Scottish Wedding Traditions

BagPipes
Scottish pipers have been around for centuries, and in fact after
the Battle of Culloden in 1746 pipes were declared by the
English as a weapon of war and the playing of bagpipes was
banned in Scotland for the following 50 years. Luckily today, the
playing of bagpipes has much more romantic connotations.
Many Scottish weddings have a piper; not only is it a beautiful
Scottish tradition, it is also considered lucky, particularly when
the bride and groom have completed their marriage ceremony
and are being piped into their dinner. The skirl of the bagpipes
was thought by many to scare away any evil spirits that may be
hovering near by. For this to be effective however, a kind of
contact had to be observed; the piper had always to be paid for
his services with a dram of whisky.
 Having a Dram
One final tradition that is often observed during both
traditional and modern Scottish weddings is blessing the
marriage with a dram of whisky drunk from a ceremonial
Quaich. A Quaich is a two-handled silver or pewter dish, often
give to the couple as a wedding present and engraved with the
date of the wedding. Traditionally the bride is given the Quaich
to drink from first, and then the groom must finish what she
doesn’t. A Quaich is used for a specific reason however. The
Quaich must be held with both hands. This is extremely
important as historically a marriage would often join two
Scottish clans together, and these clans were not always on
speaking terms. Because the Quaich had to be drunk with both
hands it showed trust in the opposite clan and was a mark of
honour and respect. The reason being if both hands were on
the Quaich, neither were holding a weapon!
Traditional Scottish Kilts
You’d struggle to go to a Scottish wedding and not find at least
one man in a kilt. Traditionally the groom and groomsmen all
wear kilts of the same tartan, often the clan tartan of the family
name. The bride also sometimes incorporates the tartan into a
sash, shawl or her bouquet ribbons.

SIXPENCE IN THE BRIDE’S SHOE

Originating in Aberdeen and Angus, the father of the bride
would traditionally slip a 6 pence into his daughter’s shoe
before she walked down the aisle to wish her good luck and
prosperity in her marriage. Although these coins are no longer
in circulation, they can still be bought online just for this

purpose!

BLACKENING
It is a well-known Scottish tradition that ahead of your Wedding
you might be blackened! The Bride & Groom are, usually
unwillingly, ‘captured’ by friends a week or so before the
Wedding day. Being Blackened involves being covered in sticky,
messy substances such as eggs, oil, treacle and feathers. The
tradition is mainly seen in rural areas of Scotland including
Aberdeenshire, Angus, the Highlands and the Northern Isles
and is said to have derived from another Scottish tradition in
which the bride’s feet are washed by an older married woman
from her family.
SCOTTISH WEDDING GIFTS
The ‘wedding sark’ is the traditional name given to the shirt
worn by the groom which is gifted by the bride. The groom pays
for the wedding dress in return.Clocks are traditionally given
the happy couple by the best man while the maid of honour
gives them a tea set.