Why not invite Gaeilge along to your wedding?

A BRAND new e-book aims to bring a little more Gaeilge to your wedding day. Grá: Irish Words for Your Wedding, written by native Irish speaker, Ali Croí from the Connemara Gaeltacht, offers a modern guide to Gaeilge, romance, as well as little Irish humour. It’s a beautifully structured companion for anyone who wants their wedding to sound as Irish as it feels—rooted in tradition, full of grá and alive with humour and heart.

Ali has spent nearly 20 years as part of the Irish diaspora. A mother of two, she was determined to keep the Gaeilge alive within her own family. Through her business, Cló agus Croí, she creates accessible resources and customisable children’s books, helping others weave more Irish into their daily lives.

“Grá—one of the most cherished words in the Irish language—means ‘love,’ yet its warmth reaches far beyond a simple translation,” the author said. “It’s threaded through everyday Irish life. People speak of having a ‘huge grá for the GAA’ and parents, like myself, often send their children out the door each morning with ‘grá mo chroí sibh,’ which translates as ‘love of my heart to you all.’

“That everyday tenderness sets the tone for Grá: Irish Words for Your Wedding, my new e-book celebrating Irish language, heritage, and the expressions that shape how we love.”

“Historically, Irish love poetry has carried a famously unromantic streak, favouring unrequited or lost love, tinged with melancholy, irony, and a distinctly Irish realism,” she continued. “Rather amusingly, 16th-century poets seemed fascinated by even, bright teeth, rhapsodising about ‘dá déid shocair’ (her smooth, even teeth) and ‘do dhéad gheal’ (your bright teeth) with remarkable enthusiasm.

“Old-style proposals were equally dark-humoured, summed up in the very starkly practical question: “An luifeá le mo mhuintir?” (Would you lie with my people?) A proposal as blunt as it is sincere, rooted more in community than fairytale romance.

“Yet genuine romantic voices do shine through, including pieces like Úna Ní Bhroin’s Ó Thugas Mo Ghrá Dhuit (Since I gave you my love), one of several wedding-friendly poems featured in the guide.”

The e-book offers a curated selection of Irish words, phrases, blessings, readings, vows, toasts, and stationery wording. Each entry includes phonetic pronunciation and English translation so anyone can use them with confidence.

Whether planning a fully bilingual ceremony or simply adding a cúpla focal to vows, speeches, or invitations, the guide makes Gaeilge accessible, warm, and meaningful.

You can download Grá: Irish Words for Your Wedding at: www.cloaguscroi.com