Massachusetts
Justice of the Peace, Reverend Judith Todd-McNichol D. D.
137 South Pond Drive, Brewster, MA 02631
Please call Judith Todd-McNichol to set up an appointment at:
508-896-9898 or
I have tried to cover some of the Celtic traditions that can be incorporated into your wedding ceremony to make it more personalized and add some fun and flavor.
Wedding Date - Calendar - Check Your Dates
The chime of bells is thought to keep evil spirits away, restore harmony if a couple is fighting, and also remind a couple of their wedding vows. Giving a bell as a gift has become an Irish tradition. You could also have your greeters hand out tiny bells to your guests to ring as you process. (You might want to let them know when they're supposed to be rung - perhaps mention it in your program along with an explanation of the custom). Guests could also ring their little bells at the reception in lieu of clinking glasses.
It was lucky to hear a cuckoo on the wedding morning, or to see three magpies.
It was bad luck if a glass or cup were broken on the wedding day.
For centuries, flowers have stood for a variety of emotions and values. In Celtic wedding traditions, brides carried herbs beneath their veils to symbolize fidelity and spices for the purpose of frightening off evil spirits.
As a tradition, the tossing of the bouquet dates back to the 14th century and most likely originated in France. The tradition is the same: the woman who catches the bouquet is thought to be the next to marry.
In the old days, many Irish brides wore a wreath of wildflowers in their hair; they also carried them in bouquets. In Wales, brides carried live myrtle and gave a sprig to each bridesmaid which they planted. If it grew, the bridesmaid would marry within the year.
The origin of the bridal party dates back to Anglo Saxon days. When the groom was about to capture his bride to be, he would call on his friend to make sure all ran smoothly. The bride also had women to help her “Brideswomen”.
Brides Mother-in-Law:
If the bride's mother-in-law breaks a
piece of wedding cake on the bride's head as she enters the house after
the ceremony, they will be friends for life.
Champagne:
Save a bottle of champagne from the reception to be used to 'wet the
baby's head at the
christening.
Congratulations:
A man should always be the first
to wish joy to the bride, never a woman.
When a couple is dancing, the bride can't
take both feet off the floor because the fairies will get the upper
hand. Fairies love beautiful things and one of their favorites is a
bride.
Engagement
Ring:
It is good luck if the stone in your engagement ring is your birthstone.
In the old days, couples ate salt and oatmeal at the beginning of their reception: Each of them took three mouthfuls as a protection against the power of the evil eye.
During the evening reception, it is traditional for the bride and bridegroom to dance to the first song together. During that song, the groom then takes his new Mother-in-law, and then his mother for a dance. Simultaneously the bride dances with her new Father-in-Law and then her father.
Hand Fasting
Ceremony:
Hand fasting is an ancient Celtic wedding ritual in which the couples'
hands are tied together with a ceremonial ribbon or cloth, this was
done as a legal wedding ceremony on its own until about 1940 in many
countries (if you saw the movie Braveheart you might remember the scene
where they were married in the forest.
The priest wrapped their hands in a strip of cloth, his family's
tartan).
It's often done in modern times with a beautiful ribbon the couple
chooses.
One couple I married had Celtic origins, and had a special tartan cloth
woven for them that incorporated the plaids of both their clans.
It's tied in a bow with an opening loose enough so that the hands can
come out freely, or simply draped across the hands.
The couple saves the ribbon or cloth as a keepsake.
The words to this ceremony are beautiful and for any nature lovers I
strongly suggest this ceremony.
This charming custom involves having the bride carry a special hanky that with a few stitches can be turned into a christening bonnet for the first baby. With a couple of snips it can be turned back into a hanky that your child can carry on his/her wedding day.
Honeymoon:
Bunratty Meade is a honey wine
that's served at the Bunratty Castle medieval banquet. That is where
the honey is from in honeymoon. It's from a recipe based on the oldest
drink in Ireland and if you've never tasted it, it's well worth trying.
In the old days, it was consumed at weddings because it was thought
that it promoted virility. (If a baby was born nine months after the
wedding, it was attributed to the mead!) Couples also drank it from
special goblets for a full month following the wedding, Hence the moon.
which is supposedly where we get the word honeymoon. This was to
protect the couple from the fairies coming to spirit the bride away.
