IRISH HANDCRAFTED JEWELRY

SHANORE CELTIC GuideENGAGEMENT & WEDDING PLANNING

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About SHANORE S hanore are very proud to put

their name to this Irish/Celtic Engagement and Wedding Guide.

As an Irish family jewelry firm we have been lucky enough to design and produce thousands of Irish & Celtic Engagement rings and Wedding Rings for couples all around the World.

We hope you get a lot out of this useful publication and wish you all the best in planning your Engagemet and Wedding either in Ireland or wherever you choose.

Shanore® and Tara’s Diary® collections have both become strong favorites with lovers of Celtic and Irish designs and both of these collections are designed and hall marked in Dublin, Ireland.

Their combined list of awards, speak for themselves and both the Shanore and Tara’s Diary teams are proud to have received so many down the years. However, that hasn’t stopped them from striving to bring you, their valued customer, the complete buying experience.

Ultimately it is your experience that counts.

For a list of retailers or to buy on-line please go to www.shanore.com

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INTRODUCTION

A wedding is the joining of two people – two hearts, two souls and two histories. It is a celebration of a couple and their commitment

to each other. While the couple’s future together is the focus, a wedding also brings together each partner’s personal history, their families and their heritage. Incorporating their cultural heritage into the engagement and wedding celebrations not only creates a great theme, it builds a sense of shared heritage for the couple and their families. If one or both partners enjoy Irish heritage, they have a wealth of traditions to use to make their engagement and wedding reflect their family identity.

Will You…?

It’s the feeling, not the exact words. Whether the question is a simple ‘will you marry me?’ or a traditional Irish proposal ‘would you like to be buried with my people?’ if the answer is yes, it is the first

step of an incredible adventure.You can make your Irish heritage part of your

wedding from the moment of your engagement. An engaged couple wears Claddagh rings on the third finger of the left hand with the bottom of the heart pointed outward. This isn’t the only option for an Irish engagement ring – knot work designs have no beginning and no end so they symbolize eternity, the eternity of true love.

A Motif for Your LOVE

U sing a motif throughout your engagement and wedding celebrations ties everything together. You can include traditional Irish symbols in all

of your wedding must-haves from your invitations to your wedding cake. Ireland may be known as the land of saints and scholars, but it is a very romantic place, with many beautiful symbols to symbolize the celebration of your marriage.

THE CLADDAGHThe heart symbolizes love, of course, held in the hands of friendship and crowned with loyalty. Richard Joyce designed the first Claddagh ring for his beloved after

he was abducted and taken into slavery. When he regained his freedom, he returned to his home in Claddagh village in County Galway with the ring.

CELTIC KNOT WORKIt feels like you’ve always known each other, and you know you will remain together throughout this life and even beyond. Celtic knot work designs have no end. They are infinite and eternal, just like your love. Some even features animals and birds.

THE TRINITY KNOTAlso called a trifecta, this particular Celtic knot is rich in symbolic meaning. St. Patrick used the shamrock’s three leaves to explain the trinity of Father,

Son and Holy Spirit, but long before that the ancient

Celts were worshiping the triple goddess, symbolized by the three swirls on the entrance stone at Newgrange. The trinity knot can also symbolize your past, present and future together.

THE HARPRomantic, elegant, beautiful and timeless, the harp has symbolized Ireland since the days when the bards travelled to share music and news from kingdom to kingdom. Harp music is also ideal for weddings.

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Love is timeless, but Wedding Planning isn’tW hile your love is endless, the time you have

to plan your wedding isn’t. Depending on how much free time you have available now,

how large the wedding will be, and how much you want to save first, it makes sense to allow between nine and 15 months to plan your wedding.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO GET MARRIED?

