Scottish Wedding Traditions

The father of the bride typically puts a sixpence in his daughter's shoe before the wedding.  This is meant to ensure good luck and prosperity for the bride.

As the phrase might suggest, the bride traditionally steps first with her right foot when leaving the home (or accommodation) for the church or venue of the wedding - again, for good luck.

The Luckenbooth brooch is given to the bride by the groom.  It's silver, crafted with two intertwined hearts beneath a  crown to symbolise love, loyalty and good fortune.   Historically, this was to ward of evil spirits and protect the  marriage, originating in Luckenbooths, an early jewellery shop in Edinburgh in the 15th century.

Luckily this one has very much fallen out of common usage! A week before the wedding, the friends and family of the couple coat the couple in a mixture of  eggs,  feathers, soot and treacle.  They then walk through town.  This is said to protect them from michief (such as that from fairies) by subjecting them to humiliation and challenge before the wedding.

A tradition for luck and fortune, the wedding scramble involves the father of the bride throwing out coins - usually outside the church before a wedding or by the home before travelling to the church - for children to scramble for.

Some theorise that this was a pre-cursor to the stag night.  In this tradition, the groom must prove himself to the bride's father by completing a series of challenges and tests.

The groom traditionally pays for the bride's dress, and the bride pays for the groom's sark (shirt) and attire. This shows an exchange of gifts between the bride and groom.

Once again, the groom is having to go through trials in order to marry. The groom must carry around a large basket (creel) of stones around the town until his bride-to-be comes out of the house to give him a kiss.

As with many cultures, there are many superstitions on the good or bad luck of certain days or dates.  For example, Thursdays are said to be unlucky.  May is also said to be unlucky due to the unhappy fate of Mary Queen of Scots, who married in May 1567.  Since Christianity became prominent, Lent also became an ill-fated time to marry due to the practice of abstinence at that time.

For the bride to take a peek in a mirror can be good luck, but she cannot look at her full body just before leaving for the church or return to the house to look in a mirror after leaving for the church.  Again, this probably stems from attempts to ensure that women were modest and self-effacing, but may also have roots in beliefs that mirrors could trap and contain human souls (with other superstitions requiring babies be kept away from mirrors for the first year of their lives).

A bride should not wear new shoes on her wedding day as these might attract fairies who wish to steal her away.

The wedding walk is where the wedding party processes to the ceremony (usually from a home) with the groom and maid of honour leading, followed by the bride and the best man.  This often also incorporates the "right foot forward" requirement for the bride to step first with her right foot, as well as other requirements.  This includes crossing flowing water twice (as flowing water has cleansing and protective qualities) and avoiding ill omens, including crossing paths with a nun or monk (their vow of chastity spells doom for the couple's economic prospects), crossing paths with a pig, or crossing paths with a funeral procession as these would signal bad fortune.  This is often also led by a fiddler (though sometimes this can also be the piper as after the ceremony).

As many wedding traditions do, this one stems from a time when brides were considered property to be passed from her family (or specifically her father) to the groom.  The bride stands to the left of the groom because the assumption is that the groom is right-handed, and this allows him to keep his sword arm free to fend off those that object to the union.

The origin of the phrase "tying the knot", handfasting is a traditional wedding ritual that can take many forms. This involves two pieces of fabric, usually one from the bride and one from the groom, and often traditionally each family's tartan.  The two pieces of fabric are draped over the hands and wrists so that when they pull their hands away, the fabric is tied together.  An alternate form is a cord that is woven or braided with these pieces of fabric, often incorporating other symbols such as the celtic knot (a symbol of eternity and unbroken connections) is loosely tied around the hands of the couple to symbolise their union. This is usually done while the couple say their vows.

The quaich (or "loving cup") is a silver or pewter dish with two handles. It is often given as a gift to the couple.  In a wedding ceremony, it is often filled with whisky.  The bride drinks first, and the groom must finish whatever the bride does not drink.  In more modern times, couples often flip a coin or similarly leave the order to chance to make the ritual more equitable.  Importantly, the quaich must be held with both hands to sip.  This historically showed that the drinker was not holding a weapon and was a sign of trust and hospitality.

Different herbs are burned to signify different intentions, such as cleansing, love, protection or passion.

An old pagan ritual, this involves drawing a symbolic circle around the couple in the ground to bless and protect the union.

This involves the couple holding a stone or placing their hand on a stone while saying their vows. The saying of an oath by water or over stone was said to make the union binding. This calls upon the natural world to witness the union, and connects them to the earth, symbolising permanence. Couples often select a stone themselves from a place that has meaning for them, and keep it as a reminder of their vows. In some weddings, this stone is passed among the guests as well to allow them to add their own good wishes or promises.

Sometimes, rather than the rings being born up the aisle by one person, the rings are looped onto ribbons or strings which are wound among the guests.  Guests then pass the ring between each other, adding their own good wishes for the marriage.  Eventually, the rings end up at the front with the couple for the exchange of rings.

Stemming from the word silver, this tradition involves the groom presenting 13 silver coins to the officiant.  The officiant places them in the groom's hands, who places them in the bride's hands, who gives them back to the groom.  This exchange symbolises shared commitment and mutual responsibility, before they are clinked onto a ceremonial plate.

Once the couple is announced to be married, the pinning of tartan may take place.  This symbolises each clan welcoming a new member.  The groom (or a member of his family) may welcome the bride into their family by pinning a sash, rosette or piece of tartan fabric in their family's tartan to the bride, often with a brooch or pin depicting a clan symbol.  The bride (or a member of her family) may also welcome the groom to their family in the same way.

