Irish Wedding Blessings To Bring Luck To Your Big Day

You certainly don’t have to be Irish or have distant Irish Heritage to appreciate the sentiment of an Irish wedding blessing. But, if you are Irish, you can embrace it by including a collection of well-loved blessings or maybe even prayers, spread throughout your day. 

Just make sure you select your ceremony blessings with care and keep the more lighthearted (or bawdy) verses for after the wedding formalities, because, while some Irish blessings might not quite be appropriate for a ceremony, they can certainly add some humor to the less formal reception!

Your first task will be to distinguish the Irish Prayers from the Blessings. In the simplest description, a prayer is considered a direct conversation with God or a higher power. During a prayer you can ask for something for yourself and others and maybe even offer praise and gratitude, while a blessing is a form of prayer, typically requested on behalf of another. It’s a subtle but distinct difference. 

Your next task is to decide who will recite the prayer – typically read by family, godparents, or very close friends – and when the prayer will be recited – typically a prayer would be recited early on in the ceremony – and possibly as part of the welcome address or even the sermon. While a blessing is generally recited towards the end of the ceremony after most of the big formalities have been completed. Irish blessings at weddings are generally used as a way to send the newly married couple off into the world with overflowing positivity, and typically  whoever is officiating the wedding would give the blessing, but a very close friend or family member could also recite the blessing. If you need further guidance on this, be sure to talk to your priest, they will be your best reference when planning your wedding mass and ceremony. 

With all of that in mind, here are a few of the most uplifting Irish Wedding Blessings and Prayer!

Irish Wedding Blessings

“May love and laughter light your days and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life’s passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!”

“May joy and peace surround you both, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now, and God bless you evermore. May you live your life with trust, and nurture lifelong affection, May your lifelong dreams come true for you, move ever that direction.”

“May God grant you always a sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering angel so nothing can harm you. Laughter to cheer you, faithful friends near you. And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.”

“In good times and bad times, in sickness and health, may they know that riches aren’t needed for wealth. Help them face problems they’ll meet on their way—God bless this couple who marry today. May they find peace of mind comes to all who are kind, may the rough times ahead become triumphs in time, may their children be happy each day—God bless this family who started today. As they go, may they know every love that was shown, and as life it gets shorter may their feelings grow. Wherever they travel, wherever they stay, God bless this couple who marry today.”

“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, and God has touched you in many ways. May his blessings rest upon you and fill all your coming days.”

Irish Wedding Prayers

“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.”

 

Excerpt From St. Patrick’s Prayer

“I arise today, through

The strength of heaven,

The light of the sun,

The radiance of the moon,

The splendor of fire,

The speed of lightning,

The swiftness of wind,

The depth of the sea,

The stability of the earth,

The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through

God’s strength to pilot me,

God’s might to uphold me,

God’s wisdom to guide me,

God’s eye to look before me,

God’s ear to hear me,

God’s word to speak for me,

God’s hand to guard me,

God’s shield to protect me,

God’s host to save me

From snares of devils,

From the temptation of vices,

From everyone who shall wish me ill,

afar and near.”

You might be wondering at this point, why so many Irish Blessings are unattributed, and the reason for that is that they’ve been handed down through the generations for so long, that the authors names have been forgotten to history. But, that makes them no less powerful or beautiful! 

In closing we’ll leave you with one of our favorites! “May the blessings of each day be the blessings you need most.”

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Readings With Meaning For Your LGBTQ+ Wedding Ceremony

 

Nothing is more joyous than being able to marry the love of your life! And, when it comes to planning weddings folks tend to focus on their reception, but the wedding ceremony is where much of the magic happens! The ceremony is, after all, where your relationship becomes official! That moment can be even more fulfilling for members of the LGBTQ+ community, knowing all the trailblazers that came before them to make this moment possible! However, while celebratory, powerful and important, a wedding ceremony is  definitely not a one-size-fits-all kind of event!

A traditional ceremony might work for some, but many more LGBTQ+ couples are choosing to shake up wedding traditions by replacing wedding vows or readings with meaningful and personally meaningful ones that are a better reflection of their relationship. Traditional vows and readings can at times come across as outdated and full of gendered language that, perhaps, doesn’t reflect the values and sentiment of the couple. 

Readings That Would Make A Perfect Fit for a LGBTQ+ Ceremony

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

This excerpt from Wild Awake captures the magic of an intimate and vulnerable relationship, in which you can trust your partner to see the completeness of your humanity, and love you because of it:

“People are like cities: We all have alleys and gardens and secret rooftops and places where daisies sprout between the sidewalk cracks, but most of the time, all we let each other see is a postcard glimpse of a skyline or a polished square. Love lets you find those hidden places in another person, even the ones they didn’t know were there, even the ones they wouldn’t have thought to call beautiful themselves.”

Justice Anthony Kennedy’s majority opinion in Hodges v. Obergefell

We’ve seen this excerpt from Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion in Hodges v. Obergefell, used to great effect, when read by the wedding officiant before the wedding ceremony begins!

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

The Art of Marriage by Wilferd Arlan Peterson

This beautiful poem, The Art of Marriage by Wilferd Arlan Peterson, perfectly encapsulates what it takes to love someone over the long haul, through all the moments, big and small, and doesn’t contain one line of gendered language!

“A good marriage must be created.

In the art of marriage the little things are the big things –-

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say ‘I love you’ at least once each day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It is standing together facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is not only marrying the right partner –-

It is being the right partner.”

