Month Three: Deciding Bridal Wear
The twenty-first century bride has inherited an incredibly diverse dressing-up box. She can draw on styles from any age, made of any fabric and can complement her look with shoes and accessories chosen from a huge array of designs from around the world. What you wear on you wedding day is also a serious statement of personal style and is likely to be among the most costly clothing you'll ever buy. It can also set the tone of your celebration, but to a certain extent is also dictated by the type of wedding you are hoping to have. So if you are having a Scottish wedding why not embrace the Scottish theme? That doesn't mean you and the bridal party need be decked out in tartan from head to toe (but you could be!), you could take a more subtle approach and maybe include a few Celtic accents to your wedding day wardrobe.
For a whole host of bridal retailers and designers based in Scotland make use of our suppliers search. Outfits are available from couture houses and top designers, made-to-measure and ready to wear off-the-peg. They can be made from the finest silks (tartan is woven in silk as well as wool), most luxurious fabrics or man made fibres. You can pay a few hundred pounds or a few thousand. And you don't have to marry in white and it doesn't have to be a gown!
If you are not having a religious ceremony then almost anything goes. But that's not to say you shouldn't wear a traditional dress - just something in keeping with your chosen venue. Indeed you may be having a civil ceremony in a grand location and want a grand gown to match. Or you may be opting for an outdoor ceremony and need something extra to cover you; then in true Highland Dress tradition there is the serape, a long blanket like shawl, usually in tartan, fringed at the ends and worn around the shoulders, perfect for an outdoor wedding if there's a nip in the air or for when night closes in around your reception.
In Scotland tartan is the obvious choice when introducing a Scottish theme. To make it authentic opt for a tartan sash over your outfit, and maybe those of the other female members of your bridal party. How the sash is worn and secured has significance dating back centuries: traditionally a sash is worn over the right shoulder, across the breast and secured with a pin or brooch. Wives of Clan Chiefs and of Colonels in the Scottish Regiments wear a fuller sized sash over the left shoulder secured with a brooch. Ladies who marry outside of their own Clan but wish to wear their original Clan tartan do so by wearing a longer sash over the right shoulder, secured with a pin and then tied in a bow on the left hip. If you like the idea of the sash but not the tartan, to keep with the Scottish theme you could wear a plain sash, but secured with a Celtic brooch.
If it is to be tartan, there are around five thousand to choose from! Browse through the tartan suppliers on our Groomswear supplier search to get an idea. If you don't want the whole bridal party in tartan then consider perhaps tartan bodices for your bridesmaids, or tartan piping on your gown. You could opt for an accent of tartan but the colour you choose for your bridesmaids, flower girls and pageboys could be that of the predominant colour of the tartan. Check out Scotland's designers to see what they are doing for the catwalk. Joyce Young for example has a "Touch of Tartan" collection that recently went down a storm in New York during "Tartan Week" (yes they have one!). Also consider whether if the groom's party will be wearing tartan, will you want to wear the same one? If you have a family tartan, that would be the obvious choice, unless you both have them! In that event the bride could wear a tartan sash for the ceremony of her own clan tartan and then switch to one of her new husband's clan for the reception. Explore such ideas for yourself and you could have some fun!
If tartan is not an option (or even if it is!) consider adding a Celtic accent to your wedding day accessories. Indeed accessories are a fantastic way to hint at, or enhance a theme and the ideal answer to link your outfits with those of your bridesmaids, pageboys and flower girls. Again, use our suppliers search to link you to dozens of companies who'll be delighted to assist you add the finishing touches to your outfits.
Finally, to add some luck on your wedding day Scottish tradition dictates you drop an old sixpence coin in your shoe!
Next month i'll be looking at groomswear including traditonal highland dress and accessories.
Wedding Gown Shopping Tips:
- Research what your money will get you in magazines and search on-line. In addition to this site The Scottish Wedding Directory is a great starting point.
- Collect cuttings of designs and ideas you like, including accessories.
- Take into account the time of year, time of day and the style and location of your wedding celebration (indoors, outdoors, both etc.).
- Make appointments with three or four designers or bridal boutiques with gowns within your price range.
- When shopping go with an open mind and try on lots of different shapes until you find what is right for you.
- Check what's included in the price: will alterations be extra and what
are the payment terms?
When you have chosen your outfit ask for a fabric swatch to assist with matching up your bridesmaids' outfits and your shoes and accessories.
VisitScotland's Wedding Planner
Wedding Top Tips
Month One: Getting Started
Month Two: Finding Your Dream Venue
Month Four: Deciding Groomswear
Month Five: Wedding Day Food
Month Six: Wedding Day Flowers
Month Seven: Photography
Month Eight: Transport
Month Nine: Guests
Month Ten: Hair and Beauty
Month Eleven: The Big Day
Month Twelve: Honeymoon
