Wedding Reception Forum

Celtic/Irish Theme... HELP

So I need help as I want to do this theme tastefully and not cheap.

I love the trinity knot and the claddagh and not sure how I want to incorporate them into our theme.

We are not doing favors as we are making a donation to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute instead,

Not sure how to decorate the tables, or for our invitations... I am just at a loss here....

HELP PLEASE

Photobucket Anniversary may2011knotties.weebly.com

Re: Celtic/Irish Theme... HELP

  • First and foremost - a donation is not a favor.  Donations are good, don't get me wrong, but I prefer to make my own and from the response this idea gets on all of the boards here, I'm not the only one who feels this way. 

    As for the knot and claddaugh:
     - go to an Irish import store to order your invitations.  If they don't do them, they will be able to send you to a place that does.
    - use the claddaugh wedding rings
    - I wrapped a silver bracelet with horseshoes and shamrocks around my bouquet.  You can have your florist pin the knot on yours
    - your BMs can wear claddaugh pins or necklaces
    - secure your veil with a claddaugh or knot pin

    Other things you can do not claddaugh or knot related:
    - My BFF has played Irish fiddle since she was a kid and provided the music for our wedding
    - Have Irish step dancers perform during the dinner hour
    - Ask the priest to say an Irish blessing during the ceremony
    - Give a traditional Irish toast to your guests to thank them for being at the wedding
    image
    AKA GoodLuckBear14
  • There are a couple of brides around here that have had Irish/Celtic themed weddings. I think one of them is stagemanager and the other might be tidetravel if I am remembering correctly. I know tide hangs out of the E board a lot. I have seen stage there, too at times. You might try taking a look in their bios for ideas.
  • edited October 2010

    My daughter had a somewhat subtle Irish theme to her wedding.  She wasn't so subtle with a few things but they were things she felt she could have fun with anyway....the Save the Dates and Rehearsal Dinner invitations were actually St. Patrick's Day party invitations from Vista Print.  It helped that the rehearsal dinner was at an Irish pub!


    Her ladies wore a neutral color (antique gold), but their flowers had the stems wrapped in the Irish National Tartan.  They also had a small claddagh pinned to the ribbon. This same tartan was used to make pocket squares for the groomsmen.  The flowers on the table looked like they were picked from an Irish garden.  She had Bells of Ireland, and I don't remember what else but they were all white with some greens.  The menu cards were printed on white card stock and then mounted on cardstock of the Irish Nat. Tartan.  The tartan paper also backed the escort cards. The table names were all places in Ireland. 

    Coincidentally, she had a bag piper who also wore the Irish National  tartan.  Amazingly, the priest who was supposed to marry them was unavailable at the last minute and the priest who filled in for him was from Ireland and had quite a brogue.

    She had a beautiful table runner made by someone on Etsy.  It had their names in the center and then the design work around their names had some Celtic knots in it and also some shamrocks.  She also had a gobo with some celtic knots and shamrocks on it.

    Since they were going to Ireland on their honeymoon, the guest book was a coffee table photo book of sights in Ireland.  Many guests had been there so they loved picking out a particular picture and writing about their experience.  Late in the evening, when the party was in full swing, sparkly derby hats were tossed out to the guests. 

    Hope this gives you some ideas.

  • Wear a Luckenbooth brooch (technically Scottish, I know, but it's such a sweet sentiment).  Use your or your fiance's tartan in unlikely places--ribbon for the programs, wrap for your bouquet stems, incorporate the tartan into boutonierres and corsages, use the ribbon for table runners or to decorate favors.  Use lots of thistle and bells of Ireland.  Play the Dropkick Murphys for the cocktail hour (and their song "Forever" is perfect for a first dance), and the Proclaimers, though Scottish (still Celtic :) have a great song "Let's Get Married" that is so fun and upbeat (we used as a prelude).  The Braveheart soundtrack has some beautiful instrumentals you could use for a slightly nontraditional processional.  We did not do a hand-fasting, but it doesn't get much more Celtic than that.  The last page of our program was a traditional Irish wedding blessing (you can google all sorts of different versions), and toast you guests at the reception with "may the wind be always at your back..."  Have a piper greet guests (or if possible, lead a walking procession from the ceremony to the reception).  Make Guinness your signature cocktail (it's your wedding, why not?) and have a late night Irish coffee bar.  Tie together your stationary with the claddagh.  And be sure to have lots of potatoes with dinner.  Congrats!
    "The only true currency in this bankrupt world... is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." -Lester Banks, Almost Famous
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