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He Says, She Says: How to Plan the Perfect Celtic
by Article Creator
http://www.celtic-weddingrings.com/
Planning the perfect Celtic ceremony involves combining
traditions with making decisions. Education on the
historical wedding traditions of the Celtic community
will help the both of you plan a ceremony that is sure to
be everything you dreamed. Making the necessary decisions
in wedding planning can be simplified if you know your
choices. Lets get started in planning your beautiful and
traditional Celtic ceremony with the words to the most
widely used Celtic wedding song.
THE WEDDING SONG
THERE THEY STAND HAND IN HAND, AND
EXCHANGE WEDDING BANDS. TODAY IS THE DAY
ALL OF ALL THEIR DREAMS AND PLANS. AND ALL
OF THEIR LOVED ONES ARE HERE TO SAY GOD
BLESS THIS COUPLE WHO MARRY TODAY
IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES, IN SICKNESS
AND HEALTH MAY THEY KNOW THAT RICHES
ARE NOT NEEDED FOR WEALTH HAVE THEM
FACE PROBLEMS THEY'LL MEET ON THEIR WAY
GOD BLESS THIS COUPLE WHO MARRY TODAY
MAY THEY FIND PEACE OF MIND, COMES TO
ALL WHO ARE KIND MAY THE ROUGH TIMES A
HEAD, BECOME TRIUMPHS IN TIME MAY THEIR
CHILDREN BE HAPPY EACH DAY GOD BLESS
THIS FAMILY WHO STARTED TODAY
IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES, IN SICKNESS
AND HEALTH MAY THEY KNOW THAT RICHES
ARE NOT NEEDED FOR WEALTH HAVE THEM FACE
PROBLEMS THEY'LL MEET ON THEIR WAY GOD
BLESS THIS COUPLE WHO MARRY TODAY
AS THEY GO, MAY THEY KNOW EVERY LOVE THAT
WILL SHOW AND AS LIFE GETS SHORTER, MAY
THEIR FEELINGS GROW WHEREVER THEY
TRAVEL, WHEREVER THEY STAY GOD BLESS
THIS COUPLE WHO MARRY TODAY
IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES, IN SICKNESS
AND HEALTH MAY THEY KNOW THAT RICHES
ARE NOT NEEDED FOR WEALTH HAVE THEM
FACE PROBLEMS THEY'LL MEET ON THEIR WAY
GOD BLESS THIS COUPLE WHO MARRY TODAY
GOD BLESS THIS COUPLE WHO MARRY TODAY
Traditions
The ancient and symbolic ceremony of hand-fasting was often
performed by our Celtic kinsmen. To include this beautiful
tradition into a wedding, either a rope or a length of
fabric will be needed to wrap around the couple's hands.
Decision in the type of "wrap" could include anything that
has meaning to the both of you. It could also be created to
compliment the colors or theme chosen for your wedding.
Some couples have used the remnants of their personal baby
blankets or a cherished scarf their grandmother wore. In
some families the wrap or rope is passed down through the
generations. Whatever your choice of "wrap" the tradition
is significant in that it means the bride and groom are
becoming one and united. This symbolic tradition is often
referred to as tying the knot. In your ceremony the two of
you will face each other, join right hands to right hands
and the left to the left hands and the chosen fabric or
rope will be wrapped around the interlocked hands. A
decision can be made to either have the person performing
the ceremony or a family member perform the wrapping.
Another widely utilized and very meaningful tradition is
the use of a bag piper. The piper has been used in a
variety of ways in Celtic weddings. The piper can be
presented as a musical accompaniment, standing next to the
groom, as the bride walks down the aisle. Other couples
have chosen that the piper lead both the bride and groom
into the location of the wedding. Locations can be
churches, outdoor gardens or other places and will be
discussed later in the "decision" section of this article.
Whatever your choice of the piper's role, a bag piper will
make the ceremony rich in Celtic heritage and custom.
While the traditions of hand fasting and bag pipers are the
most commonly practiced rituals for a Celtic wedding, there
are several others to consider.
