How to Dress for a Scottish Wedding

Reflect your pride in your cultural heritage by selecting traditional Scottish attire for your wedding.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Bride and Bridesmaids

1. Select a plain white gown for the bride.
2. Trim the bride's dress with tartan ribbons. Tartan is a pattern commonly referred to as plaid. The ribbons are made of lightweight worsted fabric.
3. Look for embroidered touches that will make the dress stand out, such as a Celtic knot, which represents the eternity of love and nature.
4. Drape a tartan shawl around the bride's shoulders or use a tartan sash at her waist.
5. Select bridemaid's dresses of lightweight wool with full tartan skirts and velvet bodices for cooler weather.
6. Opt for lightweight dresses trimmed with tartan for a summer wedding.

Groom and Groomsmen

7. Plan for the groom and groomsmen to wear traditional Highland outfits, which include kilts, jackets and hose.
8. Buy or rent kilts. Remember that each clan has its own tartan, or plaid design. Distinguish the groom from the groomsmen by securing a piece of tartan on the shoulder of his jacket with a large brooch.
9. Include coats and vests for all of the men.
10. Give all of the men sporrans, which are simple leather pouches that hang around the waist. Select a formal one with a chain for the special occasion.
11. Tuck a Skean Dhu ("black dagger" in Gaelic) into the top of the men's kilt hose. This custom comes from a time when Highlanders wore their weapons openly when they accepted an invitation to someone's house, thereby showing they had nothing to hide.
12. Suggest that the men wear ghillies, which are standard Highland footwear.
13. Give the men the option of wearing a kilt belt. This should be worn over the kilt instead of through the belt loops.

Parents of the Bride and Groom

14. Expect the fathers of the bride and groom to wear kilt outfits.
15. Suggest they select semi-dress, which includes either a black jacket or a colored tweed jacket. This is called an argyll outfit.
16. Ask the mothers to wear silk or lightweight tartan dresses with plain collars or plain bodices.
17. Order the mothers corsages that have a piece of tartan attached.

Tips & Warnings

• Include tartan ribbons in all of the bouquets.
• Use tartan to decorate the pew ends and the cake table.
• Understand that each tartan is unique has its own thread count. A pattern is not officially a tartan unless you can fold it diagonally so that the colors match up exactly.
• Keep in mind that the wedding party's attire doesn't have to match the groom's.
• Do a search online for vendors who have the items you need for your wedding.
• Consider hiring a piper for your ceremony. Some clothing stores can help you arrange for this service.
• The colorful tartans will be a nice contrast with the bride's simple white dress.

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