Traditional Scottish Wedding

A traditional wedding in any part of the world is full of traditions and customs, which are more or less for fun and enjoyment. As in any traditional wedding, the traditional Scottish wedding also does have several customs and traditions that are followed, before as well as after the wedding.

The traditional Scottish wedding dates back to the 1300's. The Scots are humorous people. It answers why the traditional Scottish weddings are full of humor and merry making. Drinking is a part of most of the ceremonies that take place during the Scottish traditional wedding.

Engagement Party
The engagement party is celebrated either at the house of the parents or at some restaurant. In the party, the bride's father makes a statement which reads "If she is willing, I am very willing and if that weren't so, this wouldn't be so", in Gaelic.

Stag and Hen Party
The actual wedding celebrations begin with the stag party for the bridegroom and his friends and the hen party for the bride and her friends. This tradition has glaring similarities with the bridal shower that is a part of the other traditions world wide. The hen's party is normally organized by the mother of the bride. This is a party for the people who have given gifts to the couple. These gifts help the new couple establish a new home of their own. The bride opens all the gifts, that she has received, and a display is held of the same for the people. Then the friends of the bride take the bride out around the town, where they break pans and pots, announcing the wedding.

On the Stag night, the friends of the groom are reassured that the wedding will not mean the end of friendship between the groom and his friends. Very often the groom and his friends go out drinking. The groom normally is the butt of all the jokes that happen there. There's a lot of drinking and harmless merry making and joking. At the end of the night the groom is stripped of his clothes either completely or partially and then tied to a pole outside his house in order to humiliate him.

Traditional Wedding Dress
In a traditional Scottish wedding, the bride wears a white wedding gown complete with tiara, shoes, veil and she carries a bouquet in her hand. Very often a lucky horseshoe is also a part of the bride's attire. In a very traditional Scottish wedding, the bride will always wear some things that are borrowed from friends and family. The bride as a part of her traditional wedding dress also has something that is old. Normally it is something that is passed down to her from her mother.

The groom wears his typical Highland dress. The Highland dress normally consists of the kilt, kilt jacket, tartan, sporran, ghillie brogues shoes with a black knife in them and heather. In Scotland, each clan has its own tartan and the ways of wearing it. The groom is also said to wear the motto of his clan in a pin. The heather is supposed to bring good luck for the couple.

Either the groom or the bride wear a brooch, called the Luckenbooth brooch. This brooch is later pinned to the blanket of the first born of the couple. This brooch is normally two intertwined hearts made in silver. The bridesmaids are dressed in the color chosen by the bride. The bride's father and the best man are dressed in the traditional Highland dress.

Wedding Ceremony
The wedding is solemnized in the church at a service. There is a tradition where the hands of the bride and the groom are tied together symbolizing solidarity to one another. The service is normally conducted in either English or Gaelic. The wedding is normally followed by a wedding reception. The newly wedded couple cut a cake at the reception party. The guests get a piece of the cake later. Then begins the first dance. In the first dance the couple start the dance, they are followed by the best man and the chief bridesmaid. The parents of the couple also dance at the first dance, but the partners are swapped. Thereafter the guests join in the dance. There is a lot of drinking and eating that happens, thereafter. When the guests are busy in the merry making the couple give a slip to all the guests, running away for the first night.

Wedding Ring
After the couple say "I do", does the exchange of the wedding bands take place. Gold wedding rings form an important part of the wedding traditions in Scotland. Gold wedding band is a custom which was started around the 1500 A.D. The gold band symbolizes that the love has no start or no end. Very often the wedding bands have Celtic knots on them. Previously the rings were worn only by the bride, but with the changing times the bridegroom also started wearing the band.

In the West coast of Scotland there is a custom called "The Penny Wedding", that is still practiced till date. In this custom the guests are expected to bring with themselves drinks and food to be enjoyed after the wedding is over.