A great list of ideas for your Country Western Theme party
The Hoedown Throw-down – Country Western Theme Party – Cowboy & Indian Theme Party – Western Corporate Event – Old West Theme – Old West Theme Wedding – Wild West Theme Wedding
Howdy, partner. I recon you are thinking about throwing a hoedown as a Country-Western theme party. Yeah, you can slap on a cowboy hat and put some straw in ‘yer teeth, but that and a mason jar of moonshine may not be enough!
If you really want to stike gold and find true success in your theme party, you really have to go all the way; close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. If you don’t look at the whole picture, by the end of the night, there may be no one left but tumbleweed.
This comprehensive list of party invitations, decorations, table settings, centerpieces, and fun ideas can help make your shindig be one that no one will forget.
Wanted Signs Make Great Invitations!
COUNTRY WESTERN RSVP INVITATIONS
At the get-go, round up your western theme party guests with something that screams country. Statistics have shown that the more time you spend on paying attention to fine details on your invitations, the better your turn out will be. Rustle up your people in the country spirit.
WANTED SIGN INVITATIONS – I am sure you have seen the old “wanted posters” from the old west movies where a villian is out there and a reward is being offered on their head, dead or alive. How about this format for your invitiation on parchment? If you don’t have the money for the fancy paper stock, dip it in coffee to age it or burn the sides. Roll the poster up with all of the party details on the inside, and tie it with some cheap twine, or maybe a bandana.
COME IN COSTUME – Before thinking about what decorations to choose, make sure to instruct your buckaroos to dress like the old west. This way, pictures of the night will look right in key with the tone of the theme. Tell them you are dressing the role and hope for the same. List out ideas for the uncreative and lazy guests suggesting such country fashion staples including: western bolo ties, leather fringed vests, spurs, cowboy hats, bandanas, cowboy boots, holsters, toy guns, toy horses, or whatever they can rustle up that fits the bill.
COUNTRY WESTERN PARTY ATMOSPHERE SETTING
Location is everything. If you hold your party in a place that already lends something to the country-western theme, then you are half way there. Let’s say you were holding the party in a very modern place. The fixtures and decor that is already set will work against you. However, a rented barn like The Pruyn House in Latham, NY, or the or ranch, this would be a great setting for all your favorite to gather at. If you can pull this off for your venue, you have a lot of your must-have decorations already built in.
SHUTTER DOORS – These are a “must-have” decoration to set up the old western bar shutter doors wherever you can. This will make your guests enter in style.
TOWN BANNER – Welcome your guests with a long banner at the entrance to the party that says something like “Company Hoedown” or some other creative title that follows the theme. This should look like what you would see in the movies when the town was celebrating something, with the Sheriff or town Mayor on a stage. HAY – Set the stage for your event with real hay bales outside the entrance. You can also put bales of hay around in the corners, and if possible, put handfuls of hay all over the place! If your venue will allow, cover the floor!!! This really sets the tone, when possible! ROCKING HORSE – Set these up for photo ops! People of all ages will have a blast rocking out! HOBBY HORSES – Get those cheaper horse heads on a stick and lay them around for fun! VARMINTS – Place rubber rattle snakes all around the ground, but fear not, your cowboys and cowgirls will surely be able to handle them. CACTUS – Get some real cactus plants for decorations. If it isn’t in the budget, try cactus cutouts. TUMBLEWEEDS – A number of large tumbleweed balls to kick around would really be a mood setter. SADDLES – Borrow or rent a horse saddle and put it somewhere like on top of one of the bales of hay. WASHBOARDS & WAGON WHEELS – These are also a great touch! COWBOY BOOTS – Western boot danglers are an easy and fun party decoration. Use them all over the room or highlight a special area, like the buffet. Either use real boots from a thrift store, perhaps, or cutout paper ones. WANTED POSTERS – Hang up silly wanted posters all over the walls with funny crimes listed under the mug shot. You can personalize the posters with the host/hostesses pictures or even ones of key guests. LABELS – Mark “Cowboys” and “Cowgirls” signs on your bathroom doors. LASSOS – Make giant lassos as wall decorations. XXX BOTTLES – Make ‘em think they are drinking that moonshine! NOOSES – While this may not be great at a children’s party, a properly tied noose may be a great conversation piece in a sick and twisted way! They are also great in case you need an impromptu hanging of a guest who had one to many drinks and is acting ornery. BAGS OF GOLD – Make prop bags of gold so people can stage shoot outs for photo ops, as well! INDIAN STUFF – Focusing on the cowboy stuff sometimes makes us forget… Don’t forget the Indian decorations. Hatches, head dresses, teepees, buffalos, war paint… this avenue opens up even more fun!
