A Scottish wedding ceremony takes place in the local church The Scottish Reformation forbid the exchanging of wedding rings as inappropriate and Papist, but this custom eventually came back. Vows would be in either English or Gaelic. Gaelic vows are gaining popularity with Scottish-American couples today.
One lovely Scots tradition is the wearing of white heather. Purple heather grows all over Scotland, but white heather is more rare. Wearing a sprig of white heather (especially against a Scottish blue gown) looks beautiful and is supposed to ensure marital harmony. Giving a pot of white heather to the bride and groom, who keep it next to their door, does the same.
In 1929, the age of consent to marry without parental permission was raised to 16 in Scotland. Meanwhile, in England the consent of parents is required until the intended couple is over the age of 18. This resulted in young English couples eloping to Scotland if they were unable to get their parents’ permission! The first major town over the Scottish border is Gretna Green, so this became the site of many elopements, in history and in literature. Lydia and Wickham, in Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice, are thought to be eloping to Gretna Green in Scotland.
Gretna Green is now considered Scotland’s “wedding capital”, a trendy place to hold a wedding. Thousands of brides choose Gretna Green each year.
Depending on the bride’s financial situation, she would either have a “penny wedding”, where friends and neighbors brought potluck dishes, or a “free wedding”, given by the bride’s father. Either way, the reception would follow the ceremony with eating, drinking of healths, dancing and singing.
When the bride and groom finally made it to their new home, the groom would lift her over the threshhold, because if she stumbled, it would bring bad luck to their union.
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[...] bhale wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptMeanwhile, in England the consent of parents is required until the intended couple is over the age of 18. This resulted in young English couples eloping to Scotland if they were unable to get their parents’ permission! … [...]
[...] Meg placed an observative post today on Scottish Wedding Customs: Part 2, The Wedding.Here’s a quick excerpt:Wearing a sprig of white heather (especially against a Scottish blue gown) looks beautiful and is supposed to ensure marital harmony. Giving a pot of white heather to the bride and groom, who keep it next to their door, does the same. … [...]