Traditional Highland Wedding Attire?

[Cygnus]

A lady marrying a man who has no tartan wears her own family's tartan sash, still over the right shoulder, but fasten with a bow on the left waist.

Book doesn't say how that is incorporated into a wedding, so you can get creative. My bride just wore my tartan in the prescribed manner. Got lucky there, since I didn't read that part of the book until after we were wed.

I don't know if this is currently on the Lyon Court page, but it is a document still hosted by the Society of Scottish Armigers:

http://www.scotarmigers.net/pdfs/info-leaflet-7.pdf

I have no idea exactly where these rules on sash-wearing came from, or how old they may be, but I thought some might find the leaflet interesting if not helpful.

[room2ndfloor]

[.....Book doesn't say how that is incorporated into a wedding, so you can get creative. My bride just wore my tartan in the prescribed manner. Got lucky there, since I didn't read that part of the book until after we were wed.[/QUOTE]

I can tell you how my family did it. At the close of the wedding liturgy, before exiting through the narthex of the church, the maid of honor assisted the bride to remove her family's sash, and the groom draped his family's sash over the bride.

For my own wedding, we did this on the church porch because there was not much light left in the candle-lit, ancient church without electricity.

Because this is a folk custom rather than part of the actual wedding liturgy, it is not usually a part of the actual church service.

[room2ndfloor]

[Besides, it would seem to me that "traditionally" the best that was on hand would be what was worn.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely! I cannot imagine my ancestors getting all new clothing for the wedding. Most of it would be "Sunday best" of what they already owned, perhaps even borrowing fancy kilt hose or a cape from a relative.

[DWFII]

FWIW...

I made this up and then while researching traditional Scottish wedding ceremonies came across almost the exact same ritual for my daughter's upcoming wedding:

The bride-to-be and my wife will wear tartan rosettes in MacQueen. Both will have broochs to hold the rosette--the bride's will be a thistle/clan badge and my wife will have an antique sterling penannular.

The groom's mother will wear a rosette in red MacFadyen with, presumably, a clan badge brooch. The groom will carry an extra MacFadyen rosette. At some point in the ceremony, after the vows are said, the groom or the groom's mother will remove the bride's rosette and replace it with the MacFadyen rosette, using the MacQueen clan badge brooch--thus symbolizing the simultaneous merging of the families and the bride "cleaving to here husband" and becoming a MacFadyen.

[Jock Scot]

FWIW...

I made this up and then while researching traditional Scottish wedding ceremonies came across almost the exact same ritual for my daughter's upcoming wedding:

The bride-to-be and my wife will wear tartan rosettes in MacQueen. Both will have broochs to hold the rosette--the bride's will be a thistle/clan badge and my wife will have an antique sterling penannular.

The groom's mother will wear a rosette in red MacFadyen with, presumably, a clan badge brooch. The groom will carry an extra MacFadyen rosette. At some point in the ceremony, after the vows are said, the groom or the groom's mother will remove the bride's rosette and replace it with the MacFadyen rosette, using the MacQueen clan badge brooch--thus symbolizing the simultaneous merging of the families and the bride "cleaving to here husband" and becoming a MacFadyen.

I think what you are describing is more of a historical event rather than traditional. Yes there are variations of the above ceremony at weddings, but in truth it is rarely done at traditional Scottish weddings and haven't for decades.

[Jock Scot]

I did that exact thing!

I didn't wear my dirk for the wedding ceremony at the church, but at the reception afterwards I cut the cake with it.

It is very rare for the dirk to be worn for a traditional Scottish wedding even at the reception. If a dirk is to be used to cut the cake it is placed by the cake ready to be used at the appropriate moment. In passing great care is needed in cleaning the blade after cutting the cake(almost immediately is best) as wedding cake residue and blades are not a good mixture. Most here use a large knife provided by the caterers.

[DWFII]

I think what you are describing is more of a historical event rather than traditional. Yes there are variations of the above ceremony at weddings, but in truth it is rarely done at traditional Scottish weddings and haven't for decades.

Interesting. Thank you for the observation.

Nonetheless that's what they've decided to do and I am happy about it, just because it does (sort of like kilts themselves) harken back to family and traditions and ancestors and maybe...maybe...even the ability to learn from and treasure the past.

[Liam]

It is very rare for the dirk to be worn for a traditional Scottish wedding even at the reception. If a dirk is to be used to cut the cake it is placed by the cake ready to be used at the appropriate moment. In passing great care is needed in cleaning the blade after cutting the cake(almost immediately is best) as wedding cake residue and blades are not a good mixture. Most here use a large knife provided by the caterers.

You are correct Jock - icing would gum up the works... Heaven forbid putting it back in it's scabbard without a proper cleaning!

[TRWXXA]

I don't know if this is currently on the Lyon Court page, but it is a document still hosted by the Society of Scottish Armigers:

http://www.scotarmigers.net/pdfs/info-leaflet-7.pdf

I have no idea exactly where these rules on sash-wearing came from, or how old they may be, but I thought some might find the leaflet interesting if not helpful.

Thanks for that! The illustration definately helps.

I can tell you how my family did it. At the close of the wedding liturgy, before exiting through the narthex of the church, the maid of honor assisted the bride to remove her family's sash, and the groom draped his family's sash over the bride.

For my own wedding, we did this on the church porch because there was not much light left in the candle-lit, ancient church without electricity.

Because this is a folk custom rather than part of the actual wedding liturgy, it is not usually a part of the actual church service.

I like it. We thought about doing something similar, but decided on keeping within the "K.I.S.S. principle". Especially since our cerimony was done "guerilla-style" (entire wedding party drove to a local state park, found a lovely spot, jumped out and did it.).

FWIW...

I made this up and then while researching traditional Scottish wedding ceremonies came across almost the exact same ritual for my daughter's upcoming wedding:

The bride-to-be and my wife will wear tartan rosettes in MacQueen. Both will have broochs to hold the rosette--the bride's will be a thistle/clan badge and my wife will have an antique sterling penannular.

The groom's mother will wear a rosette in red MacFadyen with, presumably, a clan badge brooch. The groom will carry an extra MacFadyen rosette. At some point in the ceremony, after the vows are said, the groom or the groom's mother will remove the bride's rosette and replace it with the MacFadyen rosette, using the MacQueen clan badge brooch--thus symbolizing the simultaneous merging of the families and the bride "cleaving to here husband" and becoming a MacFadyen.

I like the symbology. Even though it may not be an according-to-Hoyle traditional cerimony, it sounds very nice.

I expect a true "traditional" Highland wedding was a simple affair, but a lot of cerimonial rituals has crept in over time. Even the last contemporary wedding I went to was a bit over-the-top with them -- candle lighting, handfasting, sand cerimony, etc.. Towards the end everybody was saying to themselves, "Say the 'I do's' already so we can eat, do the "Chicken Dance", and get drunk (not necessarily in that order).

[MacLowlife]

Good for You, Colin, I am pleased to hear of your plans.

I have been lurking rather than posting mostly, but this thread gives me a chance to brag about the best jacket of all time: the Navy blue velvet Argyll. I finally had one converted and I do love it. You could do it yourself, but you may have other things to do- by all means, buy an off the rack navy velvet blazer and chop it to kilt length. From a few feet away, it will look like any nice navy jacket. When you are close enough for people to see that it is velvet, people will pet you like a favorite dog.

There is plenty of precedent for velvet jackets in highland wear, though not necessarily on the Argyll model. But I really do think it is perfect for a bridegroom. It is smart, it is dressy, it is comfortable, and it travels easily from day into night. While it is also undisputably elegant, it is nicely understated. If I do say so, myself.