An Irish wedding is not that dissimilar from that of all other weddings. One thing that marks most Ireland weddings is tradition.
The typical Irish wedding works in pretty much the same way you would expect. This does of course depend on your religious affiliation, but for the most part, they are similar. There are some subtle differences that are mostly tradition-based items and not part of the actual ceremony.
There is an Irish wedding tradition that reads 'Marry in May and Rue the day.' This is a somewhat vague superstitious warning against Ireland weddings in the month of May. Most people find very little believable detail in such things, but most typical Ireland weddings still take place in months other than May.
Bunratty Meade is another tradition that is sometimes brought into an Irish wedding. A wine made from honey, Bunratty Meade was thought to hold powers of virility. If a woman was to become pregnant within nine months of the wedding, it was always attributed to the Meade. It is also tradition for the bride and groom to drink the Meade from special goblets for one month following the Irish wedding. This was meant to offer protection to the couple on their journey through life.
Brides sometimes carry real horseshoes during the wedding ceremony, upside down of course so the luck will not run out, as a simple of good luck for the couple. These days, porcelain horseshoes are more common as well as fabric ones worn on the wrist.
A magic hanky is another tradition of the Irish wedding. A special hanky is carried by the bride that can be easily stitched into bonnet for the first-born girl. The hanky is then unstitched and carried by the child on her wedding day.
Bells are a traditional Ireland weddings gift. Not only does the chiming of a bell ward off evil spirits, but it also acts as a reminder of the couples vows should they be fighting. 'Make-up' bells are often times given as gifts to newlyweds.
The traditional Irish wedding song is normally played as well. There are more than enough musicians of Irish decent who are willing to play not only traditional tunes, but new favorites as well.
Irish dancers on hand make for a fine reception. If you are lucky, you can find a troupe of dancers that will wear the traditional garb of Irish dance groups. These talented people make the entire event all that more exciting.
A rather quirky Irish wedding custom involves salt and oatmeal. At the beginning of the reception, the bride and groom are required to eat three spoonfuls each of salt and oatmeal. This is meant to ward off the power of the evil eye.
Other traditions include not getting married on Saturday, never allowing the bride and groom to wash their hands in the same basin at the same time, and making sure the wedding party takes the longest possible route home when leaving the church.
These traditions are what each Irish couple must follow if they wish to keep Irish traditions alive for future generations. Some Irish traditions may seem a little bit weird to some people but if they follow them then a lot of people in the future can also use them. Before you know it everyone may want to try this at future weddings all over the world.