The Top 5 Churches In Ireland For Your Wedding Day

church stylizedWith miles of rugged coastline, a young and vibrant capital city of Dublin and the endless beauty of the rolling, green hills surrounded by low mountains that give it the nickname of ‘The Emerald Isle’, it is clear why Ireland is where you wish to be wed.

Here are our top five churches. The first three are smaller churches in the country and two are larger, grander options.

  • Cratloe Church, Sixmilebridge, Co. Clare
  • St. Finbarr’s Oratory, Gougane Barra, Co. Cork
  • Coolcarrigan Church, Coolcarrigan, Co. Kildare
  • Ballintubber Abbey, Ballintubber, Co. Mayo
  • Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin

When it comes to wedding gifts it can feel a bit dull to choose something from a couple’s registry. Even if the couple ask for a new toaster or mushroom brush you may want to get a more personal gift that speaks from your heart. If you want a gift that shows the couple how much they mean to you, personalize or customise your gift so your message is clear to them (check www.eternityrose.co.uk for some good ideas).

A gift that celebrates the couples union and gives them an opportunity to continue the celebration of their love and commitment to each other in the years ahead is a perfect gift. Expect more on this topic with our next post…

A Marriage in a Catholic Church

What does it symbolize/mean?

marriage
The Sacrament of Catholic Marriage

Marriage is a common practice in all cultures throughout history. For Catholics marriage is the union of male and female for the purpose of procreation. Couples should not have sex before marriage. Marriage is a divine institution, one of the church’s seven sacraments (that include baptism, confirmation etc.) that can never be broken, “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder”. Therefore, even when partners are legally divorced, the Church considers them bound together by God, as long as they are both alive.

Principles of Catholic Marriage

It is common for Catholics to enter into a marriage with a non-Catholic. This is possible if the couple agree the following principles:
1. They have chosen to marry of their own accord with no external pressure
2. They intend to remain together or life
3. They intend to be faithful to each other
4. They intend to have children if the bride is of childbearing age
Before a marriage takes place, a couple must spend time with the priest to talk about the sanctity of marriage and their role within the church in preparation for their life together. Questions concerning family and children, money issues, lifestyle choices and religion will be asked.

The Marriage Ceremony
ceremony
There are two types of Catholic marriage ceremony. One is with Mass and celebrates the Eucharist. This service lasts for about an hour. The other is without Mass and takes about 20 minutes.
The ceremony including Mass is as follows:…

Gifts For A Wedding

gifts

How to impress the newly weds with a gift that differs from the rest

Making the decision about what gift to buy for the couple getting married can be a challenge. It is becoming increasingly common for couples to ask for cash gifts, with little guidance for gifts from guests to give to the couple on their Big Day.
Even if there is a list, you may not wish to mark the wedding with a new kettle or a mushroom brush. Here are some inspirational ideas for unique wedding gifts.

Make it yourself
If you have the time and the skill, make a gift. The couple will appreciate the time and the effort that you have put into making something unique for them. You may like to make a garden bench with room for two, a romantic gift for the summer days ahead.
Creating a piece of art for someone else’s home isn’t always easy, but if you know your couple and their tastes and styles well, create a piece of art that you know they will love.

Bespoke art

art
Alternatively, buy a piece of art that can hang in the happy couple’s home forever. Choose a romantic piece that ties in with romance, love and the journey forward that the couple are embarking on. Canvas prints of a quote that has meaning for the couple such as “All of me loves all of you” or “You are my happily ever after”, personalised with the couples names and the date of their marriage will be a treasure from the day. Online sites are filled with talented designers who can create something unique and beautiful.

If music be the food of love, play on

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For the music loving couple, a vinyl record player is a fun gift. Add a few of the records you know they’ll love and you’ll gift them hours of fun in the future as they source out records for their collection.