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Here is a simple Honey Wine recipe. You can do a internet search for many more.
Vanilla Mead Recipe Ingredients:
You will need, 4.5kg Dark Honey, 300ml Vanilla essence water to 25
liters, yeast nutrient, all purpose wine yeast Recipe Process: Mix
honey in very hot water to sterilize. Make up to 25L with water and
Vanilla. When temp is 30 deg C, add yeast and ferment to dryness. Add
clearing agent and bottle. Let sit for at least 12 month for a good
taste, better after 2 years.
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The firing of rifles was often used to mark the occasion. This has now been replaced by the sounding of horns from cars.
Irish brides used to carry a real horseshoe for good luck. (Turned up so the luck won't run out). You can get porcelain horseshoes which most Irish brides carry these days, or one made of fabric which is worn on the wrist.
Hygiene:
A bride and groom should never wash their hands in the same sink at the
same time. It's courting disaster to do that.
Laundry:
Groom's laundry is to hang next to bride's.
Moon and Tides:
It was said to be lucky if you married during a 'growing moon and a
flowing tide'
When leaving the church, someone must throw an old shoe over the bride's head so she will have good luck.
During the wedding ceremony, the bride stands on the left and the groom on the right. The first marriages were by capture, when the husband was fighting off other warriors who wanted his woman, as well as her family. He would hold her with his left hand and fight with his right.
Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and just be my friend.
There's one quaint custom where the
groom was invited to the bride's house right before the wedding and
they cooked a goose in his honor. It was called Aitin' the gander it is
where we get the expression 'his goose
is cooked!'
in the United States and will
The wedding and engagement ring are traditionally worn on the third finger of the left hand, although the origin of this is not altogether certain.
One belief originates from an Egyptian belief that this finger is aligned with the Vena Amoris, the vein of love that runs directly to the heart. A ring being placed on that finger denoted the strong connection of a heartfelt love and commitment to one another. Later in early Christian times the groom placed the ring on three of the bride's fingers, in turn, to symbolize, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The ring then remained on the third finger and has become the customary ring finger.
The other belief dates back to the 17th century when the priest touched the three fingers of the left hand when saying “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”, the fourth was then set aside for the ring.
Singing:
It's also bad luck for a bride or the groom to sing at their own
wedding.
The full rhyme: "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue”.
Something Old - This refers to the bride wearing something that links back to her old life. It usually takes the form of a piece of jewelry or the wedding dress, which may have belonged to the mother of the bride.
Something New - Wearing something that is representative of good fortune or success for the bride, and is usually the wedding dress itself.
Something Borrowed - This is meant to bring good luck to the bride, particularly if it comes from another happily married woman.
Something Blue - In biblical times the color blue was associated with purity and fidelity. Over time this tradition has evolved from the bride wearing blue clothing to wearing a blue garter.
The carrying of the bride over the threshold is one of our favorite traditions. One belief of its origin is that the husband must carry the bride over the threshold to protect her from evil spirits.
Another belief holds that if a wife stumbles over the threshold this would bring bad luck to her marriage.
The tradition of throwing confetti goes back to before the time of Christ. The pagan ritual involved the throwing of grain onto the newlyweds as an act that would precipitate a “fruitful” union. Pagans believed that the fertility of the seeds would take effect on the couple.
The actual word “confetti” is Italian for sweet meats- sugar coated grains of seed and nuts. Recently these have been replaced by colored pieces of paper, rice, rose petals, bird food.
Travel Home
After
Wedding:
The wedding party should always
take the longest road home from the church. Centuries ago, the bride
would take an entirely different route home from the wedding to the
journey she took to the church, symbolic of her new life ahead.
"We swear by peace and love to stand, Heart to heart and hand to hand. Mark, O Spirit, and hear us now, Confirming this our Sacred Vow."
Its lucky if a woman who is happily married puts the veil on the bride, and bad luck if the bride does it herself.
During the times of arranged marriages, it is thought that the bride’s face was covered so that the groom would not be given the chance to back out!
It was also believed that the veil was used as a shield against evil spirits.
These traditions all transpired to create a tradition for modern times where the bride’s face is concealed by the veil until the couple are married.
Vows:
1.
