Celtic Weddings
are More than Just a Dress
When
you get married there is so much to do. You must think of the dress,
the guests, and the venue. You have to answer so many questions, sometimes
it is easier to place things under one theme and be done with it. However,
picking a theme for your wedding is not as simple as it sounds, unless
you want to start and end that theme with you and your groom’s attire.
If you want to go all the way, you will have some research to do, and some
traditions to consider. Planning a Celtic wedding is one of the more simple
themes that you can follow when you have a wedding. There are many traditions
from Celtic Weddings that are followed in traditional weddings around the
world, so to follow this theme is not that difficult.
The hardest
part about an all-inclusive Celtic wedding is deciding on a wedding dress.
The dress may be the hardest part of the entire affair because it may be
difficult to find what you are looking for. A Celtic wedding dress is characterized
by an anthropology top with either puffed sleeves or sleeves that are draped
from the shoulders. The Celtic wedding dress traditionally has a Celtic
knot which is a knot that doesn’t have a beginning or end and is around
the waist.
The sash,
or knot, will drape low on the waist and this type of dress is particularly
flattering to a long torso. There are many resources on the Internet that
can show you different styles as well as many companies that will custom
design Celtic dresses for you. However, you may want to make your search
for your wedding dress a priority on your list to do early just in case
you run into some roadblocks along the way.
The men
usually will wear a kilt to a Celtic wedding, so make sure that when you
plan this theme of wedding that the groom-to-be is a willing and ready
participate. The kilt attire consists of a tartan kilt, a fur or leather
sporran, a Prince Charlie vest and jacket, and any sort of dress shoe.
You can add things like a sheath, a knife, and a kilt belt for an extra
touch or effect.
If you
really want to get into the spirit, you can wear a tartan sash draped across
your Celtic wedding dress as a symbol with a brooch placed in the center.
There are many Celtic weddings that embrace the tartan by the women, including
bridesmaids, who wear the tartan while the men in the wedding, including
the groomsmen, who all wear the kilt. This can be a nice way to get more
of the wedding party involved in the festive theme and to be truly authentic
to your Celtic wedding theme.
Some of
the other traditions that can be found at a Celtic wedding besides the
way that the wedding party is dressed are traditions that are found in
many of the more common weddings. You would be surprised at how many things
are held onto, adopted, and carried throughout the years by different people
around the world. You can use some of the basics that are truly originated
from the Celts in your wedding to make the day completely authentic and
your own.
Something
old and something new is a tradition that is carried on in Celtic weddings.
Every bride has heard the saying “something old, something new, something
borrowed, something blue.” You could have issues finding some of these
items so be prepared early. Traditionally speaking, the bride’s mother
or father will usually provide the something old that is an heirloom of
some sort. There is also a carried thought that the maid of honor is responsible
for the borrowed part of the rhyme. However, individual situations will
call for individual things so do what you can to make this tradition your
own.
Another
tradition is the Quaich or the Loving Cup that is used at Celtic weddings.
The tradition is to hand off the cup with both hands to symbolize a loving
and united union between two people. This is not a tradition that is only
practiced between the husband and the wife. Many weddings will perform
this ritual at the reception between all of the guests and friends and
make the Quaich a symbol of unity for everyone that is there on a special
day. You can implement this tradition at the ceremony or you can do it
at the reception, whichever you feel is appropriate for your day.
The other
tradition that you can try is the hand-fasting tradition. The bride and
the groom will stand with the guests circling them and have their hands
tied together with a piece of tartan or a rope. This is supposed to serve
as a symbol of unity and togetherness in marriage.
The list
goes on and on for Celtic weddings, and the point to remember with themed
weddings is that traditions do not stop at the dress. You must think ahead
of time and plan for your Celtic wedding to make the ceremony authentic
and perfect for you and your heritage that you are trying to honor.
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