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Customs and
Traditions
Piping in the
bride
The
oathing stone
Handfasting
Scottish Style
Sharing the Quaich
Sashing
the bride
Music
Choosing and using
a piper
Readings & Blessings
Scottish
readings
Scottish
blessings
What
to wear
Choosing
your
Tartan
What if you aren't
Scottish?
Attire for the
Groom
Attire for the Bride
How Tartan is made
Production processes
Romantic Wedding Rituals Bookstore
Bookstore
My other websites
www.JenniferCram.com.au
www.PrideCeremonies.com.au
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Blue Bonnet Tartan
Weddings are ceremonies created for clients clients of
Scottish heritage by Jennifer Cram, an authorised marrriage celebrant
skilled and knowledgeable about all aspects of traditional Scottish
weddings. Under Jennifer's expert guidance your wedding will be a
feast for both eyes and ears,
and occasion resplendent with
pride and filled
with romance.
While the
primary identifying aspect
of a Scottish-themed wedding is the wearing of tartan, incorporation of
tartan
in accessories and/or decorations, together with bagpipe music, there is a lot more to Bluebonnet Tartan
Weddings
than to the average traditional wedding ceremony based on English
customs and
church practice, in particular much more involvement of the families
and the guests together with a number of rituals that emphasise that a
marriage is more than the joining of two people.
Many
couples will include the lucky white heather, thistles,
and tartan ribbon in bouquets and bouttonieres, together with
handfasting or a
chalice ceremony using a quaich as part of the ceremony.
However, while Tartan
Weddings can incorporate
a range of wonderful traditions that celebrate the Scottish ancestry of
the bride and/or groom, a Tartan Wedding is not just a reflection
of the past. In the 21st century your Tartan Wedding can be infused
with your personal style.
Choosing
your Tartan
You have the right to
wear a tartan
associated with your surname,
but so does anyone else.
Anyone may
wear any tartan they choose, with the following exceptions:
- personal tartans
- tartans restricted by copyright or
trademark
- tartans reserved for the Royal
Family (including the Royal
Stewart, which is the tartan of the sovereign. The honour of wearing
the Royal Stewart tartan
it is only granted to individuals or groups at the sovereign's
pleasure, so it is never acceptable to wear it unless you have
permission to do so from the Queen.)
Clan tartans are generally
worn by families associated with
that clan, but, contrary to a common belief, there isn't a one-to-one
correspondence between name and tartan. Most clans have more than
one tartan design. On the other hand, ancient, modern, weathered and muted are terms that refer to the
same tartan produced in different hues, not different tartans.
An old Highland custom is
to wear the host's clan tartan
as a mark of honour, so it is perfectly all right for all the
groomsmen to wear the groom's family tartan.
District tartans provide
an
alternative for those who know the
area from which their family came, but do not know the clan
affliliation, or whose ancestors came from places that were not in the
"tartan area". Where
a name cannot be
traced to a particular area, or is a
recent import to Scotland there are a number of national tartans such
a Caledonia, The Flower of Scotland, Pride of Scotland.
Purists suggest that you
should select a tartan
associated with your own surname in preference to choosing a tartan
associated with a paternal ancestral surname, and that both of those
are preferable to choosing a tartan associated with a
surname acquired by marriage or through a maternal ancestor.
That said, one of the
rituals that can be included in a Tartan
Wedding is the sashing of the bride. The groom's mother, or some other
member of the family if she is not present, welcomes the bride into the
family by presenting the bride with a sash in their tartan.
I wear my McDonald tartan
at Scottish weddings.
What if you aren't Scottish?
Just as you don't
necessarily have to have a clan affiliation
to wear tartan, you don't actually have to have Scottish ancestry
either. There are tartans for parts of England, a Cornish tartan, a
number of Welsh tartans, numerous university and football fan club
tartans, and tartans for numerous countries in Europe.
Outside Europe, Australia
has an official national tartan and several district tartans
named for Australian states, including Queensland. Canada has
the Canadian Centennial Tartan and the Maple Leaf Tartan, and each
province
and territory has its own tartan. The US has the America Tartan and a
number of states have tartans, some of which have been adopted
by the state as the official tartan, including the Texas Bluebonnet
Tartan. Some cities also have tartans.