3) TABLE PLACE CARDS
There are many ways to show your guests to the chow line and still stay within the theme. One way to do this is with the selection of country western themed table place cards.
CUSTOM COWBELLS – Make a ringing impression with customized cowbells. Buy cowbells, paint the name of each guest on the outside and attach the seating details to the ringer inside. Country Western Cowbells can be found in bulk at novelty and craft stores, or discount mass merchandisers online. BANDANAS – Roll up and ribbon-tie a cowboy bandanna for each person as a seating card. Tie off the seating card with their name and table number and you have a party favor, too. HORSESHOES – Another idea for seating cards is plastic toy horseshoes. Print the name and table number of your guests on each one. GUEST ACCESORY TABLE – Set up a table by your place cards with a baskets chock full of bandanas and cowboy hats, Marshall and deputy badges, and bolo ties. Make sure this is near the front door so your guests can fill out any gaps in their costumes, or lack-there-of costumes. Putting your guests in the garb will allow them have the full country western theme party experience.
Bring The Fun to the Table
4) TABLE DECORATIONS
When it comes to rustle up some grub for the guests, make your theme hit the dinner table. While you don’t have to go too crazy, you should at least have something that barbeque sauce and cornbread goes well with. But what about the décor?
TABLE CLOTH / LINEN – Use checkered toppers over red linens for great looking tables, for a little more pizzazz. Denim table covers are another way to go, too. NAPKINS – Use solid red and solid white napkins, alternating for every other place setting. Another fun idea is to use metal sheriff’s badges as napkin rings, by pinning the middle of each napkin. If a badge is too costly, buy cheap twine and tie each napkin in the center. WESTERN THEME CONFETTI – Don’t forget to sprinkle western confetti around. Look this up online. They make all different shapes like cactus plants, cowboy hats, guns, sheriff badges and more. It’s a great finishing touch! COWBOY HAT NACHOS / CHIP AND DIP HOLDER – You can use a real cowboy hat, turned upside down and line with a check napkin or bandana to hold chips. You can place bowls inside the hats, too, if you are hesitant about napkins.
This is one sharp centerpiece!
5) CENTERPIECE IDEAS CACTUS – A real cactus will really drive the point home with your guests. To brighten up your centerpiece, tie red and blue bandanas around the clay pots that the cactus plants are in. You can also accessorize the soil by sticking mini-spurs in the plant soil, or maybe a cap gun. ANTIQUITIES – Re-create a “western setting” in the middle of the table using antiques. For a really creative centerpiece, use an old metal coffeepot, an old style colored bottle, a bandana-lined basket (that you can fill with just about anything), some old-style metal coffee cups, and/or several bottles of fancy barbecue sauce. Just arrange these all together in the center of the table. STRAW BALE – A mini bale of straw might be the way to go, accessorized just right!
For kids’ tables, try a cowboy play set as the centerpiece. Not only will it look inviting to them, but also they can entertain themselves as they sit and eat. POKER CARDS – Throw them around randomly, like a game just went wrong and the players are in the road engaged in gun slinging!
A Mechanical Bull is a must if you can afford it!
6) ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT MECHANICAL BULL RIDE – While this can be really costly, if it’s in your budget, this is the greatest thing you could add to your party’s entertainment factor! WESTERN BOOT PIñATA – Rustle up your guests all together and try to break the western boot piñata. Fill the piñata with candy and fun toys that go with the western theme. MUSICAL HATS – Play “musical hats” to keep everyone entertained. Make sure to buy authentic cowboy hats and American Indian headdresses though, or the game won’t be nearly as much fun. LINE DANCING LESSONS – Bring in a local dance instructor to teach line dancing. Then later on during the dance part of the party, have the guests show off their new learned steps! You can also hire a professional “line dance caller” to entertain you with authentic square dancing emcee. CARD GAME TABLES – Texas Hold ‘Em, Poker, or Black Jack tables would be great! Set up chips that you can cash in for fun prizes! HORSESHOES – games / tournament with a prize to the winner(s)!
7) MUSIC IDEAS DINNER MUSIC – During this time, set the mood and use the legitimate country music that you can’t really dance to. Have real Country Western playing. You might also play other classic country artists like Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, June Carter Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings. COUNTRY MUSIC – Not everyone loves country music, but there are a lot of mainstream faster tracks out there today to keep the playlist somewhat in the theme. Check out artisits like Brooks And Dunn, Taylor Swift, Trace Atkins, Carrie Underwood, and Eric Church for starters. WESTERN THEME POP MUSIC – Do not be afraid to mix up the playlist. All country music tracks may kill a party where people don’t really like it. While typical country music isn’t the best for fast dancing, there are some alternatives you can add to the mix to keep with the theme. Here is a list of non-country music songs that follow the western cowboy theme:
Wild Wild West – Will Smith Wild Wild West – Kool Moe Dee Apache – Sugar Hill Gang Cotton Eyed Joe – Rednex Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi Where Have All The Cowboys Gone – Paula Cole I Wanna Be A Cowboy – Boys Don’t Cry Hoedown Throwdown – Miley Cyrus The Wild Wild West – Escape Club Rawhide – Blues Brothers The Good The Bad & The Ugly Theme Kid Rock – Cowboy Rhinestone Cowboy – Glenn Cambell Cowboy Take Me Away – Dixie Chicks Back In The saddle again – Aerosmith Rhapsody – Cowboy Lover
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. It has been another one of Kenny Casanova’s “Massive Theme Party Checklist Editions”, much like his our 80’s Theme Party Blog, where we painstakingly share at great length the many things we have seen go well at certain types of parties. While you do not need to accomplish everything you see above, the more you can afford, the better.
…And it goes without saying, book an experienced DJ for your event, partner! And everything will turn out great. 🙂
Recently at the Holiday Inn in Albany, I was the disc jockey for a real fun, high-end, Asian-fusion-themed Sweet Sixteen Party. The party was formal, and also much like an Japanese-American themed Wedding I did recently, so I thought I would throw down some ideas to help others who are thinking about a theme for their special event.
It’s okay to be different. The birthday girl at the party I did was an African-American. If you love sushi and/or Chinese food and have a huge passion for the East, who says that you can’t have an Asian-themed wedding? If you are thinking of changing things up a bit for your wedding, it doesn’t matter if the bride or groom has Oriental roots or not, it really doesn’t matter. America is about diversity. How many theme parties have you been to where the hosts actually fit the mold in their daily lives, anyhow?
Anyhow, it could be difficult and limiting to isolate your event to just Chinese or Japanese culture, since they themselves draw from so many inspirations. The modern Japanese writing system itself uses three main scripts, and one of them, Kanji, is basically made up entirely from Chinese characters/letters. Since here in the west, we often group eastern ideas and cultures together, it may be interesting to have an Asian-Fusion Theme, so you can incorporate all the fun.
WEDDING CEREMONY – For the actually wedding ceremony, there are many different eastern traditions that can easily be researched. One interesting one has the bride and groom entering the room from opposite sides and symbolically walking together. Guests then wave paper streamers over the couple’s heads for purification to keep evil spirits at away. After exchanging vows, the bride and groom each drink a symbolic glass of sake. Finally, they trade glasses nine times to symbolize their new bond.
Formal Wedding Kimonos go for well over $20,000!
