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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
It started in Scotland
Scottish Origins of General
Wedding
Customs & Practices
What to wear
Choosing
your
Tartan
What if you
aren't
Scottish?
Attire for the
Groom
Attire for the Bride
© Jennifer
Cram 2007-2008
All rights reserved
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Customs and Traditions
Piping
in the Bride
In Scottish weddings
bride and groom were always treated equally, so the bride was not given
away by her father as was the custom in England. This allows for a
number of wonderful precursors to the wedding and a very
different form of processional.
The
Oathing Stone
Taken from the ancient
custom of setting an oath in stone, inclusion of an oathing stone in
the vows can be deeply moving.
Handfasting
Scottish Style
Contrary to popular belief,
the term 'handfasting' signifies a handshake, and the use of the cord
is a modern re-interpretion. Nonetheless incorporating this feature
into the ritual is visually moving, particularly when the hands are bound
by The Ban' (generally tartan ribbon).
While the Handfasting
ritual incorporated in modern wedding ceremonies as a form of spiritual
joining, or used as a substitute for a commitment ceremonies, owes its
popularity to the movie Braveheart,
handfasting has a long history in Scotland where it was traditionally a
form of betrothal (consent in the future tense). Having made promises
in the future tense once the relationship was consummated the couple
were deemed to be married whether or not they had been through a
wedding ceremony. While in England Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act of
1753 required marriages to be performed in church to be legal, and the
Kirk no longer recognized marriage by future tense
consents followed by consummation, from the civil and legal point of
view in Scotland handfasting or marriage by declaration
followed by consummation remained legal until 1940 (when the 1939
reforming act took effect).
Sharing
the Quaich
A loving cup ceremony using the quaich, the
traditional Scottish two handled shallow communal drinking vessel, adds
a special touch to the ceremony.
Sashing
of the Bride and Presentation to the Groom
The
sashing of the bride is the moment when the bride is welcomed into the
groom’s family and clan. by pinning a sash in the groom's clan tartan
on her. The presentation by the bride's family
sword to the groom is likewise is a very special moment. This is when
the groom is welcomed into his wife's family and charged with the
responsibility of defending her and her honour. . Alternatives to the
presentation of a sword is a presentation of a plaid (if the groom is
wearing his own clan kilt), with a ceremonial pinning of the plaid to
his shoulder, a kilt in the bride’s clan tartan, or a tartan tie.
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