Irish Wedding Blessings and Vows | RELOCATING TO IRELAND

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Irish Wedding Toasts and Blessings

It’s an Irish tradition to toast the bride and groom as the wedding party gathers at the reception. Everyone would have their glasses full of mead and recite an Irish toast. The Irish aren’t known for being short on words so it comes as no surprise that there dozens of traditional toasts for your day. Here are some examples to include in your wedding.

From You to Your Guests

The couple says:
“Friends and relatives, so fond and dear,
’tis our greatest pleasure to have you here.
When many years this day has passed,
fondest memories will always last.
So we drink a cup of Irish mead and ask
God’s blessing in your hour of need.”

Guests respond:
“On this special day,
our wish to you,
the goodness of the old,
the best of the new.
God bless you both who drink this mead,
may it always fill your every need.”

May the….

“May the light of friendship guide your paths together.
May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
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,
May the good Lord embrace you
with the arms that have nurtured you
the whole length of your joy-filled days.”

“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
And until we meet again my friend
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.”

“May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.”

“May you be poor in misfortune
Rich in blessings
Slow to make enemies
Quick to make friends
But rich or poor, quick or slow,
May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.”

“May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.
May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.
May the saddest day of your future
Be no worse than the happiest day of your past.
May your hands be forever clasped in friendship
And your hearts joined forever in love.
Your lives are very special,
God has touched you in many ways.
May his blessings rest upon you
And fill all your coming days.”

“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.”

Irish Wedding Vows

Reflecting your Irish heritage in your wedding ceremony is a way to not only celebrate who you are but also to share within your love a romantic and beautiful tradition. Incorporate these Irish inspired wedding vows into your ceremony.

“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.”

“I have known many, Liked not a few,
Loved only one I toast to you.”

“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.”

“Ye are Blood of my Blood, and Bone of my Bone.
I give ye my Body, that we Two might be One.
I give ye my Spirit, ’til our Life shall be Done.”

Handfast Ceremony Blessing

“Now you are bound one to the other
With a tie not easy to break.
Take the time of binding
Before the final vows are made
To learn what you need to know –
To grow in wisdom and love.
That your marriage will be strong
That your love will last
In this life and beyond.”

The Giving of Rings Verse

“I take you my heart
At the rising of the moon
And the setting of the stars.
To love and to honor
Through all that may come.
Through all our lives together
In all our lives,
May we be reborn
That we may meet and know
And love again,
And remember”