BRIDE DRESS- Typically, a bride in Japan wears a white silk kimono that can cost over $20,000, but you can get something much cheaper here in the states, or even have something made. The fun part for the bride in Japan is that she gets to act like Lady Gaga at an award ceremony all night. Normally, the Japanese bride changes into up to five different kimonos throughout the wedding day.
Japanese brides often wear a traditional Japanese wig as part of their regalia. These wigs are very fancy and decorated in golden barrettes, pearls, and beautiful artificial flowers,
GROOM CLOTHING- On the other side of the ying yang, a Japanese groom wears all black. A “haori” on the top and a “hakama” on the bottom are the official terms of the traditional matrimonial garb.
DRESS CODE – The wedding party also dresses in kimonos, usually in a color chosen by the bride. Depending on the atmosphere you are looking for, you may want to encourage fun eastern attire from the guests as well. Warning… be forewarned that Uncle Charlie could probably show up as a ninja.
The reception is where you can really pull in the Asian-Fusion theme. There are so many options with this that there is no excuse if you fall short.
ARRIVAL – Though I will admit I have not seen this, coming in pulled on a hand-pulled rikshaw would kick some major bonsai!
Paper Lantern Decorations will dress up any event!
DECORATIONS – There are so many options. Bonsai Tree centerpieces, Shoji paper lanterns with Japanese script, Chinese paper parasols, Lucky bamboo plants, Fancy sushi trays and dipping dishes, Cherry Blossoms, paper wall room dividers, hanging oil lanterns. Mini Sandy Zen gardens with tiny rakes. Polished river stones can act as paperweights for napkins.
PRINTING – For the invitations, print custom invitations on Japanese Fine artisan papers and make sure to include some Chinese or Japanese letters. You could also print programs on paper fans!
FAVORS – In Japan, a nickel is a beautiful cheap coin that has a hole in it. It is said to be good luck to wear this coin as a charm on a necklace. Therefore, why not give out Good Luck Japanese Nickel Necklaces? Also, every place setting could have a Lucky Red Takeout Box & Japanese Chopsticks, and Origami. You could also go with a keepsake Porcelain Chinese Takeout Box , Longevity Chopsticks in Silk Pouches, or even Personalized Japanese Wood Chopsticks. Also, fortune cookie with pre-printed fortunes, customized by the bride and groom would be a great hit!
DRINKS – Bowls of edamame beans at the bar, Sake, Wasabe Brew, green tea, or mango sodas.
APPETISERS – Sushi, sashimi, a full raw bar spread, dim sum, shrimp tempura, spring rolls, teriyaki or yakimore sticks and noodles dishes.
MAIN COURSE – Don’t even get me started.
No matter what you do, a theme wedding is the way to go. No one will forget! …And do not be afraid to play Carl Douglas’ “Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting” and The Vapors song “I’m Turning Japanese.” You know you want to!
So the ring has been given, now, what next? Is there anything important you need to think of when choosing your actual wedding date? How to choose a wedding date, is difficult and should not be taken lightly.
How to optimize the selection of the actual calendar date for your wedding is easy when you eliminate your competion.
When you are picking a date to throw a big event like a wedding, one should approach things with a good business mind. That means, KNOW YOUR COMPETITION. Like any other important date, be smart about selection. You should act like a real good planner and think of all the reasons your guests may not be able to come on that particular day. Believe it or not, people may not make your most special date their top priority.
You probably can understand that planning a wedding on Superbowl Sunday is probably not the best idea, if you have a lot of sports fans on either side of the family. So when do you plan it?
Choosing the actual day of the week is tough, but it is not the biggest battle. Most people will agree that a Sunday or a Friday is a good idea, but Saturday seems to be even better due to commute issues for your guests either before or after the ceremony and reception. If this is true, then what you really need to focus on is which Saturday on the calendar is best to choose? To figure this out, think about which Saturday will pose the least amount of distrations to the majority of your guests.
