Celtic Wedding

"Time was suspended. The air was electric with excitement and the threat of raindrops. The atmosphere on was magical and transported all there to a place likened to Scotland. The Raleigh Rose Garden had been transformed this overcast Sunday morning in October into a Celtic glade with colorful banners around the circular fountain filled with umbrella palms and water lilies. The Roses were abloom and their scent enchanting.

The bell was rung three times to signal the beginning of the ceremony. The guests were welcomed and the bridegroom and his groomsmen entered from four directions. Celtic music swelled and expanded uplifting all spirits watching in awe as the bride and her father slowly swept down the white canvas-covered aisle. Tears seeped from the eyes of the groom as he watched his bride come forth. The bride, not normally considered a raving beauty, was without a doubt a raving beauty in her flowing beaded gown and ring of flowers on her head.

With their hands clasped together forming the symbol of infinity their hands were bound with a red cord representing the sacred bond of marriage. And so bound the couple said their vows, the groom barely able to utter all the words he had written.

The rings were blessed with air, fire, salt, and water. The groom seemed under a spell of confusion as he insisted on putting the ring on the bride’s right hand—later corrected. The couple symbolically drank wine from the cup of life.

The guests promised to support the couple’s married life and prayed The Lord’s Prayer together with the couple. After the pronouncement, in a glass breaking custom so ancient that the origin remains unknown, the couple together smashed the glass from which they had drunk the wine with the promise to love each other until the fragments came back together.

There was not just one kiss but many before the couple proceeded back down the aisle amid cheers and applause as once again the magical Celtic music swelled in celebration."

Article written by and wedding officiated by Reverend Kayelily Middleton on October 20, 2002.

(The music that played as the bride and her father swept down the aisle was The Mummer's Dance from the CD, The Book of Secrets by Loreena McKennitt.)

Dear Kayelily,

I have been meaning to sit down and write this thank you note ever since the wedding. It took going to a friend’s wedding this past weekend to prompt me to do it. Ash and I can never thank you enough for all your calm guidance and professionalism. Although we were on a tight budget, the cost of your services was the best money we spent. Throughout the process we felt we had an ally, someone whom we could trust to make our vision for our wedding day come true. Your ceremony suggestions made all my jumbled ideas take shape, your practical know how about the set up and flow of the processional made us look like pros, and your sound system made sure the guests heard every word. Your presence helped make our wedding day moving and memorable. I am attaching some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to add them to your website. We were touched to have been included! Thanks so much!

Laura and Ash Baker

The Merry Minstrels (919) 468-8061
Medieval, Renaissance, and Celtic traditional music in period costumes on reproduction instruments.

There are many more Celtic traditions and versions of the customs below. These are just a few that are representative.

Hand-fasting ceremony

"There is an ancient Celtic tradition of binding a couple in marriage by hand-fasting. As you join your hands, so your lives are joined. John and Heather have each prepared themselves in their hearts to begin a new life, one built together on a strong foundation of love and respect. In this, marriage is a rite of passage as their solitary past is left behind and they walk together bound by the ties of love. John and Heather, please clasp your left hands together. To symbolize these bonds, I here bind your left hands together (Kayelily wraps the cord around the couple’s wrists and hands) with this cord, which, like your love, holds you together, yet you maintain your individuality.

And now please clasp your right hands together. You begin your journey in life shared, bound by your vows to each other. Many are the roads you will take, many the dreams you will share, and many the countless summers you will spend together. May this joining bless your union with thoughtfulness and nurturing. Your hands, thus joined, form the symbol of infinity, blessing your marriage in the eternal ebb and flow of the universe."

"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,
One that I love, till death comes to part us asunder."

“In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul-love; the old Gaelic term for this is anam cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and cara is the word for friend. So anam cara in the Celtic world was the “soul friend.” In the early Celtic church, a person who acted as a teacher, companion, or spiritual guide was called an anam cara. It originally referred to someone to whom you confessed, revealed the hidden intimacies of your life. With the anam cara you could share your inner-most self, your mind and your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the “friend of your soul.” The Celtic understanding did not set limitations of space or time on the soul. There is no cage for the soul. The soul is a divine light that flows into you and into your Other. This art of belonging awakened and fostered a deep and special companionship.”

"Throughout the ages wine has been used for celebration. Often and among many people, wine has signified life, and drinking from a common cup has been the mark of deep sharing. May this cup of wine be a symbol of your life long communion of spirit, mind and being. As you share this cup of wine you undertake to share all that the future may bring. May whatever bitterness it contains be less bitter because you share it together. May all the sweetness that it holds for you be the sweeter because you taste it together."