10 Interesting Scottish Wedding Facts and Traditions
March 1 is Wedding Planning Day and although this past year has been especially challenging for those looking to walk down the aisle, the coming year will hopefully bring easier times and matrimonial celebrations. For those looking to adding a wee bit of Scottish traditions or for those who are simply interested in learning some neat Scottish wedding tidbits, we’ve put together a list of 10 interesting facts and traditions.
Have you heard of the wedding anvil and the blacksmith priest? Gretna Green (a village in southern Scotland) became a famous location for handfasting in the 1700s because of Scotland’s more lenient marriage laws. The tradition began when the blacksmith became the “Blacksmith Priest”. For nearly 200 years the blacksmiths performed marriages. To validate the marriage, the blacksmith would hit his hammer on the anvil announcing to the town another couple had married.
A luckenbooth is brooch with two intertwined hearts. Traditionally it is given by the gentleman to the bride to be.
Feet washing is traditional in the areas of Fife, Dundee and Angus. It is the honour of a married woman to wash and dry the feet of the bride on her wedding day.
Certainly not as pleasant as feet washing, the groom’s tradition is to have grease, ash and soot smeared over their legs before sitting in a bathtub. It may also sound somewhat familiar to The Blackening another very messy tradition.
Why does the bride stand to the left? Hopefully you’re following this for the sake of tradition and it’s not the case today, but Scottish grooms would capture their bride, hold them with their left hand while they fought enemies or maybe her family with their right!
The Quaich – it’s a two-handle cup that was made of wood but is now mostly seen in silver or pewter. It is filled with whisky or brandy and is shared either by the couple for their first toast or is shared with the wedding party.
White heather is often included in the bride’s bouquet to bring good luck
It’s all about luck – the wedding scramble. Once the couple has stepped into their vehicle, the father of the bride tosses coins for children to collect. It is said that it brings fortune to the couple.
More good luck – a horseshoe. Another symbol of good luck is when a toddler hands the bride a horseshoe as she leaves the church.
Do you have a sword kicking around? In the past, the groom’s family would pass on their family sword to the bride who would then give the sword to her first-born son. It also represented the protection of the groom to his new wife.
We’re not sure if the Scottish and Irish Store can offer you soot and ash (Maybe they do! They have a lot of stock.) but we know they certainly do offer traditional items that can help you celebrate your wedding day. They offer attire, jewelry, wedding favour bags, accessories, quaichs and much more.