The Best Kilt for a Celtic Wedding Groom

Take some time to visualize your wedding’s theme:
Will it be casual? Fantasy? Outdoors? Formal? In a church? Day or evening?

As you visualize your wedding, visualize how you want to look for it. This should be a discussion with your fiance. Don’t be surprised if they want to coordinate colors or have other ideas you haven’t thought of. 

And of course, you’ll want to consider your budget. Weddings can get expensive, but don’t worry. There are lots of ways to create a wonderful wedding experience for everyone, even on a tight budget.

We’re going to assume that you do not already own a traditional tartan kilt. If you do, you’ll want to think about if it is the right aesthetic for your wedding. For instance you may not want to wear a utilikilt for a formal church wedding. 

Your wedding kilt can be:

• Your family tartan
• Your bride’s family tartan
• An Irish county tartan
• A universal tartan you just really think looks swell

There are NO RULES for what you must wear for your wedding. 

Pro Tip: Allow LOTS of time for getting your outfit together. The average production time for a custom, hand-made kilt is around eight weeks. Keep that in mind as you plan. You can choose your tartan and the kilt style before placing your actual order, but don’t put off pulling the trigger too long.

Which kilt is right for you depends on your budget and whether you’d prefer a heavier kilt, or a light-weight kilt for warmer weather. You can compare all our kilt specs here. Remember, unlike your bride, you will definitely be wearing most or all of your wedding outfit again. So when selecting your kilt and accessories think about the future. 

We offer video instructions on how to measure yourself, but here are the basics:

• Measure around your true waist - at the belly button
• Measure the widest part of your posterior for the “hip measurement”
• Measure down the side of your leg from the true waist to the middle of your kneecap for the length

Pro Tip: Remember your kilt size is NOT your pants size! If you are having trouble taking your measurements, ask your fiance to help.

Your ideal wedding outfit will largely be determined by your wedding theme. Let’s break this down by parts….

After the kilt itself this is the most essential part of any Highland outfit - whether you’re getting married or not - because it draws so much attention. It is also a fantastic way to express a bit of personality and help define your look as "traditional and formal" or "casual and fun." Here’s how sporrans are organized in Highland Wear:

Types of Sporran:

Day Sporran - great for a casual, historical, or just a simple, streamlined modern look.

Hunting Sporran - Very classic and also timeless without being too ostentatious. Good for during the day, outdoors, even an evening event if it is not strictly formal.

Semi-dress Sporran - The practicality of a day sporran, but with just enough bling to make it a good option for fancier looks.

Dress Sporran - This one is for semi-formal to formal settings, you’re going to look extra regal when you put this one on.

Note: Most gents own at least two sporrans; one for regular use, and one for special occasions. Which style you choose now will depend on your wedding theme.

How formal or informal would you like your wedding to be? What you wear on your top half will really set the tone for the occasion. It’s also an important way to express your personal style. Jackets, vests, neckties, etc. are all something to consider. 

Popular options include:

• A highland shirt for outdoor weddings with a casual or romantic fantasy theme
• A vest you can wear with a shirt and tie for a casual look even when it’s hot
• A tweed jacket and vest for a smart daytime look - by the way this is currently the most popular option over in Scotland
• An Argyll jacket and vest for semi-formal
• A Prince Charlie Coatee and vest for formal

A Prince Charlie Jacket & Vest paired with a bow tie is good for a formal black tie affair such as an evening wedding, church wedding, Scottish castle wedding, etc. The Prince Charlie is essentially the Scottish tuxedo.  A Fly Plaid is a good option for this look (see below).

An Argyll Jacket & Vest paired with a ruche tie is a bit more formal where pairing it with a standard necktie makes it the equivalent of a nice suit. It’s good for formal or semi-formal weddings, perhaps a Victorian-themed wedding.  It will be a versatile jacket for you to wear years after you’ve said your vows.

An Argyll Vest by itself, usually worn with a white dress shirt and perhaps a tie, is an easy way to dress up your look just a bit without going formal. 

