Wedding advice

[Metrobirl]

Search yielded no similar question so here goes:
Future Wife and Family have requested I wear a kilt at my wedding. Undecided at first, I'm going along because I think it will be classy and relevant to our Celtic heritage (also highland pipes are a big part of me).
I will be designing my own tartan. I will not be asking my groomsmen to wear kilts.
The only problem is that my wife would like the main color of my kilt to match her bridesmaids colors.
I find this a little perplexing as I don't think the groom should be matching the bridesmaids colors in any other wedding setting. I can't find any photos of wedding parties where this is done. Is it acceptable or is it reducing the kilt to a 'dress' item? Or am I over thinking this?

Thanks in advance for any constructive advice.
-c

[Laird_M]

As we had our wedding one weekend and the reception the next, we didn't have the full wedding crew.
However, for our reception we did have a flower girl and her dress (made by the wife) was designed to compliment the kilts and my wife's dress.

In my experience, its more usual for the bridesmaids/flower girls to match with or contrast the brides dress as the groom generally wears a morning suit.

For the kilted weddings I've been to, the brides dress etc generally compliments or contrasts the kilt of the groom, rather than the tartan being made to match the other way around. Unless your to be wife has picked some really weird colours, it shouldn't be too difficult to find an existing tartan to use as a guide for designing yours.
Check out http://www.tartansauthority.com/tartan-ferret for ideas by colour.

[davidg]

As much as I hate to see it brides commonly insist the groom's kilt matches the bridesmaids colours here in my part of Scotland and that the groomsmen all wear that same tartan

The reason I hate to see it is because traditionally men would have worn their own clan tartan and I see matching colours with dresses in this way as a fashion overkill, often making the men look slightly odd. But, in your case you want to design your own tartan, so I am more inclined to say "why not" match the colours the bride wants as whatever you design will be a "fashion" tartan anyway

Personally I would not do either and would wear my own kilt in my own tartan. Everyone is different though and I can see for a happier day for both of you if you simply do as she wishes. But please, not pink

[Paul Henry]

Firstly congratulations, and welcome.
I don't like to see everything inthe wedding party matching, I enjoy a range of colours and tartans, and certainly it is much more traditional for there to be variety as, if the men were wearing kilts, they would be in their own tartans.
Often the bridesmaids are co ordinated to the bride in some way, not the groom.
Designing your own tartan is a fine idea, but it does take quite a bit of work, not all designs work with a kilt for all sorts of reasons, so please take advice from a kilt maker as well.Having a tartan woven takes quite a bit of time as well, as there are only a few weavers who are prepared to do short runs, and consequently they can end up being fairly costly as well,this isn't to say you shouldn't do it, but be prepared for anything over 8-10 weeks just for the weaving.

[Chas]

Hi Metrobirl,

You say you have a Celtic heritage. Why not then, go with a tartan from your heritage? You don't say whether it is highland, lowland, Ulster Scot or what, but there are over 7,000 registered tartans - surely there is one that you have a connection with?

Designing, weaving, making, would to my mind be the last option, not the first. After all, what happens if when you get the kilt, you find that you really hate wearing it?

I say, buy a cheap acrylic kilt now and find out if you like it. If you do, then look at your options. Maybe rental, maybe purchase. We don't know where you are and when the wedding will take place. Temperature is a big consideration in choosing weight and construction. Should you go for wool or PV? So many variables. A quick decision is not what you want, because it is going to be wrong.

Regards

Chas

[pascs]

Thats quite an interesting idea. Personally I'd want to wear my family tartan but I can see that a colour variation of it could be a very interesting experiment............depending on what colour the bridesmaids dresses are going to be.

Scotweb have a design your own tartan application which is fun, you could choose your own tartan then change the main colour to that of the bridesmaids. I dont know how this would be viewed by traditionalists but it is your wedding and would give you a very different kilt but still based around family heritage.

I've been trying to design a tartan around various family tartans and then creating my own weathered tartan - not there yet but it can be a fun experience.

[TheBrus]

Curiosity is getting the better of me. What colors is she requesting? I'd agree with previous posts: this can come out very nicely, perhaps even with a universal tartan, as long as the colors aren't too unique. Maybe you can even negotiate to have a kilt in the colors of her choosing and one in the tartan of your own design for the honeymoon.

[be da veva]

My wife matched her dress to my kilt..

My wedding thread
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...ictures-38493/
(yes, I know.... so many faux pas... )

[AKScott]

I agree with the general tenor of the foregoing. I also remember what a hassle it was to choose wwedding colors in the first place, and then deal with the choice.

1. Find out what stock tartans you can claim a connection to. The color balance to the images on Loch Carron is very good, though it helps to cover the black background with some neutral colored shades held up to my computer monitor.

2. It is the bride's day, so you will have to be gentle, especially if the bridesmaid's dresses are already ordered/chosen.

3. What we did for mine (green and cream) was order my stock green clan tartan, did what we could to coordinate that green in the bridesmaids dresses and then put cream sashes on the bridesmaids to co-ordinate with the bride's dress. All the boquets were yellow and red, so I wore claret hose with yellow flashes. The party, I think, looked organized and coordinated with out looking upholstered. I would offer pictures, but my wedding was recent enough we don't have them back from the photographer yet.

4. When in doubt, it is the bride's day, not anyone else's.

[piperdbh]

We still don't kow where this wedding will take place. Different parts of the globe have different expectations for wedding attire. Knowing the nuptial location will help us better decide what to advise, I think.