Tartan Ring cushions & Bows

In Scottish weddings, tartan ribbon might adorn the traditional white gown, bouquet or shoes, and even be found on a tartan garter. Many grooms and their groomsmen also wear the family tartan, either in full kilt outfit or tartan suit, while others opt for a more subtle tartan tie, cummerbund, cufflinks or kilt pin. Bridesmaids at a Scottish wedding sometimes wear tartan sashes, while flower girls and page boys are often dressed in tartan outfits. Guests might choose to wear full Highland dress, with buttonhole flowers finished with tartan ribbon.

Scottish music plays an important role in Scottish weddings. Wedding parties are traditionally piped in and out of the ceremonial venue, or a fiddle may start the proceedings. In a religious ceremony, prayers are read, hymns are sung and a Scottish wedding blessing, such as ‘A Righteous Heart’ might be recited. Handfasting is an alternative format. Once an old Scottish wedding tradition where a couple’s hands are symbolically tied in ribbons and cords to mark an engagement, some couples choose to have a handfasted wedding ceremony instead of a typical church wedding. As with other ceremonies, Scottish wedding poems or readings are regularly part of the proceedings at a handfasted ceremony.

The dinner which follows the wedding ceremony is known as the wedding breakfast, traditionally served at tartan swathed tables. Quality Scottish cuisine such as cullen skink, haggis and cranachan are popular culinary options. Other Scottish foodie traditions include cutting the tartan trimmed cake with the groom’s dirk (a sharp dagger) and serving stovies with oatcakes as a midnight feast, sustaining guests for the party ahead.

Accompanied by a ceilidh band, the traditional Scottish dance which follows a wedding ceremony is called a ceilidh. Typical dances include Strip the Willow, the Dashing White Sergeant and the Canadian Barn Dance. After the happy couple’s first dance, guests will enjoy the party until the wee small hours, when Auld Lang Syne is sung to mark the end of the festivities. Ceilidhs are just as popular today as they have been for centuries.

Known as the cup o’ kindness, quaichs are traditionally filled with whisky and shared by wedding guests - making them a popular wedding gift. Cashmere scarves and hand-crafted jewellery make beautiful gifts for bridesmaids, whilst tartan finished hip flasks are the perfect present for groomsmen. Gifts for the home such as bespoke cushions, hand-crafted pottery and brushed wool throws keep households warm and cosy.