Esras Films presents a new six-part series, following diverse Irish couples as they prepare for their Big Day, bringing together their diverse families, faiths and traditions with a ring and a prayer.
In some parts of the Ireland country, 1 in 4 marriages now involve at least two nationalities and there are countless combinations of cultures, races and creeds.
The decision to make a life-long commitment is not one these couples take lightly. They know there may be challenges for them, their partners and their families when they tie the knot. But there are also ways to accommodate difference with love and respect, not only in a wedding ceremony, but in marriage itself. Many couples find creative and colourful ways to celebrate their differences, generously allowing cameras to follow their preparations and to capture their big day.
Amongst the couples we will meet in this series are Cassandra from South Africa and Sam from Limerick, who choose to get married in a multicultural Evangelical Christian Church. Emma from the Philippines chooses a Filipino priest to celebrate her marriage to Dubliner, Gavin. Paul, who was born in Nigeria, marries his Irish-Romanian sweetheart, Anastasia, in an Orthodox Church, while Shanti and Alex create a fusion of Nepalese and Irish traditions. The series also traditional African ceremonies, a three-day Hindu wedding and a pre-Christian or “pagan” Irish hand-fasting.
Punctuating all these nuptials are the voices of experience – couples with years of experience of marrying outside their tradition, faith or culture… for better and for worse.
A RING AND A PRAYER captures the Irish experience of multicultural marriage in all its glorious technicolour, in a way that will touch and move audiences of all faiths and none.
Episode One:
Getting married can get complicated if you come from different cultures, nationalities or faith traditions. Find out what happens when Cassandra from South Africa and Emma from the Philippines marry Irishmen Sam and Gavin.
