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Should you wish to honor your
Irish or Scottish heritage on your wedding day, there are a number of things you
can do to add a dash of the Celtic to your celebration. You can attire the
wedding party in traditional Irish or Scottish dress (who can resist a groom in
a kilt?), use Gaelic music for your processional and recessional and include a
touch of Celtic right in the ceremony.
Vows
Supposedly the following vows have
been translated from the ancient Brehan law. To the Celts and early Irish
Christians these vows symbolized what an ideal marriage should be: a marriage of
love and respect between equals.
You cannot possess me for I belong
to myself. But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. You
cannot command me, for I am a free person, but I shall serve you in those ways
you require. The honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand. I pledge
yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night and the eyes into which I smile
in the morning. I pledge the first bite from my bread and the first drink from
my cup. I pledge my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a
shield for your back and you for mine. I shall not slander you and shall honour
you above all others. When we quarrel we shall do so in private and tell no
strangers our grievances. This is my wedding vow to you, this is a marriage of
equals.
Ring Exchange
If you have chosen Claddah rings to
exchange you can capitalize on the symbolism corresponding to the qualities of
love, friendship and loyalty. The ring features two hands clasping a heart and
surmounted by a crown. Consider saying the following as you exchange your rings.
With these hands I give you my heart and I crown it with my
love.
Readings
Include a passage or poem written by
an Irish or a Scottish author.
Irish Authors List
Scottish Authors
List
Handfasting
This is a unity ritual placed
immediately prior to the blessing of the marriage. The cords are removed for the
declaration of marriage.
Officiant:
Blessed be this union with the gifts
of the east, symbol of air, the intertwining of the heart, mind and body. Fresh
beginnings with the rising of each sun and the knowledge of growth found in the
sharing of silences.
Blessed be this union with the gifts
of the south, the symbol of fire, the warmth of the hearth and home, the heat of
the heart's passion and the light created by both to lighten the darkest of
times.
Blessed be this union with the gifts
of the west, symbol of water, the deep commitments of the lake, the switch
excitement of the river, the refreshing cleansing of the rain and the all
encompassing passion of the sea.
Blessed be this union with the gifts
of the north, symbol of earth, the firm foundation on which to build a stable
home to which you may always return and the steadfastness you give one another.
Please look into one another's eyes
and join both your hands.
<Officiant drapes the cord over
their hands and fastens a loose knot.>
Woven into this cord, within its very
fibers, are all your hopes and dreams. With the fastening of this knot I've
secured, not only your union, but also the love and happiness of everyone who
cherishes and supports you in your new life together. May this cord draw your
hands together in love, never to be used in anger. May the pledges you have made
never grow bitter in your hearts. Two entwined in love, bound by all which
brings strength to this union. The knots of this binding are not formed by this
cords, but rather by being steadfast in the vows you have made. Either of you
may drop the cord, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making or
breaking of this union. May that which has been united before this company be
not rent by another.
Irish Marriage
Blessings
May the road rise to
meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your
face, The rains fall soft upon the fields. May the light of friendship guide
your paths together. May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, A twinkle
from your eye. And when eternity beckons, at the end of a life heaped high with
love, May the good Lord embrace you with the arms that have nurtured you the
whole length of your joy-filled days. May the gracious God hold you both in the
palm of His hands. And, today, may the Spirit of Love find a dwelling place in
your hearts.
May the light of
friendship guide your paths together. May the laughter of children grace the
halls of your home. May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your
lips, A twinkle from your eye. May the Spirit of Love find a dwelling place in
your hearts. |
