Celebrating Fíorghrá (“True Love”)— in Traditional Scottish Style
By Lindsey Hunter, Get Knotted, Roxburghshire, England photos by Image by Andrew JackIn ages past, it was believed that not following Scottish
wedding traditions meant bad luck. Over the years, though, many traditions have died out or changed. Although most aren’t common practice any longer, there are some who firmly believe traditions should continue. Here are some Scottish wedding customs and how they are used today:The SpeerinHere, the father of the bride feigned displeasure at the prospective groom, making him work hard for his approval and throwing hurdles in the way. After each obstacle was overcome, the vicar made the appropriate proclamation from the pulpit. Although less common these days, some fathers still like to carry out “The Speerin” in a spirit of fun.Feet WashingOn the eve of the wedding, a tub of water was placed in the best room in the house. The bride placed her feet in the tub, and her older, married female friends washed them. A wedding ring from a happily married couple was placed in the water. Whoever found the ring was believed the next to marry. The groom then sat by the tub to have his legs and feet daubed with soot, ashes, and cinder. This tradition symbolizes good fortune and is still carried out in some parts of Scotland, in particular, Fife.Blackenings
Here, the groom was captured by friends and stripped to the waist before being bound and “blackened” by things like feather, treacle, soot, and flour. He was then paraded through the village whilst his friends made as much noise as possible to make the experience more embarrassing. Of course, this tradition still occurs—more commonly known as the “stag do,” where practical jokes are played on the stag for his last night(s) of freedom.A Sixpence in the Bride's ShoeA coin is placed in the bride's shoe to help bring her good luck. In the Scottish Borders, where England meets Scotland, a sprig of heather is also hidden within the bouquet.
Wedding ClothesWhen the wedding clothes were chosen, the bride often chose a colored dress, sporting the groom’s tartan. The maids usually dressed the bride. Every article of clothing was to be new and never worn before. “Something old something new, something borrowed something blue” must also be worn. For “borrowed,” a ring was the preferred choice. These days, some brides still choose dresses embellished with tartan or tartan capes or sashes.Grooms wore typical Scottish outfits—as do many today—including kilt, sporran (a small pouch worn around the waist, which hangs on top and in front of the kilt since there are no pockets), kilt jacket, ghillie brogue (kilt shoes), and other such accessories. The kilt is made of a specific Clan Tartan, a Scottish wool fabric. Clan Tartan is very important in Scotland even today. Each close-knit group of inter-related families (clan) has its own tartan, indicated by its unique pattern and colors.Pinning of the Tartan
Getting married in Scotland means not only being with your partner, but also being part of his or her clan. Men pin their tartan to their wife’s dress to signify her membership in his clan.Wedding CeremonialMarriage was a ceremony that involved public celebration. Typically, there were three components:• The bewedding, where a surety (taking legal responsibility for another’s duty or debt) was given by the bridegroom to the bride's father in the form of pledges or gifts. To recognize this had taken place, pierced stones (rings) were exchanged.• The giving away of the bride to the bridegroom by the bride's father: This was conducted as a separate ceremony and concluded by hand-fasting—the symbolic act of a couple's hands being tied together, often with cords or ribbons, representing their union. For modern-day couples who choose to be hand-fasted, it is usually the main focus of their wedding day or engagement. It is strongly symbolic and spiritual.• The bridal (Old English bryd ealu, “brides ale drinking) was a tradition where the bride drank a lot of beer on her wedding day. This tradition is still very popular, though these days it’s not usually ale.Carrying the Bride over the Threshold
After the celebration, the married couple went to their house. The groom, to protect the bride from evil spirits, carried her over the threshold of their new home. Then, the vicar blessed the new home and left the couple so that they could finally be together as man and wife. Today, grooms still carry the bride over the threshold.The BeddanThe beddan was the closing event. The bride attempted to retire but, as soon as she was missed, there would be a general rush to the bridal chamber, which was burst open and filled in an instant to perform the ceremony of Beddan’ the Bride. After the bride was put into bed, a bottle of whisky and some bread and cheese was handed to her. She gave each a dram and a piece of bread and cheese. Her left stocking was then taken off, and she had to throw it over her left shoulder amongst the guests. Those in the room fought for it. The winner was said to be the first among them to be married next. Although this is no longer carried out, its practice was the forerunner of the bouquet toss, which is very common at Scottish weddings.Today, some couples choose to wed in Scotland to carry on their heritage or experience the rich traditions. Many traditions are modernized to suit them, yet no matter what they choose, one thing is certain—Scotland is an idyllic location to wed. With its stunning countryside, beautiful historic venues, and wedding customs that are centuries-old, couples are guaranteed a meaningful day that is rich in culture and tradition.