A traditional Irish verse offers some suggestions:

Marry when the year is new, always loving, kind and true

When February birds do mate, you may wed, nor dread your fate

If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you’ll know

Marry in April when you can, joy for maiden and for man

Marry in the month of May, you will surely rue the day

Marry when June roses blow, over land and sea you’ll go

They who in July do wed, must labor always for their bread

Whoever wed in August be, many a change are sure to see

Marry in September’s shine, your living will be rich and fine

If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry

If you wed in bleak November, only joy will come remember

When December’s rain fall fast, marry and true love will last

I f you and your beloved share a religious faith, you may wish to marry where you worship or in a nearby place of worship for your faith. If you wish to

marry at another location with your regular minister conducting the ceremony, you’ll need to coordinate with both to agree a date. Traditionally, Irish weddings have been held in churches, but you can easily create an Irish theme in a local Irish pub, a hotel, a garden or anywhere else with the right decorations.

If you want to have the marriage ceremony and the reception in different venues, planning a year in advance and being flexible about the exact date are the tricks to getting your dream location for each.

Some venues work well for both the ceremony and the reception, if you prefer that. In Ireland today, most weddings are held at a church or a registry office with the reception scheduled a few hours later in a hotel. The time in between is used for taking the wedding photographs.

Planning a destination wedding in Ireland involves a lot of detail, but the requirements are not complicated. You must have the capacity to marry each other, which means you cannot be related by blood or marriage, and you must both be over the age of 18. Both parties must freely consent to the marriage – no shotgun weddings allowed! You must follow all of the legal requirements, including notifying the Registry Office at least three months in advance and paying a fee. If you want to have your ceremony anywhere other than a church or registry office, the venue must be approved in advance. You can, however, have your wedding outdoors in Ireland now. The location must be a public place and must be approved in advance. If you’ve always dreamed of exchanging vows at a romantic ruin or the manicured gardens of a restored castle, at last you can.

The Registry Office has a list of all approved celebrants called the Register of Solemnisers. At present, same-sex marriage is not permitted, but civil partnerships are and follow the same three-month notification rule.

Selecting a Venue and Celebrant

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Invitations

A wedding is a celebration of your love and commitment with your families and friends, and formally inviting them is a critical part

of wedding planning. Aside from the practicalities of getting an accurate count for the reception, your wedding invitations are a chance to say something about your relationship and who you are as a couple. If you are using an Irish motif, your invitation is an ideal chance to do so before the big day. You can also use a Celtic font and a few words of Irish on your invitations.

If you are having your wedding invitations professionally printed, make sure they can do your chosen motif. Don’t just tell them you want a shamrock or a Claddagh; provide them with the exact image you want them to use. Also, if you are having a large wedding, ask them if they offer bulk discounts. It might work out cheaper to get 100 printed than it would to get 85, and it is always good to have spares.

If you are printing them yourself, remember to include a response card and return envelope to make it easy for people to confirm.

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Finding the right Professionals

E ven a simply wedding requires a dedicated team of skilled professionals. How far in advance they need to be booked varies

depending on where you live, but generally speaking the sooner you sort them out the better. And once you have them booked, stay in touch with them to avoid any confusion.

Before you book any professional services, it is important to be completely satisfied they will make your dream day better – not cause you last minute panic or heartbreak. Ask around for recommendations and warnings of who to avoid. Look on local forums, and be wary of online reviews. Make sure you meet the person you will be working with face to face and see, taste or hear samples of their work. Again, do not be vague about any motif or image you would like them to use. Provide them with a picture of exactly what you want.

Some of the professionals you use for your wedding can add to your Irish theme.

CATERERSMost Irish weddings today feature a sit down meal. A typical menu includes a choice between salmon and beef or lamb, and you cannot go wrong with roast potatoes and carrots. The meal begins with the toasts. Wine or champagne are the usual drinks, but you can be creative and offer stout or stretch further back in Celtic history and include mead.

CAKE This would usually be a tiered, dark fruit cake with fondant icing, and you can have it decorated to use your motif and colors. If fruit cake is not that popular with your guests, you can use it for just the top layer – which is not eaten at the reception, but saved – and have whatever you like for the other layers. If you do want to serve fruit cake, make sure you hire a baker familiar with Irish wedding cakes. 4

PHOTOGRAPHYIn Ireland, wedding photographs are taken before and after the ceremony. Engagement photos are becoming increasingly popular, and you might even be able to find a photographer who offers a package that includes them with your wedding photos. It’s important to be sure your photographer really understands the atmosphere of your wedding, whether it is formal or more relaxed.

TRANSPORTThe bride and groom arrive separately, and should plan their routes to avoid crossing paths with a funeral procession. Traditionally, they should take the longest route to their reception if it is held in a separate venue. And of course, the cars should be decorated.

FLORISTWildflowers are a popular choice for Irish brides, and bells of Ireland are excellent because bells are also an Irish wedding symbol – but more on that later! Remember, flowers can be your something blue, especially if you decide on wildflowers.

MUSICA harpist can herald the bride’s arrival to the church and her walk down the aisle with sweet and gentle tones or pipers can do the same job on a much louder scale. Your reception can include Irish dancing or dancing to Ireland’s pop and rock greats from U2 to the Pogues to Sinead O’Connor. Often the end of an Irish wedding reception is signaled by playing the Irish national anthem while the couple and their guests stand.

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The Dress

S omething old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. In Ireland, the something blue was for a long time the bride’s

wedding dress. A pale, silvery blue not far from white can be stunning. A white dress with blue accessories is also an elegant way to use this tradition, and some brides prefer a more colorful wedding gown.

Irish lace began as a project to help women develop an income during the famine and became world renowned for its beauty and exquisite detail. The north of Ireland in particular was once world famous for the amazingly detailed lacework done there. Some brides may be lucky enough to have some in the family that can be borrowed or handed down. Lace can be worn as a veil or incorporated into a wedding gown. It is also part of a traditional handkerchief carried by a bride that can be easily converted into a baby bonnet.

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The BIG Day

T he bride’s journey from home to her wedding is important. It’s also the journey to her future, and her send-off typically includes cheering

and car horns beeping. Amid all that modern noise, some brides do still listen carefully for the call of the cuckoo bird, which heralds good luck and joy in her future. Magpies are also a popular omen on many occasions in Ireland. “One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy…” goes the saying, which later came to be known as a counting rhyme about crows in some places.

JEWELRYWith this ring … Irish tradition offers so many stunning designs beyond the plain gold band. The Claddagh is probably the most well-known, and as a wedding ring it should be worn on the third finger of the left hand with the bottom of the heart pointed inwards. A gold band with a knot work design symbolizes eternity and infinity, making it a beautiful and meaningful wedding ring that reflects your Irish heritage. This theme also often follows through to include gifts of pendants and earrings for Mothers and the bridesmaids.

TRADITIONHand fasting is another way to bring Irish tradition into your wedding ceremony. In addition to saying their vows and exchanging rings, the couples hands are bound together loosely with a cord or ribbon. They face each other and cross their hands so the celebrant can wind

the ribbon around all four hands. This ritual was recognized under Brehon law.

Using bells of Ireland flowers in your bouquet can link into another Irish wedding tradition. Church bells were believed to ward off evil spirits, and at an Irish wedding, small bells were rung during the ceremony and the couple kept a bell for their home. If an argument was brewing, one could ring the bell to remind them of the joy of their wedding day and their vows. The wedding party, especially young flower girls and ring bearers, can ring bells at your ceremony just after your vows and again as you exit the church.

The start of happily ever after

Where else would you go for your honeymoon but Ireland? What is more romantic than strolling through the ruins of an ancient

monastery, watching the waves roll in at the remains of the Claddagh village in Galway or the sun set at the Cliffs of Moher

and cuddling up together in front of a roaring turf fire?

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Your dream wedding wouldn’t be complete without the love and support of your guests. Thank you notes for wedding gifts aren’t

the most fun part of it, but you can be sure that when your guests open a card with your wedding day motif and your words of

thanks for their presents and their presence, they will recall your wedding day with fondness and joy.

One last thing

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SHANORE CELTIC ENGAGEMENT & WEDDING PLANNING GUIDE

www.shanore.com