The main man – ways grooms can stand out from the rest of their bridal party
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Have you ever seen a wedding and wondered just which one of the kilted men was the lucky groom-to-be?
While grooms may not be as instantly recognisable as a bride, (generally the one in the white dress), there are a number of ways they can make themselves stand out.
According to Calum Grant of Slanj Kilts, the most common way of setting the groom apart from the rest of the party is a difference in accessories.
“Wearing a tartan tie and matching flashes as opposed to plain ones is the most subtle and the cheapest way,” he explains.
“We have also seen grooms wearing a different tartan from the groom’s party which works best when everyone has the same colour of jacket/waistcoat set.”
Outfit by Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers
Gordon Nicolson of Gordon Nicolson Kiltmakers says, “We strongly encourage every groom to express their individuality through their choice of wedding outfit.”
He advises that it’s often the small details that make a significant difference, such as unique shoes or coloured socks, designing your own distinct sporran, or adding a fly plaid.
Selina Carlton of Kilts 4 U suggests making subtle yet meaningful changes.
“A distinctive boutonniere, custom kilt pin, or unique flashes on his socks can further differentiate his look,” she advises.
“The groom could also choose special ghillie brogues with subtle detailing like adding tartan inserts or custom laces.
“These small variations allow the groom to stand out while keeping a cohesive and traditional feel.”
However you decide to style yourself and your party, Michael Dixon of Suited and Booted Glasgow advises grooms to curate their own look first, before taking
their groomsmen into account.
“Subtle things can fall into place once the groom has been prioritised, such as nods of colour pulled from the groom’s look, which can then be used to curate the
other important members of the wedding party.”
When Alan Hatherall married wife Beth at Eden Leisure Village he chose a Holyrood tartan kilt with matching plaid and tie, paired with a midnight blue tweed
jacket and waistcoat, hired from Slanj Kilts.
“I then chose a white shirt, navy socks, a grey sporran and black shoes,” he recalls.
“I added my own personal touches, with a corsage to match the bouquet and wedding flowers and a sgian dubh and kilt pin, which belonged to my Papa,” he explains.
Alan had originally intended to wear his own McLellan tartan kilt, passed down to him by his great uncle.
But while looking for a complementary tartan for his groomsmen, he realised he also loved the Holyrood design so decided to switch up a couple of details to make his own look stand out.
“All of them wore the Holyrood tartan and the same outfit as me except I wore a plaid and the different sgian dubh and kilt pin.
“Additionally, me, my best man and my dad all wore the Holyrood tartan tie, with the rest of the party wearing navy ties.
“This was another small touch we chose which helped distinguish a couple of us from the rest of the wedding party.”
Brian Chapman married his wife Faayza last October at Macdonald Crutherland House and found himself favouring a tartan with earthy green tones to suit the
season.
“I chose Spirit of Loch Ness tartan, which came with the full works, including a plaid,” he says.
“It was an autumnal wedding and I knew in advance that my bride would be wearing red, so I had green in mind from the start.”
Brian completed the outfit with brown ghillie brogues, and opted to wear a set of cufflinks owned by his late grandfather in tribute.
For Brian, it was important for functionality that he stood out.
“It was a fairly large wedding and there were a lot of extended family and friends I hadn’t met, so I wanted to make it easy for them to tell me apart from my groomsmen.”
Brian’s groomsmen all wore identical outfits to his, with the exception of the plaid, which set him apart.
He adds, “I also wanted the plaid to try and match my wife’s energy.
“As she was in a traditional Pakistani wedding dress, I wanted there to be visual and cultural balance in the photographs to signify the coming together of our different backgrounds.”
Sense of pride
Grant MacGregor and wife Helen tied the knot at Dalduff Farm, Maybole and his outfit was completely bespoke.
While the majority of it was supplied by Kilts 4 U, he complemented it with some accessories he already owned such as his sgian dubh, the MacGregor clan crest cufflinks and his tie.
His brooch was a special gift from Helen.
Grant’s Kilts 4 U kilt, flashes and plaid were in Modern Hunting MacGregor tartan from Marton Mills, while his jacket was made from two tweeds.
The main Beaters Green by Lochcarron tweed was paired with the second Cairngorm Heath by Marton Mills tweed, in a lighter shade of green.
His waistcoat was also made from Cairngorm Heath tweed and complemented the jacket perfectly.
He completed the look with a brown musquash sporran and tan ghillie brogues.
Grant explains, “I love wearing kilts and I wear them with a sense of pride, not only because it looks great, but also that it’s a celebration of Scottish culture and tradition.”
Grant dressed his groomsmen in charcoal grey Strathearn jackets and waistcoats, with black sporrans, charcoal grey hose, and black ghillie brogues, all on hire from Kilts 4 U – and the kilts were their own or hired.
Grant adds, “I don’t subscribe to the idea that the groomsmen should wear a particular kilt to fit into the colour scheme.
“I’m a big believer in wearing your own family tartan, if you have one.”
What is a plaid?
A fly plaid is a piece of tartan fabric typically draped over the shoulder and secured with a pin or brooch.
Normally worn for special occasions, it is customary for only the groom to wear one on his wedding day.
Calum explains, “The fly plaid is a nod to the great kilt or féileadh mòr.
“This was the large piece of tartan cloth that Highlanders used as multipurpose, all-weather clothing, and also for sleeping in.”
Selina adds, “Historically, a plaid was worn by the head of the clan, making it easy to recognise who was in charge.
“Now, it is traditionally worn to make a groom stand out from his wedding party, adding a regal finish to his outfit.”
Need some more inspiration for your big day outfit?
Check out our stylish groomswear photoshoot at Mar Hall here