By the power that Christ brought from
heaven, mayst thou love me. As the sun follows its course, mayst thou
follow me. As light to the eye, as bread to the hungry, as joy to the
heart, may thy presence be with me, oh one that I love, 'til death
comes to part us asunder.
We swear by peace and love to stand,
Heart to heart and hand to hand.
Hark, O Spirit, and hear us now,
Confirming this our Sacred Vow.
2. "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
and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand.
3. "I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry
aloud in the night
and the eyes into which I smile in the morning.
I pledge to you the first bite of my meat and the first drink from my cup.
I pledge to you 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, nor you me.
I shall honor you above all others, and when we quarrel we shall do so in private and tell no strangers our grievances.
"This is my wedding vow to you.This is the marriage of equals."
It's bad luck for a bride to wear green.
A fine day meant good luck, especially if the sun shone on the bride. If you're a Roman Catholic, one way to make certain that it won't rain is to put a statue of the Infant of Prague outside the church before your ceremony.
In early Celtic wedding traditions, the cake was a special part of the wedding celebration. A thin loaf was broken over the bride's head at the close of the ceremony to symbolize fertility. The wheat from which it was made, symbolized fertility and the guests eagerly picked up the crumbs as good luck charms.
The top tier of your wedding cake should be an Irish whiskey cake which is saved for the christening of your first baby.
Wedding Date:
There is one wedding Irish
tradition that states:
'Marry in May and Rue The Day'.
While another states:
'Marry in April if you can, joy for maiden and for man'.
It is believed that the last day of the old year is especially lucky for weddings. The month of May is thought to be an unlucky month for weddings, yet it the most popular! Christmas and New Year’s Eve are also lucky times to tie the knot. All you have to do is commit.
The Four Year Leap - For women, Independence Day really falls on the 29th February when they have the “right” to propose to a man.
This tradition stretches back centuries to the time when English law disregarded the “Four Year Leap” and as a result, everyday traditions and norms were ignored also, i.e. that only a woman can pop the question.
A much more romantic idea is that the Leap Year is not only an opportunity to right this discrepancy between the calendar year of 365 days and the time it takes for the earth to rotate (365 days) but as an opportunity to rectify an unjust and totally sexist tradition.
It was unlucky to marry on a Saturday.
Those who married in harvest would spend all their lives gathering.
Wedding Dress:
If your wedding dress is
accidentally torn on the day it will bring good luck.
Although the white dress is the focal point of a
traditional wedding, its arrival is relatively new in comparison to
other traditions. In country weddings dresses varied in color and it
wasn’t until Anne of Brittany donned her resplendent white Gown in 1499
that the tradition was established.
Today, many couples like to express their Irish heritage in a very profound way by having "Claddagh" rings as their wedding band of choice. This special design can be taken one step further and used as a theme for the entire wedding. As well as opting for Claddagh wedding rings, the design can be used on invitations, wedding programs and thank you cards. There are Claddagh vases to be had for centerpieces, as well as designs that can be placed on top of the cake.
Named after one of Ireland's oldest fishing villages, Claddagh - located just outside the walls of Galway City where the Corrib River meets Galway Bay - these rings have been in use in Ireland, particularly in County Galway, for several hundred years.
The
first Claddagh ring is believed to have been crafted by the blacksmith.
Richard Joyce around 1690. At first, it became very popular in Joyce's
local village of Claddagh and around County Galway, but later gained
popularity throughout the county. Today, you can spot Claddagh rings
all around the world. The Claddagh ring was often passed down as a
heirloom from mother to daughter. It can serve as an engagement ring or
a wedding ring or indeed both. It is designed with a heart at the
center, a hand either side of the heart and a crown on top. The heart
is of course the symbol of love. The hands on either side represent
friendship and the crown represents loyalty and fidelity. The manner in
which the ring is worn has a symbolism all its own. If worn on the
right hand or with the heart facing away from your heart - it means
that you are free to love.
If worn on the right hand with the heart facing inwards towards your heart - it means your "heart is taken." If worn on the left hand facing in - it means you have committed your life to another - forever.
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 as one in caring
for the
other above all else on your life's journey.
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 as you have cherished one
another,
May the good Lord embrace you
with the arms that have nurtured you
the whole length of your joy-filled days together.
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 and home.
Amen
I look forward to hearing from you.
Judith Todd McNichol Congratulations
Judith Todd-McNichol
508-896-9898
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