Rituals of love | Wedding ceremony traditions to consider
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In Scotland, unlike other countries, we’re blessed with the opportunity to get married just about anywhere.
But not only that – there are so many incredible, meaningful rituals that can be personalised to you as a couple and incorporated in your nuptials, whether you’ll
be saying ‘I do’ inside a chic city hotel, on the grounds of a luxe country manor or atop a totally dreamy snow-topped mountain.
Get your notepads at the ready as it’s inspo-galore from Scotland’s celebrants…
“Fur babies are often an important and integral part of family life so including your pet as ring bearer (or even ‘best woof’) is a great way to make memories.
“Many venues allow dogs during your ceremony and almost all will allow them for photographs, so if it’s important to you let them know.”
Susan Douglas Scott, Celebrate People
“Offering bread and salt to one another is a European tradition.
“The bread symbolises the sweetness in life whilst the salt represents the challenges.
“Some also have their parents offering wine during or after the ceremony so the couple may never be thirsty.”
Gerrie Douglas-Scott, Celebrate People
“When one half of the couple is from a different culture they often bring gestures from their own culture.
“At one wedding the bride was Persian and the groom a Scot, and they did a Persian sugar rubbing gesture.
“Some of the special ladies in the bride’s life spread a cloth of unity over the couple and two others (the pair’s mums) rubbed sugar onto the cloth over them.
“In doing so, they are said to be spreading sweetness into the newlyweds’ life and marriage.”
Simon Houston, Fuze Ceremonies
Oathing stone
“I love using an oathing stone to set vows in stone.
“Before you pick it up, it’s just a stone.
“One of thousands on that beach or in the woods.
“By choosing it, you give it meaning.
“Asking your small child to pick the stones as Caitlin (of Caitlin Wilder Photography) and Ste did is a lovely way to give your kids a special role [pictured].
“I love that it gives you a physical memento of your ceremony.
“I had a couple set their vows in stone last year using one from the beach where the groom’s dad’s ashes had been scattered.
“He was then physically a part of the ceremony which was just gorgeous.”
Ronit Quayle, Humanist Society Scotland
Shades of love
“Colours can be symbolic.
“I conduct many weddings for Chinese people and they believe red is the colour of double happiness.
“We often have a red or red and gold handfasting cloth.”
Gerrie Douglas-Scott, Celebrate People
Wine, wine and more wine!
“Drinks are commonly used during wedding ceremonies and wine is always popular.
“For the time capsule ritual, the couple seal their favourite bottle of wine away in a box with a love letter to each other.
“The idea is to open it and read it at a future milestone anniversary.
“Wine blending is another favourite and we recently had a pair of wine connoisseurs who combined their individual favourite red wines together.
“They shared a sip during the ceremony as a gesture to recognise their new journey together and had the rest at the top table for the speeches and toasts.”
Yvonne Hannah, Fuze Ceremonies
Sand blending
“The wedding sand blending ceremony has ancient roots dating back to Native American, Hawaiian and African traditions.
“They often used the concept of mixing different coloured sands to symbolise the merging of two lives.
“Over time, this beautiful practice has made its way into contemporary Western weddings, offering couples a chance to create a meaningful and memorable experience for themselves and their guests.
“We’ve had couples use sand from the beach where the proposal happened mixed with sand from the beach at their wedding venue (or a beach close by), which is a beautiful idea.”
George McLean, Fuze Ceremonies
Handfasting
“Tartan is most traditional but I’ve helped couples to tie their knot with all kinds of cords and fabrics most meaningful to them – from climbing ropes, stitched-together rugby shirts and artfully crafted Celtic knot macramé creations to locally woven tweeds and lace from mum’s old wedding dress.
“Tradition with a twist can feel so special when you make it your own.”
Georgia Brooker, Humanist Society Scotland
The ceremony
“Unless the couple and two witnesses are attending the Registrar’s office to exchange vows and sign the paperwork, the ceremony itself is a ritual with common elements like telling the couple’s story, speaking about love and marriage and exchanging rings.
“So, the question is how simple or elaborate; how personal and how formal do you want your ritual to be?
“I rarely meet couples who have a solid idea of what they definitely want but many have an idea of the tone or know they like the sound of certain elements.
” More have definite ideas of what they don’t want!
“Your celebrant will try to gauge what kind of ceremony you want and bounce ideas off you without imposing their own preferences.
“Then we prepare a full script that can change and evolve with your feedback until it’s just right.”
Craig Flowers, Independent Humanist Ceremonies
Water of life
“There are lots of metaphors for water.
“Sprinkling water (often some from each person’s hometown) over joined hands symbolises being joined forever.”
Mo Waterston, Celebrate People
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