Irish wedding wishes and toasts are an important part of many weddings--not just weddings with Irish participants in them. The blessings and wishes expressed in Irish wedding wishes are often romantic, elegant and humorous. To those without Irish heritage, the wishes are both an entertaining and touching way to commemorate a special day. To those of Irish heritage, they also are an important reminder of a rich past and a hopeful future.
Irish Style Wedding Wishes and Toasts
Why Irish Wedding Wishes?
In recent years, many people have been incorporating Irish wedding best wishes and other wedding traditions into their celebrations. One of the main reasons behind this is that the Irish culture is very traditional. Many of the Irish toasts used centuries ago are still used today to wish couples the best of marriage. There's also a tinge of humor in many Irish wedding wishes and toasts that is the perfect compliment to the sentiment present in weddings.
Common Irish Toasts
There are some common Irish toasts that are well known in wedding circles. Some of them include:
- "Sláinte chuig na fir, agus go mairfidh na mná go deo" which translates to "Health to the men, and may the women live forever!" The quote is so commonly used that its author has been lost over the years.
- "Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you" is another common blessing of no known source.
- "May you both live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live."
These toasts are short and sweet and are a great way to incorporate the luck of the Irish into your wedding toast.
Common Sentiments in Irish Toasts
Many Irish wishes contain many of the same sentiments posed in different ways.
- It is common to balance a happy wish for the future with a humorous twist. Many Irish toasts are often puns for this reason.
- Irish toasts often involve a mention to Irish history. For example, mentioning the luck of the Irish is common to many wedding toasts in the Irish tradition. Making reference to the color green, shamrocks, rainbows, leprechauns, and St. Patrick are also common.
- Irish wedding traditions often wish the best of health to the couple in some way, such as linking health with prosperity.
- Irish toasts will often bless the couple with wishes of riches. For example, there are many toasts that hope the couple will find the pot of gold at the end of their rainbow.
Where to Find Irish Weddings Blessings
If you're looking for some Irish quotations or toasts outside of those above, consider looking through some of the following sites:
- Free Wedding Toasts: This site features a listing of some of the most common Irish wedding toasts.
- Irish Quotations
- RomanceClass.com features Irish blessings.
- CelticByDesign.com
- LollySmith.com
- WeddingsAndCourtships.com has toasts related to Ireland.
Other Ways to Incorporate Irish Weddings Wishes
If you are a guest at a wedding and you know that the Irish tradition is important to the couple, here are some common ways to wish them the best without a toast or grand gesture:
- It's common in Irish weddings to give the gift of a short Irish poem or quote either inside of a frame or on a plaque.
- It's also common to give a tea set with a short Irish inscription.
- It is a common tradition to give a pint of beer to the couple in the hopes that they will drink and be merry in their wedded life.
- Opt for a gift that includes Irish culture, such as Celtic toasting flutes or a whimsical leprechaun figurine.
One of the reasons people use Irish wedding wishes and toasts is because of the traditional value that many couples see behind them. If you don't feel comfortable using an Irish blessing or toast, don't. The couple is more likely to appreciate your respect for Irish tradition than to be upset you didn't use a formal Irish quotation.