STAY AWAY FROM HOLIDAYS – Face it. Aside from your one uncle that farts a lot, and the one cousin who gets extremely drunk even at communion, for the most part, you really want your all of your friends and family to be able to make it. However, there is one mistake that a lot of party planners seem to make… PUTTING THE DATE ON A HOLIDAY, figuring that your guests have the date off anyway.
AVOID CAUSING A BREAK IN YOUR GUEST’S POSSIBLE TRADITIONS – Yes, at first, selecting a holiday as your wedding date seems like a novel idea; getting married on Christmas Eve, or The Fourth of July, perhaps. You probably figure that most people already have that date off, and it is fun to be able to say, “we are getting married and starting our NEW lives together on NEW Years Eve!” …or something to that effect. However, placing your special date on a day where other people may already have plans, or traditions is quite often a really bad thing to do.
For one, it sometimes can make some very important people in your lives have to pick between attending either their yearly plan/tradition, or attending your function. This can upset your guests or even you when you see what their decision is. It is a bad position to put people in on both sides.
I was the DJ for one wedding that actually fell on Halloween. It was also a “no kids allowed” wedding. This meant that some of their guests had to get babysitters and also, could not go trick-or-treating with their children. So what ended up happening? Many guest with younger children left way too early for the success of the wedding reception. When it came time to dance, a large portion of the guest list had left.
AVOID PLACING YOUR DATE ON A FUN DAY – Another reason chosing a fun calendar day for your special day is not a good idea is you may loose some of the fun people who might have attended that are not all that close to you. If they are not your very best friends, but you do want them to attend, it is possible that they may succumb to the temptation of your calendar date’s competition. That can mean less people you haven’t seen in a long time, or even worse, less of a good time overall.
A good example of this might be placing your wedding date on Saint Patrick’s day. While it is not traditionally a day that people may get off of work, it is a day that many other parties and events plan on.
An Irish Wedding theme can be great! However, choosing the actual Saint Patrick’s day date for your wedding will make some of your lesser important guests to have to choose between you, and that nice pint of green beer that is waiting for them down the street at their favorite pub. Again, as a rule of thumb, keep in mind that your most special day is not always going to be THEIR most special day. And you do not want to lose guests that you value simply because you picked one day, when you could have picked another. (For some ideas on Irish theme weddings check out my blog here.)
So think twice before choosing that holiday for your special day. If you create competion for your event by choosing a bad day from the start, you are only setting yourself up for potential heartache.
Wearing The White Dress is Important
If you are contemplating having a theme wedding for your special day, this can open up all kinds of fun. It really gives your wedding direction and personality. Everything comes together so much easier. The tone and decoration ideas just fall right into place, with people offering ideas and help that you wouldn’t normally get in a traditional wedding.
However, here is just a thought: wear the white dress.
While this may not matter in all cases according to the actual taste of the bride, there is some logic behind having the traditional dress kept sacred. While choosing to where the white gown may hinder some of the creative possibilities that can go a long with the chosen theme, the symbolization behind the dress may be more important.
For one, the dress symbolizes purity and class. The older guests will apprciate that the traditional bridal garb has not been kicked to the wayside.
The second important reason for the white dress is you don’t want the theme wedding to just feel like a really big costume party. At many good theme weddings, the guests are encouraged to wear something to go along with the theme. For example, if you were going to a pirate wedding, a beach wedding, or a halloween theme wedding, you can be sure that most people will dress a certain way. Having the bride still wear the white dress makes her stand out as being special.
Finally, as little girls, most bride’s envision walking the aisle and looking like a princess. On your wedding day, you still want it to feel like like a wedding and despite all the other other theme related things, the white dress will make this happen.
WEDDING THEME IDEAS – A list of different themes to pick from to liven your wedding or event
As a wedding DJ, I have seen a lot of traditional weddings. I have noticed, however, that something makes it hard for me to remember which wedding was which. If you have attended a lot of weddings yourself, did you ever notice that later on they all seem to blend together in your memory?
