Things you might find at a Scottish Wedding.
Scottish Weddings are fun filled days, they start early on in the day, last way into the night and are generally filled with lots of laughter and typical Scottish humour, they're often symbolic with the men being in a traditional Scottish outfit known as the Kilt. The Kilt is a fantastic outfit to wear at a wedding, they're usually available in your own personalised Tartan based on your family surname giving you that bit of "individuality" on your wedding day, theres so many different tartans and all pretty unique in their own way.
Handfasting, Hand-fasting, or Tying The Knot as we know it is an ancient marriage ritual that dates back centuries. The celebrant ties two ribbons around your joined hands as a way of confirming your union. Hand fasting is an ancient marriage ritual and it is where the expression ‘tying the knot’ came from! It is a symbolic way of showing that you are joined to one another and although originally, the idea was that they be betrothed for a year and a day a hand fast during a legal wedding will be for life. You can also do a family hand-fasting and involve your family members – this is often done with young children, and is a lovely way of involving them in your ceremony.
A Piper, Bagpipes have been played at Scottish weddings for as long as I have been a photographer, and way before that. The Piper plays and greets the guests as they arrive, he also pipes the happy couple to the top table at the reception and will often take a drink from the Quaich and offer the couple a toast to "good health".
Bagpipes are traditionally played as the couple make their way to the top table at the reception, as well as when they cut their wedding cake.
The Quaich, Another popular thing at a Scottish wedding is drinking from the Quaich, its a small bowl with two handles and it lets the couple both hold it at the same time, you would normally pour a little bit of Whisky into it and both take a sip from it, it is usually then offered to the parents to take a drink from too, it is seen as a sign of trust and its a fab wee way of bringing people together. Oh and to pronounce it, think of Earthquake and remove the word 'Earth" ;)
A Scramble, Scottish children love a scramble at a wedding, they'll wait patiently outside the home of the Bride on the wedding cars arriving knowing that the Father of The Bride will throw a bag of money onto the road as the car leaves and he'll shout "SCRAMBLE" its the words the kids have waited on all day as its their chance to get some cash where they'll now push and shove to get their hands on every penny that came out the bag, remember and get the big coins first ;)
A Ceilidh, The word Ceilidh is Gaelic means a gathering or a get together with friends or family. Nowadays we associate it at wedding venues where the band will play and we'll dance the night away, Ceilidhs are fantastic, and if you get a great band you'll remember that part of your wedding day for life. Oh and it's pronounced Kay-Lay.