Wedding attire ideas brainstorming…

[Liam]

Thank you for the idea. I have a seal fur sporran that might work, though I would love a full mask badger sporran, the fiancée on the other hand is not so inclined.

I think a seal fur sporran is very traditional and appropriate.
The other thought I have is don't over think it. Your Father would be proud of you regardless. Make sure you you understand the timeline to have the tartan woven and kilts made.
And Slainte
Liam

[figheadair]

I think a seal fur sporran is very traditional and appropriate.
The other thought I have is don't over think it. Your Father would be proud of you regardless. Make sure you you understand the timeline to have the tartan woven and kilts made.
And Slainte
Liam

That's a good point. I started gathering stuff for my son's wedding (three weekends ago) last May. I finished weaving the cloth in August, it was made up into two kilts by Jan. Concurrently I selected the cloth for the jackets and waiscoats which took about the same time to have made bespoke.

[NPG]

I think a seal fur sporran is very traditional and appropriate.
The other thought I have is don't over think it. Your Father would be proud of you regardless. Make sure you you understand the timeline to have the tartan woven and kilts made.
And Slainte
Liam

That's a good point. I started gathering stuff for my some's wedding (three weekends ago) last May. I finished weaving the cloth in August, it was made up into two kilts by Jan. Concurrently I selected the cloth for the jackets and waiscoats which took about the same time to have made bespoke.

Funny you both should mention this, I got an email today stating that the Scottish Register of Tartans needs my fiancée to confirm that she is happy to be listed in the register along side me... talk about commitment

We started the process about a month ago, and we are still a little over months from the wedding date. I know things can always go wrong, but I hope we've given it enough time.

[tpa]

NPG, you asked about belts with waistcoats. The main issue is that very little of the belt will be seen under a waistcoat,so it is simply not necessary unless it is needed to support something like a dirk, or maybe ,these days a mobile phone or, in my case a camera. In all instances the holder would have to hang below the belt to avoid spoiling the line of the waistcoat.

However, I have noticed in the UK that many (most?) kilt hire and sales shops supply a belt as part of a full outfit. In the sales case, this is probably to increase sales, in the hire case, well if one outlet does it, the others are going to follow so as not to give any advantage to the competition. None of which of course makes it correct.

In recent discussions with Geoffrey Tailor, an well established Edinburgh and Glasgow kilt supplier about waistcoats, (I need one to go with the tweed jacket they supplied), they sent me this picture, which demonstrates that 1) you do not see much of the belt under a kilt waistcoat, which incidentally is shorter than a normal suit waistcoat; 2) there is no real harm in wearing one if you want to as it does not detract from the look; 3) It appears to be more or less normal practice, correct or otherwise.



Will I wear one with the waistcoat for my daughter's forthcoming wedding? Quite possibly as I may want it to carry a camera which cannot be fitted into a decorative sporran, such as the one pictured, nor into the waistcoat or jacket pockets without spoiling the line; however, if the jacket is left undone, it should not be noticeable. My belt buckle also has the family coat of arms engraved on it and if, at some later time in the evening, both jacket and waistcoat are discarded or unbuttoned, it will be visible.

The most important issue is though, which look does your prospective bride prefer? She is the one that matters, not what anyone else thinks.

[NPG]

NPG, you asked about belts with waistcoats. snip....

TPA,

Thank you for that reply. The waistcoat thing was confusing, but I think I understand better now and my choice (after the bride has her say), will probably depend on if I think I might need a belt for the support.

Thank you again very helpful.

[figheadair]

I wear a belt with a waistcoat - it holds my sporran up .

Man and Boy.jpg

[JohntheBiker]

TPA,

Thank you for that reply. The waistcoat thing was confusing, but I think I understand better now and my choice (after the bride has her say), will probably depend on if I think I might need a belt for the support.

Thank you again very helpful.

A properly fitted kilt doesn't require a belt for support - friction is all that is required. Belts are for decoration or to hang stuff from, like a dirk. Personally, I would never wear a belt with a waistcoat.

[NPG]

A properly fitted kilt doesn't require a belt for support - friction is all that is required. Belts are for decoration or to hang stuff from, like a dirk. Personally, I would never wear a belt with a waistcoat.

