Wedding Gazette

Irish Wedding Blessings and Toasts

By Jennifer Baumann

Whether you incorporate some of these traditional blessings into your ceremony, or have a toast to your Irish heritage at the reception, use these lucky words to show off the wearin' o' the green at your wedding.

Raise Your Glass

Instead of the traditional "cheers" at the close of a toast, have a member of your wedding party sign off the toast with "Slainte" (pronounced SLAWN-cha), Irish for "to your health"!

Traditional Irish Blessing

May Joy and Peace surround you, Contentment latch your door, And Happiness be with you now, And bless you evermore.

May your troubles be less, And your blessings be more And nothing but happiness come through your door.

Blessing Engraved on Saint Patrick's Breastplate

May you be blessed with the strength of heaven - The light of the sun and 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 earth and the firmness of rock.

Traditional Irish Toast

Long live the Irish! Long live their cheer! Long live our friendship, year after year!

Irish Toast to the Groom

Health and life to you, A woman of your choice to you, Land without rent to you, A good harvest every year, From this day out.