Scottish Wedding Traditons

• Marriage vows in Scots Gaelic (with English translation)
  Bóid pòsaidh anns a' Ghàidhlig
   
• Am fear (groom)
  • Tha mise <ainm> a-nis 'gad ghabhail-sa <ainm> gu bhith 'nam chéile phòsda. Ann am fianais Dhé 's na tha seo de fhianaisean tha mise a' gealltainn a bhith 'nam fhear pòsda dìleas gràdhach agus tairis dhuitsa, cho fad's a bhios an dìthis againn beò.
  • I, <name> now take you <name> to be my wife. In the presence of God and before these witnesses I promise to be a loving, faithful and loyal husband to you, for as long as we both shall live.
• A' bhean (bride)
  • Tha mise <ainm> a-nis 'gad ghabhail-sa <ainm> gu bhith 'nam chéile pòsda. Ann am fianais Dhé 's na tha seo de fhianaisean tha mise a' gealltainn a bhith 'nam bhean phòsda dhìleas ghràdhach agus thairis dhuitsa, cho fad's a bhios an dìthis againn beò.
  • I, <name> now take you <name> to be my husband. In the presence of God and before these witnesses I promise to be a loving, faithful and loyal wife to you, for as long as we both shall live.

• What's a Luckenbooth brooch?
  • This Scottish brooch usually of engraved silver in the shape of a heart or two hearts entwined and is used chiefly as a love token or betrothal brooch. Sometimes there is a crown. The heart (love) and crown (loyalty) both appear on the claddagh ring too. Luckenbooth brooches are of late 19th or early 20th century origin. Sometimes the brooch was pinned to the couple's firstborn's blanket as a good luck charm. Luckenbooths are usually worn by women.

   

• What do people wear for good luck? The traditional Scottish token of good luck for weddings is to wear a sprig of white heather.

• Suitable Gaelic engravings for rings - "Tha gaol agam ort" and "Mo ghaol ort" both mean "I love you"

• Wedding blessing
  • Mìle fàilte dhuit le d'bhréid,
    Fad do ré gun robh thu slàn.
    Móran làithean dhuit is sìth,
    Le d'mhaitheas is le d'nì bhi fàs.
  • Translated as:
    "A thousand welcomes to you with your marriage kerchief,
    may you be healthy all your days.
    May you be blessed with long life and peace,
    may you grow old with goodness and with riches."

This is attributed to the Rev. Donald MacLeod, minister of Duirinish, Skye, Scotland c. 1760.

• Scottish Wedding Rings - Traditional Scottish gold wedding bands date back to the 1500's, and are still popular wedding rings today, as are Celtic knotwork engagement rings.

• Traditions in Scotland Before the Wedding Ceremony

  • Often, before a Scottish bride is married, her mother holds an open house for a traditional "show of presents." Similar to a bridal shower, invitations are sent to the women among those who gave wedding gifts to the couple. The wedding gifts are unwrapped and set out with the card of the gift giver. The occasion is an opportunity for the bride to get acquainted with the wedding party members and guests before the wedding. After the show of presents, bride-to-be is dressed in long trains made of old curtains or other household materials. She is given a baby doll, a plastic potty with salt in the bottom, and other small items to carry. Her friends and guests escort her through her town, singing and banging pots and pans, heralding the bride's upcoming nuptials. To gather luck, the bride-to-be exchanges kisses for money, which is dropped into the potty.

  • The groom, meanwhile, is taken out for a stag night. The groom is likewise dressed up and taken around town by male companions, sometimes looking like a pregnant woman. His companions often indulge in a great deal of harmless practical joking, of which the poor groom is the main target. When the wild night winds down, the groom is usually left in the street in front of his home stripped of his clothes and sometimes even tied up.

  • In the Scottish Highlands, an old custom known as creeling the bridegroom was popular. A large basket (creel) is filled with stones and is tied to the groom's back. The groom was required to carry the weight throughout the town searching for his bride. If his bride would come out and kiss him, he would be relieved of his burden.

  • Is old Scottish custom to begin a marriage celebration on the eve of the ceremony. Festive singing, dancing and drinking precedes a ceremonial foot washing of the bride-to-be. A wedding ring from a married woman is placed in the tub of water, and whichever lucky maiden snatched it during the foot washing it would be the next to marry.

Myths and Folklore

• The Highland custom of CREELING THE BRIDEGROOM
  A large basket or ‘creel’, was filled with stones and tied to the bridegroom’s back. He then had to carry it around the entire town unless his bride agreed to kiss him. Only if she did, would his friends allow him to escape from the ‘creeling’ otherwise he had to continue until he had completed the circuit of the town.

• The Shaim Spring
  It was the privilege of the bride to choose the music for the ‘shaim spring’, which she danced with the bridegroom maids and best man.

• Handfasting
  In the eighteenth century the custom of handfasting was observed. A couple would live together for a year and a day, at which time they could decide whether to part or make a lifelong commitment. It was considered more important for the bride to be experienced and fertile than to be a virgin.

• Penny Bridal or Silver Bridal
  These festivities, also known as Penny Weddings, were renown for feasting, drinking, dancing and fighting and were enjoyed by all except the clergy - who disapproved of such raucous behavior. Opinions that were wholeheartedly ignored! Gifts were made to the newly weds towards the cost of the wedding feast and the wild celebrations started on the eve of the wedding with singing, toasts and the ceremony of ‘feet washing’.

• Feet washing
  A tub of water was placed in the best room, in which the bride placed her feet, her female friends then gathered around to help wash them. A wedding ring from a happily married woman was previously placed in the tub and it was believed that whoever found the ring would be the next to get married.  The men folk were outside the door making jokes and attempting to watch through the doorway. The bridegroom was then seized by the women and made to sit at the tub. His legs were none too gently daubed with soot, ashes and cinders - quite a painful procedure!

• The Bride
  On her wedding morning the bride traditionally puts a silver coin into her shoe, for luck, and then steps out - right foot first - as she takes her last walk as a single lady. For extra luck she borrows something from a happily married woman and wears something coloured blue, the colour of constancy.