Hiya from Glasgow

[pushka]

What about a sgian-dubh in your garter belt under the dress? n__n hehehe

[Liam]

Welcome from Calgary.

[John_Carrick]

Welcome from Ireland

[bodhran4me]

A handfasting ceremony may work. He could use an amican heritage tartan and you could use your clan or one of the many Scottish non-clan.

Hey, welcome to the site from the Ontario shores of the St Lawrence River as well!

[mrtackytn]

Welcome to the Forum and congratulations on your recent engagement from
Music City USA - Nashville, TN Slainte !!

[tpa]

A warm Scottish welcome from middle England.

With regard to your wedding: a lot depends on how formal the occasion is going to be, where it is going to be (think beach vs church!) and what the likely temperature will be. A tartan sash can be a great addition to a white dress, but if you want other ideas try looking at this pinterest post. Other ideas from the images on the Scottish Tartans Authority site:

or these:
I'd forget the sgian dubh idea, unless hidden and preferably a dummy, lest the groom gets the wrong idea about your intentions on the wedding night! He may not have watched Outlander, or even worse he may have seen it!

Whatever you choose I trust it will be a great occasion and congratulations to both of you.

[O'Callaghan]

I'm an Englishman who lives in the US, and of Irish rather than Scottish extraction.

However, I had an uncle who was a Wegie, although he married a Geordie from my side of the family, and they lived around Newcastle, and later Glasgow, amongst other places. No, I'm not a Geordie, but a Londoner.

My Scottish uncle wore a weathered kilt to the games. I could never work out what clan it was supposed to be. His family name was originally considered to be a sept of one of the big clans, although they later established a clan society and got their own tartan. The younger son, although half Geordie, lives in Scotland and often wears a Black Watch kilt.

I think the consensus on this forum would be that a Scotswoman should marry in a white dress with an arisaid (sash) in her clan tartan. OTOH, you are Scottish and most of them are not. Moreover, women wear kilts for Scottish dancing as a routine norm. Not only that, but I don't think the latter would raise any eyebrows in the US.

Women's kilts come in more different lengths than men's, and a so-called hostess kilt would be the length of a long formal dress. Perhaps that would look good for a wedding with a white top and the aforesaid arisaid in the same tartan. Just a thought. I am certainly no fashion designer.

[Katia]

I wear a sgian, and I know I've seen a picture of a Scottish-American female friend in one, but I've been told on at least one occasion that it's gotten me a weird look. I suppose it depends on how traditional you want to be, and your reason for wanting to wear it. It probably also depends on what else you're wearing (for example, in a long gown, no one will even know you have it, so do whatever you want!). Another consideration is whether you're getting married in some sort of house of worship-- some might not see carrying a knife there (or even appearing to, if you choose a faux sgian) as a good idea.

I'm not much of a fan of most of the tartan wedding gowns on offer out there; they're all largely the same, as you can see by the pictures above: corset-styled top, strapless (I see a couple of the ones posted aren't, but most of the ones I see are), weird asymmetrical lines and strange tucks. If you're into those design features, then they're great for you, but if you're not, it's unlikely you'll find much commercially to suit you (if, however, you can sew or know someone who does, the sky is your limit!). I like the idea of wearing an arisaidh, plaidie, or sash of some sort in your tartan, which is also closer to tradition.

I'm not sure what a Scottish lass would have worn on her wedding day "back in the day." My understanding is that a white gown is quite a Victorian thing, so if you want to be traditional to a time period earlier than that, I'm not sure you'd find a bride in white. Then again, going far enough back, in many traditions I think you would find both halves of a couple simply wearing their best clothing, rather than something made to wear once on that day and never again.

[ELY]

Hello from Spain, and welcome!!

I personally don't like the tartan dresses on the interweb. They look like they are costumes for a bad movie. I will be wearing a solid color gown.
We will include both our tartans in the wedding with the handfasting ceremony, with ribbons in my ancestor's tartan and his foster father's tartan.
He will pin on me the sash of the tartan we chose for the wedding, with a brooch he will gift me and that will be the extent of my Scottish attire.
I must admit, I am liking the sgian in the garter idea! I know the fellas on the forum are probably facepalming right now, but I really am liking that idea!!

I am marrying an ex-cop, and most of our guests are LEO or armed forces, so I think they would get a kick out of it!!

When is your wedding? Mine is September 29th 2018

**EDITED TO ADD** I went searching for "women and sgian-dubh" and found this article. It states (and it makes perfect sense) that women did, in fact, carry a small dagger for eating and defense. Of course, they wouldn't have worn it in a lace garter, but in the folds of her dress, but still...it sets precedence... lol
http://www.gaelicthemes.net/index.ph...-of-sgian-dubh

[Tarheel]

ELY, by the photo you added, the adage is absolute, "one picture equals a thousand words".

The women in my family are as comfortable with a knife (as a tool) as the men are. My thoughts for a wedding were this (based on my "ye olde family" traditions) a passive woman enters a dominate male home where she will add to the strength of the family. Once the wife is acclimated, she rules the roost while the man is only king of the castle.

But, what do I know, I'm old and passé.