Yes, that is what I meant support of a decoration of some sort. Sorry for the confusion it was in references to TPA's comment about needing the support for a camera.

[MacLowlife]

NPG, I congratulate you on your plans and on your good sense in knowing that the Bride is the one to please. I wear a kilt less than 10 times a year, but I have bought/worn/sold/attempted a number of "adventurous" and "festive" kilt outfits over the years. Maybe you can avoid some of the mistakes I have made.

The first thing I would urge you to consider is comfort and simplicity. Try to stay away from wardrobe pieces that require your attention or one of your hands- no canes, staves, handheld objects, etc. It is also important not to dress too warmly. Next, though, I would counsel elegance for your wedding. Personally, I suggest a velvet jacket, but some people would shy away from it because of expense or "fussiness". A nice compromise between practicality and luxury- with a historical twist- is moleskin, which is almost as soft as velvet, but is as tough as denim. MacLeay's subjects probably wore wool, but moleskin has a long history, too, and a moleskin jacket along the lines of theirs would be a nice way to nod in that direction. These days, it is fairly easy to find a moleskin jacket in navy that can be adapted for kilt use and I recommend that you look for one. A wedding is an occasion that calls for shiny buttons, even if you take them off and use horn ones forever after. David L Pope's suggestion of a brightly colored waistcoat is a nice touch.

Have you searched for older wedding threads? Various members have raised versions of this topic before. There are literally hundreds of threads and posts that discuss wedding attire, though not so many with your exact set of circumstances. Is there any way that you can afford small pieces of your new tartan for all of the guests? Can you incorporate that somehow? a bow on a gift bag, a ribbon around the napkins, pocket squares or scarves? Or, in these days of color printing on your desktop, can you scan the tartan and print it onto paper and use it effectively? Good Luck and let us know what you come up with.

[NPG]

NPG, I congratulate you on your plans and on your good sense in knowing that the Bride is the one to please. I wear a kilt less than 10 times a year, but I have bought/worn/sold/attempted a number of "adventurous" and "festive" kilt outfits over the years. Maybe you can avoid some of the mistakes I have made.

The first thing I would urge you to consider is comfort and simplicity. Try to stay away from wardrobe pieces that require your attention or one of your hands- no canes, staves, handheld objects, etc. It is also important not to dress too warmly. Next, though, I would counsel elegance for your wedding. Personally, I suggest a velvet jacket, but some people would shy away from it because of expense or "fussiness". A nice compromise between practicality and luxury- with a historical twist- is moleskin, which is almost as soft as velvet, but is as tough as denim. MacLeay's subjects probably wore wool, but moleskin has a long history, too, and a moleskin jacket along the lines of theirs would be a nice way to nod in that direction. These days, it is fairly easy to find a moleskin jacket in navy that can be adapted for kilt use and I recommend that you look for one. A wedding is an occasion that calls for shiny buttons, even if you take them off and use horn ones forever after. David L Pope's suggestion of a brightly colored waistcoat is a nice touch.

Have you searched for older wedding threads? Various members have raised versions of this topic before. There are literally hundreds of threads and posts that discuss wedding attire, though not so many with your exact set of circumstances. Is there any way that you can afford small pieces of your new tartan for all of the guests? Can you incorporate that somehow? a bow on a gift bag, a ribbon around the napkins, pocket squares or scarves? Or, in these days of color printing on your desktop, can you scan the tartan and print it onto paper and use it effectively? Good Luck and let us know what you come up with.

MacLowlife,

Thank you for the suggestions. I recently found an Argyll jacket pattern and found some high quality black wool, for cheap, so I am going to attempt (with practice fabric first) to make my own jacket, if all goes well I think that is the jacket I will use for the wedding. I appreciate the advice on the buttons and that is one of the internal debates I was having, I'll order some proper metal buttons.

One of the reasons we've order extra fabric is to be able to utilize it the wedding favors, likely as a bow or ribbon of some sort. With the bride incorporating the tartan in her dress. I feel like this will all tie together and be a great way to include my father's memory in the ceremony.