* Carrying of a horseshoe by the bride is a custom dating
back as far as 3-400 years. Carrying an actual horseshoe
is a bit cumbersome and heavy. Many brides today choose to
have the emblem of the horseshoe sewn inside her dress or
embroidered onto the hand-fasting wrap. The symbolism of
the "shoe" is what is important. It is meant to bring good
luck to the couple.
* The "Grushie" custom is performed by the groom. He is to
toss a handful of coins into the crowd at the wedding
reception or line of recession as he and his new bride
leave the church or have been pronounced as lawfully
married. It is best to make sure the coins are small or
ones that have been especially made for this purpose. Heavy
coins could injure someone.
* The custom of a barefooted bride and groom symbolizes a
grounding or connection to the earth. This very old custom
was performed for those Celtic peoples that wanted to honor
mother earth. I still think that this tradition was
designed to honor but for comfort as well. Unless of course
you're getting married on a ground laden with sharp stones
or rock.
The above mentioned Celtic traditions are by no means the
only ones. They are however, whether you choose to use one
or all, certain to give your ceremony the atmosphere of
love and at the same time an honoring of our Celtic
heritage.
Decisions
Every wedding is full of having to make decisions.
Deciding which tradition(s) you want is just a start. The
next step is to decide on a location. No matter what
traditions you choose to follow, there has to be a place to
perform the marriage ceremony. After choosing a location,
the bride and groom should decide who is going to make the
rest of the decisions. Making wedding arrangements can
often run into a "He says, She says" endless problem.
Knowing who is going to be responsible for each task in
ceremony preparation can often decrease a great deal of
stress and arguments. The following are some suggestions on
who should do what. Of course, depending on the couple,
these can be rearranged to suit who may be better at
performing or deciding on specific matters.
Both the Bride and Groom should:
* Decide on the location of the wedding.
* Decide who is going to perform the ceremony. Not all
licensed clergy are aware of the traditional Celtic wedding
vows or exchanges of commitment.
* Choose the rings that will symbolize your love for each
other as well as rings that are reflective of your Celtic
heritage. This task does not have to be agonizing. I have
found the website http://www.celtic-weddingrings.com to be
a great place to start in researching a Celtic knot work
design suitable for my fianc~e and I.
* Choose the remaining male attendants (groomsmen, ushers)
together.
* Choose the male wedding attire. Both of you should do
this so that the groom can wear a color he likes and one
that suits the color theme of the wedding and the bride's
dress and flowers. This is done by both because the groom
does not know (well he shouldn't anyway) what color(s) are
in the wedding gown or on the gowns trim and embroidered
work.
Just the Bride:
* Needs to decide on the wedding gown. You may need to
consult with a dress designer or company that specializes
in Celtic wedding attire. If your wish is to have a dress
that reflects your Celtic heritage, many options are
available to you. Many Celtic brides choose, somewhere on
the dress, to have the Celtic knot sewn or patterned into
the gown. The "knot" is symbolic of love, commitment and
life. This would compliment nicely with the hand-fasting
ceremony too.
* Chooses the maid or matron of honor and other attendants.
* Plans the flower arrangements, wedding favors (name
cards, catering, stationary to name just a few). When you
choose your attendants be sure to have them help you with
these too.
Just the Groom:
* Needs to plan the honeymoon. How about a trip to a
Celtic land? What better place to go than where your
Celtic roots began.
* Needs to choose a best man. A best man is a male friend
or family member you feel cares the most about you. This
is an important choice because you will need some help with
the time consuming tasks that always come with planning a
wedding and honeymoon.
Planning your Celtic wedding will be one of the most
important events you will ever oversee. Someday, whether
it is 30 or 60 years later, the both of you will remember
your wedding day as a blessing. It is the day the two of
you announced your commitment to each other. It is a day
your Celtic ancestors looked upon you in spirit and smiled.
Resource Box / Author Bio:
This article was written by Kenna O'Carroll sponsored by
http://www.celtic-weddingrings.com/, maker of beautifully
custom crafted [url=http://www.celtic-weddingrings.com/]
Celtic wedding rings[/url]. Make sure your wedding ring
reflects your Irish heritage with the help of skilled
craftsmen that create with care and dedication rings to be
cherished forever, shipped direct from Dublin.
Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must
include a link back to http://www.celtic-weddingrings.com/
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