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT- If you really want your special day to be different and memorable, you have to take a risk and break the norm. Think about it, the traditional wedding with tuxedos and the big white dress and the huge cake is a theme now, in itself. But everyone does the traditional wedding thing, or at least some elements of it. So, do you want to stand out and have your wedding really be remembered? Do you dare to be different? There are many many ways to make your wedding stand out and be different from the rest. One sure way to do that is to add a fun theme to your special day.
PICK A THEME AND CREATE A REAL MEMORY!
KEEPING THE CLASS – Don’t get me wrong. You can keep traditions, but tradition doesn’t have to happen to the point of nausea, anymore. Keep the ceremony sacred, keep the white dress, and keep whatever you want from the traditional guidelines. But remember, guidelines are just that… GUIDELINES. When you add a theme to your wedding, the whole game changes, but you can still make it fancy and elegant, and not just a theme party.
When I got married, my wife kept the white dress so it still felt like a wedding, but the groomsmen rented high-end pirate costumes, rather than tuxes. Since it was a pirate theme, we chose to go for the movie prop look, rather than the easy cartoon-like party decorations that you could get just anywhere. That way, the pirate feel was authentic and not just a silly halloween party.
LIST OF WEDDING / PARTY THEME OPTIONS WITH “HOW-TO” HYPERLINKS FOR MORE INFO:
(A few wedding theme options on the above list are hyperlinks. For more wedding theme ideas, check out our other blogs at www.thedjservice.com/blog )
A Star Wars Wedding is just one of the many themes you could pick!
THEMES REALLY CREATE PARTICIPATION – Adding a fun theme where people actually dress the role or can participate in some fun and different way, makes everyone feel connected. Everything is united under one common idea. This idea fosters creativity and participation at the sime time. People come together and want to help you plan and even decorate. And brides, I have even noticed that when an interesting theme has been added, creative grooms buy into the planning even more. (See my not-yet written future blog here: My Pirate Wedding)
We have become one of the area’s number one choices for theme weddings when selecting a disc jockey. With my past experience in the entertainment field, as well as being a fiction writer, it only makes sense that my creative side does well with theme weddings as a DJ.
An Irish theme wedding is a perfect way to make your wedding stick out and be memorable to all the guests attending. It additionally celebrates your heritage and Irish culture, and is a great way to start your marriage.
There are many things you can incorporate into your special day. Irish traditions can be fused into your decor, ceremony, clothing, food and also reception activities.
First off, the look of the reception hall is everything. When you purchase decorations, it s easy to go with anything Saint Patrick’s day, but I would stay away from the over-the-top cartoony stuff. You can get away with some of it, perhaps at the reception, if you absolutely want to go with leprechans and pots of gold, but you really shouldn’t have them at the ceremony. Those type of decorations can make your wedding look cheap.
CELTIC WEDDING TRADITIONS
The traditional Irish Wedding Bell – A hand held “Irish Wedding bell” is sounded by the new husband immediately after the ceremony. Decoration-wise for a modern Irish wedding, small bells can be distributed as favors to your guests. These are nice keepsakes, as they replicate the symbolic Irish Wedding Bell rung at the couple’s ceremony. Guests are encouraged to ring them upon departure from the church after the ceremony, much we throw rice here in the states, or blow bubbles.
The ceremony bell is not forgotten and left behind at the ceremony as a decoration, however, with the flowers. It accompanies the new couple to their home as a momento of their vows. In fact, whenever there is an argument, it is supposed to be rung to remind the couple of their wedding vows. (ONE DOWNFALL – Everyone knows when Mr. & Mrs. O’Reilly are arguing. They sounds like the Salvation Army by Walmart at Christmas time.)
Irish Shotgun Wedding /Add Gun Fire! – If you really want to start your married life out wth a bang, another Celtic tradition is for rifles to be fired to announce that the couple have been declared now, “man and wife.”
A Horseshoe Bouquet- The bride’s bundle of flowers can hold a horseshoe inside it, to bring the couple good luck as tradition. (Just make sure to remove it before the flower toss, as getting hit with one brings bad luck and a hefty hospital bill.) A twist on this tradition is that some women also sew a tiny cute horseshoe into the hem of their wedding dress in Irish weddings.