I carry your heart with me by E.E. Cummings

I carry your heart with me by E.E. Cummings is a gorgeous poem about the undying, forever kind of love you imagine when you join your life with another, and it’s positively swoon-worthy:

“i carry your heart with me (i carry it in

my heart) i am never without it (anywhere

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)”

And I Have You by Nikki Giovanni

And I Have You by Nikki Giovanni, is an adorable poem about partnership and feeling complete:

“Rain has drops, Sun has shine

Moon has beams, That makes you mine

Rivers have banks, Sands for shores

Hearts have heartbeats, That make me yours

Needles have eyes, Though pins may prick

Elmer has glue, To make things stick

Winter has Spring, Stockings feet

Pepper has mint, To make it sweet

Teachers have lessons, Soup du jour

Lawyers sue bad folks, Doctors cure

All and all, This much is true

You have me, And I have you”

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Bringing The Love – Some Broadway Tunes To Embrace At Your Wedding!

Are you and your sweetie theater and Broadway buffs? Do you love dramatic show tunes? Do you feel like Broadway belters encapsulate true love in a way that lifts your heart? 

If any of these ring true for you, their inclusion in your day can be a way to bring some of your personality and your style as a couple to your big day! Whether you pick them for your processional, for your first dance, or simply add them to your reception playlist, these romantic songs are sure to make you and your guests’ hearts swell! 

So, if the glittering lights of Broadway hold appeal for you, embrace it and send your wedding over the top!

“Helpless” – Hamilton

This is an especially romantic tune from the overwhelmingly successful musical Hamilton. The song is all about Eliza and Alexander meeting for the first time. The moment marks the beginning of their love-at-first-sight romance. This song could be a great grand entrance or cake-cutting song. I mean, take a look at this lyric excerpt:

“You got me helpless/Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit/I’m helpless/Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ’em” 

“Till There Was You” – The Music Man

While “Helpless” above is about love-at-first-sight, “Till There Was You” is more about taking your time and falling in love slowly, and The Music Man’s “Till There Was You” proves that kind of love is worth waiting for, and much celebrated when it arrives! This song would also be lovely for a romantic first dance. Here’s a sample of the lyrics

“There was love, all around/But I never heard it singing/No, I never heard it at all/’Til there was you”

“I Do!” – Mama Mia

For starters, can you ever go wrong with Abba? Even people who aren’t Abba fans are known to tap their toes when an Abba song comes on! And, “I Do!’ is a cute, cheeky little song about marriage and saying “I do” (of course).  “I Do!” is a song full of love and fun and perfect for your entrance to the reception or even after your first kiss or during your wedding recessional! 

“Oh, I’ve been dreaming through my lonely past/Now I just made it/I found you at last/So come on/Now let’s try it/I love you/Can’t deny it/’Cos it’s true/I do, I do, I do, I do, I do”

Cute right?!

“Seasons of Love” – RENT

This iconic song (from a just as iconic musical) is about how we measure time and moments in love,and has a great vibe to start the rest of your lives together. This song could work perfectly as an upbeat recessional song, a grand entrance song or even a very upbeat first dance, if that’s your thing!

“How do you measure? Measure a year?/In daylights/In sunsets/In midnights/In cups of coffee/In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife/In five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes/How do you measure a year in a life?/How about love?” Swoon!

“Only Us” – Dear Evan Hansen

The acclaimed, and 6 time Tony Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen, has been embraced by Broadway since it made its debut, and was also released as a film in 2021.

This song from the musical could work nicely for a slow song during the reception, as dinner music, or at the ceremony.

“And what came before won’t count anymore/We can try that/You and me/That’s all that we need it to be/And the rest of the world falls away” I mean, who doesn’t want to be loved like that?!

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Corporate Events – How To Elevate Your Guests Photo Booth Experience

When you think of hosting a successful event, I’m sure that some key elements come to mind. You might be thinking, how can I best use cocktails, food, atmosphere and event entertainment to elevate my guests’ experience? These elements are always a consideration, because they influence the way your event is remembered, no matter what type of event you are planning!

In our opinion, one way you can easily entertain your guests and create a memorable event is hiring a photo booth! And  really, photo booths will work for any kind of event… from holiday parties to business leadership training and just about everything in between!

After all, you want those who attend your event to have loads of fun and remember the experience for a long time to come. But, hiring a photo booth company for your next event doesn’t just need to be about entertainment. Hiring a photo booth can also encourage interaction among your guests and can be highly beneficial for your overall event marketing strategy!

Enhancing Your Brand And Increasing Brand Recognition

There are many ways for you to use a photo booth to boost your brand identity. To start you can customize the photo booth to feature your logo or product line. The branding can both be on or surrounding the booth (with banners) as well as embedded into the images/prints your guests take home. You can also visually showcase your brand, by decking out the booth or backdrop with your logo.  As a bonus, when the images are printed with the logo it means that your branding efforts will organically reach a much larger audience, wherever your guests display their photos. 

After all, most of your guests will share these images on their social media sites, and when they do they will be sharing your brand with a large cross-section of people you might not have reached otherwise.

Inadvertent Content Creation

Since visual content is one of the quickest ways to capture people’s attention, added to the fact that images are more likely to get shared across the many different online platforms, having a photo booth at your event allows you to inadvertently create content that will be shared online! The best part of all of all of this, is that this will occur with very little effort on the part of your company! Your guests will have the ability to conveniently post these images online, so you’ll get your logo and branding shared to thousands of people almost immediately. After that, the images are likely to be re-posted, re-shared and then viewed by thousands, organically extending the reach of your marketing campaign. 

As a business, hiring a photo booth for your branding or corporate event is one of the most cost-effective ways to get original content to a wider target audience as well as enhancing your company’s esteem within your current target audience.

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