As the oathing stone shows, the elements of nature are often important in Scottish weddings, rooted in Celtic, Pictish and Pagan rituals.  This could include the oathing stone (earth), saying vows by water (water) or the unity candle (fire).

The unity candle ritual involves two thin candles, representing each clan, and a thicker candle, a symbol of their union.  The bride and groom each light the candle associated with their own clan, and together they use these candles to light the unity candle.

There are various traditions associated with gift giving between the bride and groom (and their families) during wedding ceremonies.  The groom may give the bride a sheaf of wheat as a symbol of his promise to provide, or he may offer up his sgian dubh as his promise to protect.  The bride may give the groom a swatch of cloth as a promise to provide for the home.

Throwing rice over the couple after the ceremony symbolised abundance and prosperity.  It has now evolved to have been replaced by confetti or petals, or sometimes cooked rice instead of uncooked (uncooked rice can be harmful for birds and so people often avoid throwing it any more).

Once the ceremony is over, a piper leads the couple, followed by the best man and maid of honour, their parents, the wedding party and then all guests, from the ceremony to the reception. Bagpipes, as with many loud noises, are said to ward off evil spirits, and sometimes fairies.

Once the piper has piped the couple to their table (the pipes were sometimes believed to keep evil spirits away), the bride offers them a dram of whisky to "pay the piper" and seal the contract, and the piper says a toast to the couple.  The groom will then similarly toast the piper, who will then pipe their way out of the room.

The couple eat salt and oatmeal before the wedding feast to protect themselves from evil.  (Traditional Scottish porridge is often eaten with salt instead of sugar, honey or fruit).

The quaich can make an appearance at the wedding feast as well, with the couple sipping whisky or honey wine from it.

Haggis may often be served, either as a meal, or more modernly as appetisers (haggis balls etc).  

A traditional Scottish dessert may be cranachan, a mix of cream, oatmeal, honey, whisky and raspberries.

The wedding cake was traditionally a fruit cake baked at the time of the couple's engagement, and topped up with brandy in the lead up to the wedding.  Traditionally only the bottom tier would be served, with the top tier being saved for the birth of their first child.

The sword dance is a traditional highland dance which involves two crossed swords. The couple performing this together shows the balance, harmony and partnership required in their marriage.

There's more details on a ceilidh on the dedicated page.  Most commonly in English, a ceilidh refers to a social dance comprised of couple and set dances.  Many Scottish children learn these dances in school, but it's a lot of fun whether or not you know the steps.

The bride should always keep one foot on the floor, lest she be stolen and replaced by fairies.

Originating when weddings were often very local affairs, this dance carried through the whole town or village, with guests peeling off as they reached their home after the wedding.  This is now often incorporated as a lead-in to the first dance, as the bride and groom would be the last ones left dancing.

The beddin required the guests to put the bride to bed with a bottle of whisky, bread and cheese, which she would share with the gathered guests.  Her left stocking would be thrown over her shoulder, and the winner of the ensuing fight for possession would be next to marry. Some areas include the requirement for a fiddle player, who would remain after the guests had left.

While this tradition is not uniquely Scottish, there is a reason to include it.  It's bad luck for the bride to step over the threshold with her left foot, so if the groom carries her, it avoids the risk of the misstep.

White heather is seen as a symbol of good luck, and is often incorporated into bouquets and buttonholes.

As well as being the national flower of Scotland, thistles are seen as symbols of devotion and durability, and are often incorporated into the bouquet or buttonholes.

Sprigs of rowan trees are said to protect against fairy enchantments and magic, and are often included in the bride's bouquet.

Traditionally the best man gifts the couple a clock, while the maid of honour gifts them a tea set.  This is, unsurprisingly, much less common in modern times.

A traditional gift was a bell, which helped smooth over marital disputes when the couple could not resolve it.  The ringing of the bell would end the argument, with neither side getting the blame for starting it. (In Irish tradition, bells incorporated into the ceremony could also protect them from meddling fairies)

The sword of the groom's family is presented to the bride.  This would then be passed to their firstborn son.

Iron repels fairies, so horseshoes and nails, along with other iron objects, can help protect the wedding from fairies. Hanging a horseshoe over the door, carrying iron, or placing blades by the doors can help protect the whole wedding.

Many Scottish traditions, particularly surrounding the bride keeping her feet on the ground, stem from Celtic fairy tales.  Fairies in Celtic mythology are not cute, benevolent beings, they are morally ambivalent (think Chaotic Neutral in D&D terms). They're attracted to beauty, talent, and special human occasions like weddings.  This is often particularly around liminal times, so seasonal festivals, births, deaths and marriages.  You should never accept food or drink from a fairy, for you will be stuck, unsatisfied by the mortal world.  They may lure you into dancing, and you will dance for a hundred years, and when you realise you have been dancing for a hundred years and should be dead, you will crumble to dust.  Luckily, there are ways to keep away the fairies.  "Knock on wood" comes from the practice of literally knocking on wood to prevent the fairies living in the wood from hearing you speak about things you hope to be true, as they may interfere.  Fairies also cannot abide iron, so carrying or wearing iron can help ward them off, as can sprinking those you wish to protect with water that has been touched by metal.  

At weddings, brides tend to be the main target for malevolent spirits and fairies.  Traditionally, all the bridesmaids would wear white with the bride.  This would be to create decoys, luring the fairies to target the wrong young woman (I guess to be a bridesmaid you have to be willing to be kidnapped by fairies to protect your friend...).  The bride must keep at least one foot on the ground at all times, or risk being whisked away.  Fairies love green, so the bride should not wear green on the wedding day to avoid bringing more fairy attention to herself - unlucky for us as the main colour for our wedding is green!