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The Artistry of Rablogan Castle

Old Scottish Traditions

During the Ceremony

The Pipes

It would not be a Scottish wedding without the bride entering the venue and the Bride and Groom departing to the sound of the bagpipes. Most professional pipers know the routines of the ceremony and will know what to play and when to play it! Also, they are most always positioned outside of the venue to protect the ears of your guests. For more information, go to the Pipers link.

 
Hand Fasting

Hand fasting is a Celtic wedding ceremony from the middle ages. It was a temporary marriage that lasted for a year and a day. Unlike the English that had a friar in most villages, most in Scotland did not a have local minister or priest to perform a marriage ceremony, so, couples would perform a hand fasting which legally bound them until someone of the clergy would pass through the village and could perform a ceremony. In a modern ceremony, a hand fasting is incorporated into many wedding ceremonies in a way to honor their Celtic heritage. The couples hands are bound together in a cord or a tartan cloth during their vows. This is to show that from that point forward, they are no longer two, but are one!
 

Pinning of the Tartan

Following the proclamation of husband and wife this additional ceremony takes place, "The pinning of the tartan". This ceremony is customized to each family depending on whether the bride or the groom is being accepted into the clan. For instance if the bride is marrying into the clan, any member of the grooms family may present the bride with clan tartan in the form of a rosette pin or sash which is fastened with the clan badge. Often this presentation is pinned or dressed to the bride as acceptance into the grooms clan. Many times the groom himself will pin or dress the bride, but it is quite emotional when the grooms mother does the pinning.



Presentation of the Sword

As listed above in the pinning ceremony, many celebrations may take place that also includes the "Presentation of the sword". This is a beautiful tradition where the groom presents his bride with a family sword that will be given to their first born son or; the Brides family would present the Groom with their sword as an act of acceptance into the family and signifying the obligation and responsibility to now protect her.