Emma's answers to Scottish-English wedding

Question

I am getting married next year. We are planning a Scottish vs English theme as I'm English and my partners from Scotland. I'm having problems as I like traditional but hate boring. Any ideas for a reception that is different? Also where would I go to find a fresh flower hair accessory instead of a veil or tiara?

Answer

A traditional Scottish wedding tradition is for the groom to drape a piece of his clan's tartan over the shoulder of his new bride after the exchanging of rings. You could modernise this by having his tartan made into a scarf or shawl, or by using his clan's tartan to tie your bouquet, or as a ribbon in your garter.

The obvious choice for a Scottish themed wedding is to hire a piper to pipe you into or out of your ceremony or reception. Nobody could accuse you of being boring with a set of bagpipes in the room! You could also hire a ceilidh band for some traditional Scottish dancing. For details of hiring musicians, please see our Suppliers Directory.

Another popular idea is to combine the symbols of England and Scotland; the rose and the thistle. This can be reflected in floral arrangements such as bouquets and buttonholes, and also in stationery and table settings. How about an arrangement of red roses in a low-round bowl in the centre of each table, tied with a tartan ribbon? You could use the same ribbons as napkin ties or to tie favour boxes.

I think it would be a great idea to have whisky miniatures as your favours, Confetti have a selection, and you can even personalise them.

You can ask you florist to arrange a floral hairpiece for you, and discuss with your hairdresser, who will be able to attach it for you on the day.