A Tweed Jacket & Vest paired with a necktie gives a nice, earthy feel which is elegant, but not too formal. Good for a daytime wedding, an outdoor wedding, autumn wedding or barn wedding. A Fly Plaid is a good option, but not essential for this look.

A Chieftain's Vest paired with a Highland Shirt (also known as a Jacobite or ghillie shirt) creates a dashing look for any wedding with a theme such as rustic, historical, renaissance, Outlander, medieval or fantasy. This look is especially popular for pagan weddings. This is a fun option if you are planning to wear a Great Kilt. 

Now that you have the core of your ultimate kilt outfit figured out, let’s look at some small accessories to consider.

Kilt hose - Your outfit will almost always include these traditional socks. You can select a neutral color like charcoal or tan, or a color that tones well with a color in your tartan.

Flashes - These garters hold up your kilt hose and add a little extra, well, flash of color. Choose a matching tartan or a color that tones well with a single color of your tartan, or with your necktie. If you’re unsure, simple black or red flashes are always traditional.

Necktie - If your outfit calls for a necktie, you can choose a solid color or matching tartan. Please note, if you opt for a matching tartan tie, you want to also wear a vest/waistcoat. The tie will look awkward otherwise. Also avoid shiny silk or satin bow ties and tartan bow ties.

Sgian Dubh - Most gents love wearing one of these. Just choose one you like. There are no rules. However, be sure that you will not run into problems with security at your wedding venue. Pro Tip: remove the Sgian Dubh before dancing!

Shirt - Any white dress shirt will work fine with most kilt outfits, but you can play with color if you feel daring. If you’re going formal, and especially if you are wearing a Prince Charlie, you will need a wing-collar tux shirt. Pro tip: If at all possible, get one that has a placket and does not require studs. Studs tend to be “a bit much” for Highland Dress.

Ghillie Brogues - These are the traditional shoes that go with Highland Dress. But here’s a secret - you don’t have to wear them if you don’t want to. Ghillie Brogues were invented in the 20th century as a bit of added romance. They look interesting, but are not strictly necessary. If you are on a tight budget, this is the first accessory to drop.

The Fly Plaid is purely for show - there is no point in history where this large rectangle of tartan cloth was worn as a functional, practical accessory. It is not large enough to be a blanket or effective as a shawl or capelet; especially since most plaids have one corner permanently sewn into a box pleat to make them look better when the plaid brooch is attached. 

What the Fly Plaid IS is a dashing nod to the shape and flow of the old Great Kilt (or Feileadh Mòr in Gaelic) which is hand-pleated and wrapped around the body. The Feileadh Mòr historically could be worn in a number of ways. One very common technique was to arrange the excess fabric over the left shoulder.  

The Fly Plaid looks amazing in photos, but can be a bit of a challenge to wear. Most gents get one for use for a formal occasion like their wedding. After that, it may get worn for something like a S.t Andrews Dinner, or it may end up in a display on the living room wall. (Today’s fly plaid can be tomorrow’s decorative throw or wall hanging) Therefore, like Ghillie Brogues, we recommend giving this accessory a miss if you are on a budget. 

The design of the Fly Plaid is simple - a large piece of wool in the same tartan as the kilt. The plaid is fringed all around and gathered into a single box pleat at one corner. This corner is passed through the epaulette of a formal jacket such as an Argyll or Prince Charlie coatee, and secured with a Plaid Brooch. 'Secured' might be a strong word. The brooch is NOT actually attached to the jacket. It just acts as a counterweight, and also a catch on the epaulette. 

Most of the weight of the plaid is in the back, where the bulk of the fabric drapes down elegantly. Sadly this also results in the plaid pulling the shoulder of the jacket out of line. As long as you don't move, you can look great in a Fly Plaid. Wearing it for a long period can look and feel awkward. 

You will need to select a Plaid Brooch. There are no rules surrounding the style, but the heavier the better for keeping the Plaid in place. Pro Tip: Never wear the Fly Plaid with just a shirt OR a jacket that does not have epaulets. It won’t look good. Trust us.

That’s it in a nutshell. Now you’re ready to design a customized kilt outfit that you will enjoy wearing for the big day…and beyond!