Plan Your Wedding in Scotland

Our Wedding pages will assist to give you all the information you need to getting married in and around Stirling and the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. It includes information on the important things you need to do such as registering your marriage, choosing a wedding venue, listing huge choice of wedding suppliers, specific information for the Bride and Groom and of course no wedding would be complete without first having your Stag and Hen nights.

Below is a short introduction to each aspect of planning a wedding in Scotland. The following pages will hopefully help you with the planning and legal regulations required in Scotland and suggest suitable venues and registered places where a wedding ceremony is permitted.

Important Wedding Information

Before you say ‘I do’ there are some must dos which need to be done. You may have not been aware of these but don’t worry, we have broken the must dos down into understandable categories and before you know it they will be finalised and you can move on to the next planning stage. The first thing to decide is on what type of Wedding do you want, religious or non-religious and who do you want to marry you?

Choosing a Wedding Venue

Choosing and finding a suitable venue can be time consuming and that is why we have tried to eliminate some of this time for you. Visit our individual wedding venues pages which offer extra information and features which would make your wedding day extra special. 

Classic Wedding Cars

Once you have chosen your Wedding Venue the next major decision you have to make is how the Bride will be collected from her home and taken to the Wedding Ceremony. Also, which guests will be in the Wedding Parade and what type of vehicles you need for them. Read more about choosing a classic wedding car here.

Local Registry Offices

The Bride

Some women dream of their special day and put together scrap books of cut outs from magazines and ideas of what fabric they like or which flowers they want. Not you? Then don’t worry, whether you are someone who has a wedding scrap book bursting with ideas, or a note pad which has not been written in yet, here we have put together all the information you need to start planning your big day. Can’t decide between a sweetheart neckline or what colour scheme to have? Well this section is bursting with ideas, links to bridal shops and helpful hints and top tips which will help you decide which shape will suit your figure. 

The Groom

Fancy wearing a Bonnie Prince Charlie or an Argyll? Or do you have your own family tartan? Maybe you would like to wear a smart suit with matching waist coat? It is tradition for a Scottish wedding, for the groom to come in full highland dress but at the end of the day the final decision is yours. Something to remember when deciding on what to wear on your wedding day, will there be dancing? What season am I getting married in? What is the colour scheme of the wedding? Although very simple, these three questions are often forgotten about but yet are three crucial points to consider.

Hens & Stags

Always dreamed of a relaxing day with your bridesmaids? Or maybe a day packed full of activities with your groomsmen? From fitness boot camps to whisky parties, this section offers numerous ideas for planning your hen or stag party. If you can’t decide between a relaxing day and an action packed day then why not combine the two and turn it into a weekend party? After all a wedding is a celebration and a Hens and Stag Party is an excuse for some extra fun to be had. 

Ancient Scottish Wedding Traditions

Scotland is renowned for its many ancient customs and traditions ranging from old Highland superstitions to customs that have survived for many centuries into modern Scottish society. These unusual customs were believed to bring the couple luck, fertility, wealth and eternal happiness. Although many remain common custom today, here are a handful of weird and wonderful traditions, some that have been long forgotten, and others that remain popular in regions across Scotland today.

Feet Washing

On the eve of the wedding, a tub of water is placed in the best room of the house, in which the bride places her feet. Her female friends then gather around to wash them. A wedding ring from a happily married woman is placed in the tub and it is believed that whoever finds the ring will be the next to get married. The groom is then made to sit by the tub where his legs are daubed with soot, ashes and cinders. This tradition is still carried out in some parts of Scotland.

Blackening

A popular custom which is carried out even today, is the 'blackening'. The couple are captured by their friends one night before their big day and covered with treacle, feathers and soot and then paraded around the village.

Creeling of the Bridegroom

A particularly cruel Highland tradition was the ‘Creeling of the Bridegroom’ where a large basket of 'creel' was filled with stones and tied to the grooms back. He then was forced to carry the basket around the entire town and wasn’t until his bride agreed to kiss him when his friends would allow the ‘creeling’ to end.

Wedding Procession

On the day of the wedding, the bridal party make their way towards the church whilst throwing flower petals in front of the bride. It is believed to be bad luck if the party encounter a pig or funeral on their way and must return home and set out again if they do. The first person they come across is called the 'first foot' and would be given a coin and a drink of whisky by bride. He would then have to accompany the bridal party for one mile before being allowed to continue on his way.

The Silver Sixpence

The bride is given a silver sixpence to place in her shoe the morning of her wedding as a token of good luck and fortune.

The Presentation of the Sword

An unusual tradition that was popular in ancient times was the 'Presentation of the Sword'. The groom presents his bride with a family sword that will be given to their first born son or; the Bride’s family would present the Groom with their sword as an act of acceptance into the family and signifying the obligation to protect her.

The Wedding Scramble

Following the ceremony, the father of the bride throws a handful of coins outside the church for the children of the village to collect. This is believed to bring financial luck.

The Pinning of the Tartan

Following the proclamation of husband and wife, a further ceremony known as 'the Pinning of the Tartan' takes place. This ceremony is customized to each family depending on whether the bride or the groom is being accepted into the clan. For instance if the bride is marrying into the clan, any member of the grooms family may present the bride with clan tartan in the form of a rosette pin or sash which is fastened with the clan badge as an acceptance into the grooms clan. A variation of this which was also common in clan times was instead of the tartan being pinned, the couple would rip their wedding plaids (clan tartan) and tie the two strips of material together as a sign of the two families joining together. It is said that this is where the popular phrase ‘tying the knot’ came from.

The Lang Reel

Popular amongst fishing communities in the North-East of Scotland, the ‘Lang Reel’ is a traditional dance where the wedding guests start a dance procession at the towns harbour or pier and dance their way through the town or village. The procession gradually thins out as guests leave the lang reel when they reach their house. The newlywed couple are last to leave the procession and have the last dance of the night.

Sadly, many of these ancient Scottish customs have been lost in time. However, there are a few small Scottish villages that still indulge in some of these unusual traditions, with the whole village celebrating a couple coming together in matrimony.