Attire
for the Groom and his attendants
Jenny,
Thank you so much for yesterday. It was a perfect day and I had so much
fun. Everything was just so wonderful and many guests commented on the
ceremony and how it fit us perfectly. Thank you for listening to us
about what we wanted and delivering it to a tee! Glenys xxx, who married Gary beneath 300
year old Moreton Bay Figs at Old Petrie Town. Gary and his groomsmen
wore the Prince Charlie Jacket and Glynis and her bridesmaids carried
bouquets of Australian Native Flowers whose muted tones toned fabuously
with the kilts.
Unless the entire bridal
party is from the same clan it is perfectly acceptable to have an
assortment of tartans. While the groom and his attendants at a
traditional
wedding would wear suits that are similar, if not identical, wearing
the kilt is much more flexible and when each member of the party wears
his own tartan the symbolism of family and community support is
heightened. Multiple tartans also add considerably to the overall
impact of the bridal party. The consistency provided by the male
members all wearing the same style of jacket (there are several to
choose from), shoes and long hose ensure that the party looks
co-ordinated.
Of course, if the bride has
Scottish ancestry and the groom does not,
it is perfectly acceptable for the groom to wear a lounge suit.
For a formal wedding the
appropriate style of jacket is the Prince Charlie (the James Bond
look). This jacket has a cut reminiscent of a tuxedo, braided
epaulettes and distinctive silver buttons. If the wedding is
semi-formal the Argyll is suitable for day-into-evening. The jacket has
a longer, more rounded hem and simple cuffs. The Braemar jacket is a
good compromise, having the simple shape of the Argyll together with
the more elegant cuffs of the Prince Charlie jackets. You should be
able to get both the Argyll and the Braemar jackets in tweed, an
excellent look for a casual day-time wedding and for guests. With all
of these jackets a 5 button waistcoat is worn
If the weather is going to be hot, consider wearing a Jacobean shirt
with or without a potaine (sleeveless waistcoat) with the kilt. This
also is a
more rugged and less formal look and is great for a beach wedding.
While the kilt is commonly
worn by the males in the bridal
party, there are other options. The groom and his attendants could wear
a tartan vest (waistcoat) with a lounge or dress suit, or a tartan bow
tie and cummerband with a tuxedo. Tartan trews
(trousers) are another option. Or go low key and just wear a tartan tie
or a Scottish themed buttonhole.
It is worth noting that
tartan neckties are seldom worn
in Scotland, particularly with Highland dress, and are really only
appropriate if wearing a lounge suit or sports
jacket. When wearing a kilt, a necktie in a solid colour that
complements the tartan is worn.
With a kilt you would wear
black wing-tip shoes or kilt brogues during the day or evening brogues
for a more formal occasion. There is also a difference between a day
sporran and an evening sporran.
How to wear highland dress:
- The kilt should be
worn round the natural waistline with the the top buckle sitting
on the top of the pelvic bone on your side, not low as you would wear a
pair of trouser. The hem should come to the centre of the
knees (if you kneel down it should just skim the ground).
- The kilt pin
should be placed about 4 inches (10 cm) up from the hem and 2 inches (5
cm) in from the fringed edge
- The sporran should
be centred at the front of the kilt, approximately 6 inches (15cm) from
the top of the kilt
- The hose (socks)
should be folded over approximately 2 inches below the knee and the
flashes tucked under the fold on the outside of the leg.
- The bottom button
of the 5-button waistcoat is left undone - out of respect for Bonnie
Prince Charlie whose expanded waistline meant he couldn't do it up!
Attire
for the Bride and her attendants
If wearing white the
bride can wear a sash in her choice of tartan
(always on the right shoulder unless the wife of a clan chief or a
chief in her own right, in which case the sash is worn on the left
shoulder), or keep it low key and have only a Scottish
themed bouquet
(incorporating heather, thistles and tartan ribbon). Attendants can
also wear tartan sashes.
Add an element of surprise by wearing the tartan on your shoes (a
competent shoemaker can cover a pair of shoes with silk tartan fabric,
now available in a range of tartans) with a traditional white dress.
Tartan shoes also work very well for flower-girls.
But forget the advice of some bridal magazines to add tartan bows to
your dress. This is not something that is done in the Highlands, and
being covered in tartan bows may well make you look
like a Christmas parcel.
The bride can follow the example of earlier
Scots brides and wear blue, symbolising fidelity, with or without
tartan sash. Or she might choose a gold dress, popular with modern
Scots brides and
often worn with a tartan wrap. Or she can feature tartan much more
prominently in her dress - a
tartan inset in the train, tartan used in piping or other details, or
even a dress that is
completely tartan. It is a matter of choice.
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