These Celtic/Scottish Wedding Traditions are Timeless and So Fun!
When it comes to Celtic weddings, and Scottish in particular, there are a wide number of traditions one can include. Enough, in fact, that you may decide that you only have room for a few. Here's a run-down of the most popular Scottish wedding traditions.
Hire a Bagpiper
Nothing else more clearly says "Celtic wedding" than having a piper included in your ceremony. There are enough ways to include one, and nuances to hiring and organizing a piper, that we covered the topic in another article. Suffice to say, it is wonderfully stirring to have a genuine bagpiper process the bride in, process the new couple out, or introduce them at the reception.
Do a Handfasting
"Tying the knot" is more than a slang expression. "Hand-fasting", in which a couple literally have their hands tied together with a cord is a modern custom but carries a timeless power and meaning. See our complete article on the history of the custom here.
Handfastings are often included as part of a larger wedding ceremony, usually as the couple speak their vows. For this, you will want to have on hand a piece of braided cord or a ribbon. Best of all is to have a strip of the family tartan (remnants from the making of a kilt are great for this). If both families have tartans, you may want to braid the two together to enhance the symbolism.
Drink with Your Beloved from a Quaich
The Quaich (pronounced "quake") is the traditional Scottish "cup of welcome". A small metal or wooden drinking bowl, it bears two handles or "lugs". One is held by the person offering the cup, the other by the person receiving the drink, which represents hospitality and friendship. The cup may also be passed around the room during a party or Ceilidh (dance), allowing each guest to raise a toast.
Historically, the first time the "loving cup" was given as a wedding token was in 1589 when King James VI of Scotland gave one to Anne of Denmark. During a wedding ceremony, the bride and groom may offer each other whisky (or another beverage) from the quaich, often at the conclusion of the vows. The cup can also be shared with family members to symbolize the union of the two families. It's a bit like lighting a unity candle, but much more authentically Celtic! During the reception, the Best Man, and/or others, may use the quaich to toast the new couple. But be warned, Celtic toasting can sometimes be more like Celtic roasting, especially as more and more guests offer anecdotes about the bride or groom!
We'd be honored if you would consider the beautiful Quaichs we offer here at USA Kilts!
Drape the Family Tartan Over The Bride
Tartan is always on proud display at a Celtic wedding: the groom's kilt, binding the bouquet, sashes or rosettes for the bridesmaids, table and altar cloths...it can be everywhere! We already mentioned using a bit of tartan cloth for a hand-fasting, but there is more one may do. Often the groom's ensemble will include a fly plaid (the cape-like tartan thrown over the shoulder and secured with a large brooch). During the ceremony, especially during vows or the homily, the groom may drape his fly plaid over the bride's shoulder. Alternatively, he may present her with a sash or shawl in his family tartan so that as they leave the altar together, they match. Another variation is for the bride to pin the fly plaid on the groom (especially if it is her family's tartan). Other family members, or an officiant, may also present tartan to the bride and/or groom. There really is no wrong way to use this beautiful and symbolic cloth!
USA Kilts offers Fly Plaids as options on most of our Kilt Packages.
Toast the New Couple Celtic Style
Your Best Man or Maid of Honor may be all set with a personalized toast to the couple. However, in addition to whatever they would like to say (or if they are nervous about public speaking), they may enjoy offering up this traditional, light-hearted wedding blessing written by Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns:
"May the best you've ever seen
Be the worst you ever see.
May the mouse ne'er leave your pantry
With a teardrop in its e'
May yer lum keep blithly reekin'
Til you're old enough to dee.
May you always be just as happy
As I wish you now to be."
(This is also a great piece for an officiant or bagpiper to deliver)
Want an Irish Option? Try this classic Irish blessing:
May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.
Include Lots of Heather in Your Wedding Bouquet and Decorating!
A timeless token of good fortune and happiness is the inclusion of white heather in the bouquet, boutonnieres and other flower arrangements for the wedding. In Scotland, heather is said to be stained with the blood of clan wars. White is therefore the luckiest for it has grown where no blood has been shed. Scottish warriors often wore a sprig of white heather for protection. Queen Victoria popularized the wearing of white heather by brides. if you prefer the purple variety, don't fret; all heather is symbolic of strength, resilience and domestic well-being. A genuine, hand-braided heather broom is a classic home-blessing gift.
These Wedding Gifts of Good Luck Have Celtic Origins
So many wedding traditions are Celtic without us realizing it. For instance this old rhyme about what any bride must have for good luck:
"Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue,
And a silver sixpence in her shoe."
While this tradition was first documented in England in the Victorian era, it seems to point to some very old superstitions. For instance, "something blue" reminds us of the fact that the traditional Irish wedding dress was actually blue, not white. (whit wedding gowns were made popular after Queen Victoria wore one to symbolize her virgin purity) The rhyme became popular throughout the British Isles and came over to America with the immigrants. You may need to substitute a silver dollar or other coin, but this is an ancient bit of "folk magic" worth preserving. The idea was to insure that no matter what happened in the future, the bride would never be penniless.* The Best Man, or another friend, should give the couple a clock to represent longevity.
The Luckenbooth
Before the big day, the bride should receive a Luckenbooth pin. These brooches, shaped like a heart topped by a crown, were originally symbols of betrothal (a Scottish equivalent of the Irish Claddagh). The Luckenbooth may be pinned to the bride during the ceremony. Later, it is also pinned to the shawl of the couple's baby at its christening.
You can see our Luckenbooth pins here.
A Special Shirt for the Groom
In old times, a bride would give her groom a shirt, the "wedding sark". This probably harkens back to medieval times when the women of the household made all the clothing for the family. In return, the groom would buy the wedding dress. A modern version of this tradition could be something fun and special for the groom to wear during the wedding reception or on the honeymoon -- something that reflects his taste. Naturally we think our Highland Shirts and Grandather Shirts are excellent options!
Give the Kids at Your Wedding Some Fun with a Scramble
Finally, at the conclusion of the wedding you may want to host a Scramble. It's quite simple; the groom, or sometimes the bride’s father or Best Man, takes coins from his sporran and tosses them about for the children to "scramble" for. This gesture demonstrates generosity, which was heavily linked to good fortune in ancient times. It can be a fun alternative to throwing rice or bird seed at the couple, or done in conjunction with that.
