Average Scottish Groom's Wedding Attire

[Jock Scot]

I 100% agree with jock, the last wedding I went to in the lowlands, about 3 years ago there were 5 kilts, 4 hire and me. There were more kilts at my brothers wedding in York, in about 1995, but he and his circle of friends are comparatively wealthy.

The average Scot in lowland Scotland, would think twice on spending £50- £100 for one days wear at a wedding , when he has a perfectly good suit, for weddings funerals and job interviews.

Many lowland Scots would not be seen dead in a kilt, and will only ever wear one the bride to be orders it..

I have attended more than a few Lowland weddings and your last sentence has got me thinking. In the late 1950’s and the following 40 years or so, I wore the kilt to Lowland weddings to about just less than half of those I attended there. Tartan trews worn with a morning coat were commonly worn by the locals but most times lounge/business suits or full morning dress was the order of the day for weddings there.

At about the turn of the last century to this one, kilts became much more plentiful at Lowland weddings. By that I mean, perhaps there might be 10 or so on show at a fairly large do( 100 plus guests). Then the kilt hire company look arrived and for a short time kilted weddings were common and then faded away.

In the last four years, Mrs Jock and I have been to four Lowland weddings at Troon, Moffat, Sanquhar and Biggar and I don’t know if there is a trend going on but interestingly with two of the weddings instructions from the “wedding Command” was from one, “no kilts” and the other was “ no tartan” and a third, a comment from the Groom as we entered the church was “ thank goodness you are not wearing your kilt! I am sorry I forgot to ask you not to, when we were shooting last week!” Thanks very much I thought!

So for the last wedding which was in January of this year word came down from “wedding Command” , “Wear your kilt if you must but as Lowlanders don’t wear the kilt we would prefer that you wear morning dress.” “Fine no problem” said I and in all honesty it wasn’t. Unsurprisingly, I suppose, there was not a scrap of tartan to be seen at the wedding.

[OC Richard]

In the late 1950’s and the following 40 years...tartan trews were commonly worn by the (Lowland) locals but most times suits or morning dress was the order of the day.

At about the turn of the century kilts became much more plentiful at Lowland weddings...10 or so at a fairly large do (100 plus guests).

Then the kilt hire company look arrived and for a short time kilted weddings were common and then faded away.

In the last four years...

“no kilts”

“no tartan"

“thank goodness you are not wearing your kilt!”

“Wear your kilt if you must but as Lowlanders don’t wear the kilt”

Now that is very interesting! Thank you for that.

You're in the right place, and attend weddings often enough, to see trends that others might not.

A piper's perspective on weddings is skewed for obvious reasons...if kilts weren't in order neither would be hiring a piper, probably.

[Crazy Dave]

Is it too late to congratulate the bride and groom? Well, better late than never. Congratulations!