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Using your Irish Heritage to Create the Perfect Wedding By Shannon McMahon Lichte When Shannon McMahon Lichte was first engaged, she went looking for a book on Irish wedding customs. After an exhaustive search in major bookstores, she ended up in The Irish Bookshop in New York City, where a kindly saleswoman’s response to her inquiry was "Ah no...nothing Dear. We get three wee brides a week looking for a book on Irish wedding customs and I wish you’d write one!" So that is exactly what Shannon did. Irish Wedding Traditions: Using Your Irish Heritage to Create the Perfect Wedding (Published by Hyperion; March 1, 2001; $20.00) Provides historical background on countless old Irish traditions, including vows, toasts, blessings, wedding attire, and recipes for the reception, as well as explaining traditions that are practiced in Ireland today. Shannon provides tips on incorporating a bit of the Irish into your wedding day, or going all out and planning a traditional Irish wedding from proposal to honeymoon. 45 million Americans are of Irish descent and out of those 275,00 marry each year. Year after year Irish Americans are becoming more fervent about their culture, as their longing for a preservation of the old and forgotten grows stronger. Irish Wedding Traditions will inspire a couple to celebrate their family heritage, giving them a resource guide of Ireland’s rich and beautiful culture. Shannon shows you the Irish way to: Select a wedding date. Christmas, New Years and St. Patrick’s Day are thought to be lucky days to marry. Clothe the Bride and Groom in the finest Irish wedding Attire. Irish Lace and Embroidery. Special superstitions and old customs that are thought to bring a couple luck on their special day... "It’s lucky to marry in an old pair of shoes!" Incorporate Irish music, historical vows and customs into the wedding ceremony. This will be a touching and unforgettable experience for the bride and groom as they pledge their commitment to each other with The Celtic Loving Cup, a Handfasting Ceremony, or a special song sung in Irish. Use the symbolic flowers of Ireland. Flowers were assigned meaning in ancient times and were often used in affairs of the heart. A bridal bouquet can be filled with hydrangeas for devotion, daisies for innocence, bells of Ireland for a little whimsy and trailing ivy to represent wedded love. Grow Shamrocks. Complete directions on growing pots of shamrocks to be put out for luck on reception tables, as shamrocks won’t last long when cut. Decorating Irish. Use the cultural and national symbols of Ireland for invitations and decoration. The harp, the shamrock, the Celtic cross and the Irish flag are just some of the many symbols discussed, with historical background and clever ways to incorporate them into the decor. Irish Drinks for the reception. Suggestions for Irish whiskeys, beers and cocktails. The bride may choose an Emerald Martini and the groom an Irish Dog. With over 200 customs and traditions, this one of a kind guide will be invaluable to future brides and grooms, Irish couples planning an anniversary, or anyone wanting to incorporate the lovely accents of Irish culture into an unforgettable party. In IRISH WEDDING TRADITIONS Shannon McMahon Lichte explores Ireland to bring an historical, cultural context and deeper meaning to any wedding day. |