Scottish Wedding Traditions

One of the most famous locations in Scotland for a wedding is Gretna Green. The Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop is where couples have been coming to tie the knot since 1754. If you're feeling rebellious you can follow in the footsteps of the countless runaway lovers who, lured by Scotland’s lenient marriage laws, eloped to the sleepy town of Gretna Green on the Anglo-Scots border. You can say your vows over the original anvil used by the ‘Blacksmith Priest’ when presiding over clandestine unions.

A little more close to our home here in the Scottish Borders is the old Marriage House. It is an old toll house that is on the Scottish side of the bridge from Cornhill-on-Tweed in England to Coldstream in Scotland, like Gretna Green it became infamous for the runaway marriages that took place there between 1754 and 1856. While we mostly think of elopements being runaway teenagers, during that period five earls and at least two, maybe three, Lord Chancellors of England were married there. It is now a private home, but still a lovely piece of local history.

The Wedding Walk is the formal march taken by the wedding party to the church. Preceded by a piper or fiddler, the bridegroom leads the maid of honour while the bride walks behind with the best man. After the ceremony, the newlyweds leave the church followed by the best man escorted by the maid of honour. To secure good luck it was traditionally thought that the wedding procession should cross running water twice. Anna here at ScotlandShop HQ quotes this as the favourite parts of her sisters wedding, wandering down the road from Gordon Parish Church in the October sunshine with all the guests in tow, with our great friend Pete piping his heart out in front.

The quaich, a two-handled ‘loving cup’ for the wedding feast, was the vessel from which the couple took their first Holy Communion together. The quaich was also used for their first toast together as a married couple and would usually be filled with Whiskey or Brandy. Symbolic of the couple’s shared lives, this ancient vessel was used by two families or clans to celebrate a bond, with each leader partaking in the offered drink.

Many years ago, the quaich was made from wood however today the quaich is usually either silver or pewter, with an overlay of wood.

A Penny Wedding is an ideal solution for those after a traditional yet budget-friendly wedding. Each guest would contribute financially or bring their own food to go towards the dinner and then pay for their own drinks. A penny wedding could go on for several days and by the end of the festivities it could actually bring in a tidy profit for the newly-weds! Penny weddings were particularly common across rural Scotland, despite the disapproval of the Kirk. A more modern version of this now might involve a barn style wedding with a hog roast for the meal where guests bring their own drinks.

A bride exiting her house on her way to the wedding, should always step out the door right foot first for luck, this ensures good luck and that their marriage doesn't start off on the 'wrong foot'.

A sixpence in the bride's shoe has long been a tradition in Aberdeenshire and Angus. The bride traditionally wears ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’ But what is less well known is that the rhyme ends ‘and a silver sixpence in her shoe.’ For many years, the father of the bride would slip a sixpence into his daughter’s shoe before she walked down the aisle. The sixpence stood for good luck, and to show that the father wished his daughter prosperity in her marriage. My colleague Monja's grandfather went a step further and glued the sixpence inside the sole of her mother shoe so it wouldn't slide around and cause discomfort during her day.

A sprig of white heather hidden in the bride's bouquet is a popular good luck token in the Scottish Borders.

The ‘wedding scramble’ is traditional in most parts of Scotland. As the bride steps into the car, her father throws a handful of coins for the children to collect. Believed to bring about financial good fortune, it also takes place in weddings in Ayrshire where it is known as a 'warsel'. Anna vividly remembers that her primary school would let them participate in the nearby churches wedding scramble on their lunch break.

It may sound unlikely, but feet-washing is a custom that originates in Fife and Dundee & Angus. The bride sits on a stool while an older, married woman washes and dries her feet. Sometimes, the feet-washer would drop a ring into the water and the first single lady at the wedding to find it would be married next. I don't know about you, but think I prefer the idea of catching a bouquet... In Fife, however, only a few brave bridegrooms go through the traditional custom, which involves sitting in a tub of water while his legs are smeared with grease, ash and soot. Lovely!

HEN NIGHT TRADITIONS

While we now associate a 'Hen Night' or 'Henny' as a big night out on the town or a weekend in Magaluf, it hasn't always been this way though. Traditionally, the Bride and her 'hens' would have a 'Bottling' or 'Pots and Pans' night. Particularly on the West Coast, this would involve the brides friends and workmates dressing her up in a fake wedding veil and a coat covered on decorations. She would then be taken round the streets in a wheelbarrow or cart with a potty or chamber pot half filled with salt.

After walking so far the girls would then form a circle in the middle of the street and put the potty in the centre. The bride would then have to jump over it three times while they sang pre-wedding songs and rhymes. One common song was…

They also had old pots and pans with them that they banged on to make sure they were heard. As she goes round, the bride asks any men present for money, in exchange for a kiss. The potty, the salt and the money were traditionally meant to be for fertility, good luck and prosperity.

More locally, in the borders town of Hawick, the bridesmaids would decorate a baby potty and hang a kipper from it with a candle in the centre of the potty, they would then place the potty in the centre of the road and take it in turns to hop over the potty! If the candle were to blow out when you made your leap it would mean you were the next person to have a baby.

I have to admit, when I heard about the kippers, I did think my colleague Kate was having me on...

The Lang Reel is a traditional dance which happens in the fishing communities in the north east of Scotland. The dance sees villagers and the wedding party begin dancing from the harbour and continue through the village, with each couple leaving the reel when they pass their home. This continues until the only couple left are the bride and groom who have the last dance.

The Traditional Grand March is often the first dance to take place at a wedding reception. It begins with the bride and groom marching to the sound of bagpipes or a live band. The maid of honour (or chief bridesmaid) and the best man join in, followed by both sets of in-laws, and finally the guests!

The 'wedding sark' is the traditional name given to the shirt worn by the groom and this is usually gifted by the bride. The groom then pays for the wedding dress in return. A bit of an unfair deal if you ask me.

Clocks are traditionally given to the happy couple by the best man, particularly in the North East of Scotland, while the maid of honour would usually give them a tea set.

A luckenbooth is a brooch given as a love token by a gentleman to his betrothed. They are usually made of silver and engraved with two hearts combined.

If you're looking to take the work out of selecting a wedding gift for the happy couple in your life we do have a handy guide for you.

Something I haven't mentioned so far and is certainly one of the biggest traditions we see people take part in is Handfasting. If you are an Outlander or Braveheart fan you may have seen this ceremony in action. It is an ancient Celtic ritual which is still used to this day. Anna has written a great guide explaining the origins and misconceptions around the Scottish tradition - Bind Your Hand to Your Beloved We love seeing our customers 'Tying the Knot' with our custom Tartan Handfasting Ribbons.

If you would like to find out more about Handfasting you can revisit our Tartan Wedding Traditions Facebook live with celebrant Fiona Flanagan: