Quick Answer
What is the Irish wedding blessing?
The Irish wedding blessing is a traditional verse recited at weddings wishing the couple health, happiness, and good fortune — best known by its opening line, "May the road rise up to meet you." It is a folk blessing of uncertain single authorship, widely used in toasts, ceremony readings, and printed keepsakes.
Last updated:
Last updated:
What is the Irish wedding blessing?
Also called: Irish blessing, "May the road rise up to meet you".
If you have been to more than a handful of weddings, you have almost certainly heard some version of the Irish wedding blessing — it is one of the most-quoted pieces of Irish folk verse in the English-speaking world, recited by officiants, printed on invitations, and read aloud by a father of the bride reaching for the right words.
The words and when it is used
The most common version reads: "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand." Couples and officiants often adapt it, sometimes trimming the closing line or reworking it for a secular ceremony.
- •Recited by the officiant as part of the ceremony, often near the close.
- •Used as a toast line by a best man, father of the bride, or another speaker.
- •Printed on invitations, order-of-service cards, or framed as a keepsake gift.
Planning notes
- •If you want it read aloud, give the reader the exact wording in advance — the "rains fall soft upon your fields" line trips people up more than expected.
- •It works well printed on the front or back of a ceremony program, or on a small keepsake card guests take home.
- •Decide early whether you want the closing religious line kept or adapted, especially for a secular or interfaith ceremony.
Keep ceremony readings and speakers organised
Track who is reading, toasting, or speaking — and confirm they have the final wording — with Weddingkart's shared wedding checklist.
Try the wedding checklist tool →Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote the Irish wedding blessing?
There is no confirmed single author — it is an anonymous Irish folk blessing that became widely popularised in the 19th and 20th centuries, and its exact origins are unclear, as is common with oral folk verse.
Is the Irish wedding blessing religious?
It has roots in Irish Catholic and folk tradition and the closing line invokes God directly, but it is recited today at religious, secular, and interfaith weddings alike, often with that line adapted or dropped.
Are there other traditional Irish wedding blessings besides this one?
Yes — several shorter Irish toasts and blessings exist (for health, for the home, for long life), but "May the road rise up to meet you" is by far the most widely known and used at weddings.
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By Mayank JaiswalLast updated