Scottish Wedding Traditions

Scottish wedding traditions have changed through the years, but many still hearken to the time, hundreds of years ago, when the medieval church dictated strict protocol over weddings. Still, a typical Scottish wedding, is a grand affair that includes bagpipes, colorful kilts and much fun.

A traditional Scottish wedding in days gone by included a couple having to announce their intent to marry weeks in advance. This announcement was required to be given over successive Sundays at church so all would know of the couple’s intent. On the day of the wedding, a typical Scottish wedding included witnesses from entire villages, along with much music.

Old time Scottish wedding traditions also included the couple having to give vows twice – once in Scottish and a second time in Latin. In addition, Scottish wedding customs also called for many small rituals to be performed to protect the union from bad spirits. For example, Scottish weddings typically included the husband carrying the bride over the threshold and also having a priest present in the bridal chamber to bless the couple one last time on the eve of their wedding night.

While a traditional Scottish wedding included many preliminary Scottish wedding customs, ceremonies of today aren’t quite as extensive. This isn’t to say that many traditions haven’t carried over, however. A Scotland wedding today doesn’t include multiple weeks’ worth of announcements, but the announcement is still customary nonetheless.

During the wedding itself, a Scottish bride will wear a gown of white. While 17th century Scottish wedding apparel and a 1600s Scottish wedding dress would no doubt differ from Scottish wedding dress styles today, the basic idea is the same. A Scottish wedding gown is typically white and quite similar in fashion to modern gowns.

While Scottish wedding dresses are customarily traditional white in fashion, the grooms themselves tend to wear fancy highland garb. Kilts are not uncommon at ceremonies and neither are bag pipes.

From a Humphrey Scottish center wedding to one held virtually any where in the world, Scottish weddings still quite often follow some of the old traditions. A Scottish wedding blessing is usually given and Scottish wedding rings exchanged. When all is said and done, bagpipes play and a party to celebrate the union ensues.

While Scottish weddings have evolved through the centuries, many of the age-old customs are still observed. It’s not uncommon for a Scottish wedding to include everything from traditional food, bagpipes and even a kilt or two, making it a grand affair.