Wedding Option: Celtic Priest near the Cliffs of Moher

Dream of getting married in a 16^th century castle tower near the Cliffs of Moher? Want to literally tie-the-knot with a traditional Irish handfasting ceremony? I'm finding that a popular ceremony option for Ireland destination wedding-ers is to get married by a Celtic priest. Dara Molloy has been performing ceremonies with a religious bent for almost 30 years. You can ceremonially get married* at a variety of locations, but it seems the most popular is Newton Castle in the Burren, Co. Clare near the Cliffs of Moher. The venue is open and round with a wood burning fireplace to add to the ambiance. Click here to see a wedding photo that shows the inside. Here is another series of photos from a wedding there.

There are a variety of B&Bs in the area – particularly in Doolin which is a very small village with a lively traditional Irish music scene – or try Gregans Castle which I will check out when I’m there. Check out the Ballina Strawboys band for ceremony or reception music. They have an interesting story on Irish wedding traditions. Although I am getting married in a church, I wanted to share this one as it looks like an interesting option.

*NOTE: A ceremony performed by this Celtic priest does not legally marry you. You must do that at a registrar’s office separately or get married in city hall before you leave for Ireland. Image courtesy of Borrowed Blue Photography who won an award a PDN Magazine's Top Knot award in the candid category for the following picture. Congrats!