara
The midnight snack
You will most likely be treated to another little bite during the dancing, a midnight snack, to make sure energy levels stay up. Some combination of tea, coffee, sandwiches, wedding cake, and cocktail sausages typically appears. Bread, butter, and packets of crisps have been known to elicit shrieks of delight. A crisp sandwich is a sight for sore eyes at 12 am!
The crisp sandwich - an Irish (wedding) institution that confuses many visitors. But trust us and try it. Delicious!
Irish Wedding Tip 5: Be ready for the toast - And get your bets in!
Toasts and speeches are the order of the day at an Irish wedding before, during, or just after dinner. So make sure to have your glass charged and at the ready. But what sets Irish speeches and toasts apart is often their exceptional length! We Irish are known for having tales to tell and many take the opportunity of a captive audience!
Photo Credit: Apple Berry Press
So much so that it's now a common tradition for wedding guests to place bets on how long they will take! It's generally longer than you might think! But be advised if you manage to guess right and win the pot at your table, it is also customary to buy a round of drinks for your table-mates at the cash bar with your winnings. Strange customs indeed but for warned is for armed as they say.
Are you planning an Irish Wedding?
If you are planning your own Irish themed wedding, you might incorporate some of these eccentricities or other Irish Wedding Traditions in your own day. Or add an Irish touch by incorporating Irish symbols in your ceremony or celebrations.
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Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
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