We're renewing our vows - and this time it's kilts please help!

[MacQueennie]

Hi,
I have been with the love of my life for 18yrs (married for 12) and we have decided to renew our vows early (as in May!) My only regret in our traditional wedding plans was that I didn't let him wear his kilt (yes, I know,..but I was young and he wanted to go commando underneath). He mentioned really wanting a proper great kilt in passing a long time ago and so I'm surprising him with it the night before so he can wear it for the ceremony. I THINK I found the right place to buy the fabric ( as my understanding is that a good great kilt is a 16oz double wide cloth about yes long for his size) I truly want it to be a family heirloom that he will love. so the questions :-)

1) Is it true that if you get double wide cloth (50+in) you can half the length of the cloth?

2) He has a sporran, and sgian dubh, pretty sure the rest no longer fits, any suggestions on other must have accessories for a Great Kilt ?

3) Is there a tradition for women marrying into a clan in regards to kilts?

4) & it's a biggie, any suggestions about how I can incorporate my own family history into the kilted ceremony with our kids? Is there a recommended place on a kilt that a spouse might wear the others tartan/cloth/badge?

I know that's a lot to ask but I have 5 weeks and I need to get it right. This time LOL Please help!

[Tarheel]

I feel I can help with question #4. The kids are a product of the two of you. They have the ancestral right to both you and your man's clan. A good way to incorporate another tartan into a themed event, are in vests, ties or pocket kerchiefs.

Check with the advertisers on our site and look for swatches and samples. There will also be products that you can purchase since you are on a deadline with the upcoming ceremony. Best of luck to all of you.

The ladies section of the forum will show you many examples (and sometimes reasons for) tartan choices, designs that our ladies wear and choose.

[WillowEstate]

Hi and a warm welcome from Sunny Queensland!

Sorry, I can't answer your questions, except possibly number 1, where for a Great Kilt, I believe the answer is no, because you use the whole width vertically, when worn.

A question for you, though, has your husband actually worn a Great Kilt before? If not, I fear producing it the night before your renewal might be a challenge! Take a look at a few videos on Google to see what's involved in wearing one. Here's a link for starters but there are lots more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA-um_4gulI

I think some practise would be necessary. But I leave that to others who have actually worn a Great Kilt - I haven't.

At short notice, maybe a phillabeg or "Little Kilt" would be easier?

Good luck whatever you decide and I wish you many more happy years together.

[Taskr]

A great kilt - so, basically, a length of tartan cloth that is going to be hand pleated and belted with the remainder over the sholder(s) or otherwise gathered.

A great kilt is going to be fashioned from tartan at least 50" wide and 7yds in length

Not sure what you mean by the rest not fitting. I can't find any photo evidence of a prince charlie or other "fancy jacket" being worn with a great kilt. A long shirt a basic necessity along with boots/shoes, sporran and hose Some of the re-enactors might have some ideas for smocks and jackets.

You might want to wear his tartan as a shawl or ladies plaid

Are the kids already kilted? mixing tartans would be a bit unusual but the universe won't come to a grinding halt if it was done. Perhaps a clan kilt pin is sufficient to meld one clan identity on the tartan of another?

Best of luck and many more happy years

[McMurdo]

I think you should read this article written by our own Matt Newsome on the belted plaid or great kilt.

https://albanach.org/evolution-of-th...r-10b834c28f7e

Matt explains that the great kilt was wide enough to reach from the knees to above the head (usually 50” to 60”) and was usually about four yards in length (though some may have been as long as six yards).

I would go get a length of tartan that large and practice putting on the great kilt, it will get easier with practice, so giving him the kilt the night before might not be the best thing.

I found this thread perhaps it will give you ideas on what a Great Kilt looks like as Formal Attire
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...-attire-73429/

Also this one from Matt Newsome
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...l-plaid-36463/

As for bringing your tartan into the ceremony you could do a handfasting using different strands of tartan, yours, his or others that have significance to you. You could also use your Clan crest as a pin.

[MacQueennie]

[QUOTE=Taskr;1338781]
"Not sure what you mean by the rest not fitting. I can't find any photo evidence of a prince charlie or other "fancy jacket" being worn with a great kilt. A long shirt a basic necessity along with boots/shoes, sporran and hose Some of the re-enactors might have some ideas for smocks and jackets.

You might want to wear his tartan as a shawl or ladies plaid

Are the kids already kilted? mixing tartans would be a bit unusual but the universe won't come to a grinding halt if it was done. Perhaps a clan kilt pin is sufficient to meld one clan identity on the tartan of another?"

Thanks so much for the info! My husband and I, and my oldest daughter all had little kilts long ago which none of us can fit anymore (even the youngest is too old for the lil' kids kilt). So I just meant that his shirt, Jacket cummerbund (which i don't think he will use with a GK anyway as this was often for black tie events), hose, and his belt are too small. The girls are not kilted yet but I assumed I should order less expensive ones since they are 8 and 11yrs old and still growing. It hadn't occurred to me that they may still take a long time to get actually. Thank you for that. We have never minded being drastically unusual by nature lol but I don't want to do anything that would be offensive to the tradition of kilts as it were.

[MacQueennie]

Great resources, Thank you!

[Deirachel]

Hi,

...
3) Is there a tradition for women marrying into a clan in regards to kilts?
...

Here's where you get into some "fun". Considering your talking feilidh-mór, properly there is no "clan" tartan, as the great kilt predates that idea, so the traditions concerning clan tartans don't actually apply.

However, due to the modern meaning of tartan (i.e. clan), the tradition would be when you married him, you joined his clan and left your's behind. Your kid(s) would be members of his clan. All of you wear his tartan as you are all in that clan (you as a shawl, sash, plaid skirt/dress). This is the "tradition" (certain exceptions occurred in the case of ranks/nobility).

That said, here in the States we have supposedly eliminated the different ranks, so some say people have a "right" to wear what ever clans their ancestors are connected to irregardless of patrimony or matrimony. (Technically, the right to decide who has legitimate rights to wear a clan tartan is the discretion of the clan cheif alone, but that's another discussion.)

So, make of that as you will and decide what you want to do from there.