CLOTHING OPTIONS FOR AN IRISH THEME WEDDING
The Harvest Knot – Many years ago, the men of Ireland gave their brides-to-be an accessory called harvest knots which were weavings of straw. Usually, a Harvest Knot is trimmed with flowers and worn in their hair or around your neck. You can put a harvest knot also in the flower bouquet along with the lucky horseshoe to symbolize Irish pride.
Add Irish Flare – Okay. Okay. I know this sounds cheesy, but as a twist on the Horseshoe Bridal Bouquet above, some women also sew a tiny cute horseshoe onto the hem of their wedding dress for Irish weddings. Try it! It is like bedazzling for your future good fortune!
Adding Irish Lace – A great way add Irish to your wedding attire is to mix in some Irish lace. Authentic Irish Lace is always loaded with intricate patterns and great quality. You can add lace to the veil to really bring the Irish out.IRISH FOOD OPTIONS
The Dinner – The way that the wedding guests would feast in celebration, back in old Ireland was to have a potluck meal hosted at the bride’s family’s house. Traditional Irish dishes include coddle, stew soda, Irish bread, and of course everyone loves cornbeef and cabbage.
The Wedding Cake – The Irish wedding cake is typically a heavy fruit cake with white icing. Tradition says that one of the bride’s sisters or bridesmaids is actually the one to cut and serve it. But they location of the actual cut is the strangest part of this cake cutting custom. Tradition actually has the bride seated while the groomsmen held the cake over her head while her sister or best friend cut it.
Use A Real Bagpiper.
MUSIC OPTIONS WITH CELTIC APPEAL & THE MUST-HAVE IRISH PLAYLIST
Irish Bag Pipes – Rock out at your ceremony or for your introduction into the reception hall with the belting melody of the Irish pipes. Although bagpipes have Celtic roots, they are often today played by the Scottish. However, with a little research, you can find a real Irish uillean piper play at your wedding.
Celtic music can be played wherever appropriate during the ceremony and reception, as there are many varieties. I particularly recommend Celtic harp music for the ceremony for the atmosphere it sets. There are many CDs on Amazon, if you are not having a live band or musician.
Reception Dancing – Learn and perform a real Irish jig to traditional Irish music at the reception. The actual steps of Irish folkdances are called ceilidh.
Here is a good playlist of must hear Irish songs for your wedding reception:
Andres Segovia – Henry Purcell
A 12 Year Old Irish Girl In All Of Us – Flogging Molly
A Walk in Irish Rain – Irish Descendants
Ave Maria (Schubert) – The Irish Tenors
Barrett’s Privateers – Irish Descendants
Black Velvet Band – Irish Rovers
Catch The Wind (Folk) – Irish Descendants
Come on Eileen Dexie’s – Midnight Runners
Danny Boy – The Irish Tenors
Dublin in the Rare Old Times – Three Irish Tenors Farewell To Nova Scotia – Irish Rovers
Give Ireland Back To The Irish – Paul McCartney
Haste to The Wedding (Celtic) – The Corrs
I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen – Three Irish Tenors
Irish Heartbeat – Van Morrison & The Chieftans
Irish Jig – Various Artists
Irish Medley – Dixie Chicks
Jump Around – House of Pain
Mother Machree – John Gary
Old Irish Blessing – Sprague Choir
Peg O My Heart – Jerry Vale
Riverdance Soundtrack – Irish Diddy
Shipping Off To Boston – Dropkick Murphies
The Biplane Evermore – Irish Rovers
The Irish Washerwoman – Celtic Bagpipes
Tim Finnegan’s Wake – Celtic Connection
Toora-Loora-Looral Three – Irish Tenors
Traditional Irish Folk Song – Dennis Leary
Unicorn – Irish Rovers
Waltzing Matilda – The Irish Rovers
Wasn’t that a party – Irish Rovers
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling – Bing Crosby
Wild Irish Rose – Country George Jones
