We're getting married both the Irish and American way

Sometimes the two clash and contrast, especially on the big day

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Daithi O Se and his fiancee Rita Talty arrive at the IFTAs

Photo by Collins

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On the civil side of things there is something to watch out for if you were born in the USA and getting married in Ireland. Your birth cert needs an Apostle Stamp from the USA. The embassy stamp is not good enough. If you don’t have this stamp the Wedding will not go ahead. This happened to us. 

In Ireland you have to register your marriage 3 months before the date or it’s a no go! Wedding are a bit different here. A few months back we sent out ‘save the date’ cards. I said to herself that this might confuse a few people at home and it did. We received 4 RSVP from these ‘save to dates’. I can only imagine what these people thought when the real invite came.

Usually at the Church the groom and his best men are waiting at the top of the altar for the bride and all her ladies. I’ve been told the groom men and the bridesmaids will walk up the church together, leaving me like a ‘Pleb’ at the top on my own!  

On to the reception. We are having a cocktail hour. This is all new to my Irish friends. We’d have a cocktail hour alright, but not until about  seven am and they are a different kind of cocktail. Sausages of course!  

Once they’ll realize that there will be booze there they’ll be fine. In Ireland it seems the men do all the talking after the dinner, Father of the Bride and Groom, the best man, the priest and the groom. Not a female voice within an ass’s roar!

We have favors for people, which is common enough here. I can’t let the cat out of the bag about them but we have ‘kerry for Sam’ M&Ms.

This wedding could get dangerous as we are expecting a set dancing ‘dance off’ between the Kerry Polka/slide and the Clare Reel. The Clare crowd have only read about our fancy footwork in folklore. I hope they have the note pad ready!

In true West Kerry style the day has turned into three and gone from a wedding to a festival. The 12th of July a great day to be Irish just like the other 364. 

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