Help needed

[SuperBran]

hello,

my fiance and i visited scotland this past summer and fell in love with the country. the people were some of the most friendly i've ever met, and the countryside was beautiful. i'd love to have a home there someday.

anyway, we recently became engaged and would really like to be married in scotland. we're currently looking at arnot tower and kellie castle. I've researched the history of both, and both sound like they would be great places to have the ceremony. living so far away, though, we're not sure we'll be able to see the two places before the week of the wedding. has anyone been to either of the places, or both? i'd love some feedback. any other suggestions would be appreciated. we'd like to have the wedding somewhere near st. andrews and edinburgh. we're looking mainly at places with good histories.

also, are there any scottish wedding traditions that i should be aware of? is it inappropriate for a foreigner to wear a kilt? thanks!

[Polwarth]

I'm not sure how large your intended wedding party will be - but this castle is suitable for smaller events and is near Edinburgh

http://www.scotland-info.co.uk/ballencrieff.htm

As for the question of wearing the kilt.... that's entirely up to you - there are no 'strict' rules, otherwise the many foreigners who buy kilts would not be 'allowed' to do so, and the kilt-makers would probably be out of business in a very short time

Having said that, however, I wonder why anyone who isn't Scots would want to wear the national dress of another country

[SuperBran]

thanks! i'll definitely check this castle out.

we're expecting anywhere from 20-25 people max...probably around 22.

the kilt would be out of respect...plus, i think they look pretty cool. it will be nice to be married in a castle and wear the proper attire. when in rome....

[Polwarth]

Isn't your own national dress 'cool' enough? Why use that of a foreign country? Just curious...

[SherbrookeJacobite]

I can't blame anyone for wanting to wear a Kilt - I think they look very cool. (As well as being cool on a warm summer day )

You might want to check into what tartan you want to wear. It is not really appropraite to wear a Clan tartan, unless you have a connection with that Clan. There are, however, many regional tartans which look very nice, and which can be worn by anyone. Any Kilt shop should be able to show you a selection to pick from. If you are from the U.S. or Canada many States and Provinces actually have their own tartans. You might want to consider one of those.

Its too late for me to get married in Scotland, but I would like to go there for a second honeymoon (someday...). My wife and I both have West Highland roots.

[SuperBran]

polworth - we have no national dress. i'd like to do something different. a kilt would be more interesting than a plain suit or tux.

thanks for the info SJ!

[HelenGray]

Dear SuperBran,

Thank you for deciding on Scotland for such an important occasion! You'll be spoilt for choice with a large number of wonderful venues and romantic places to stay.

I am the owner of Arnot Tower Gardens and I would be delighted to hear from you. We specialise in intimate weddings for numbers of up to 24 people. You and your fiance' could choose to hold your wedding ceremony in the scented courtyard garden of the ruined 15th century castle, and be piped through our stone archway beside the marriage stone of 1632. You could follow this with a lavish champagne reception on the Italianate terrace overlooking Loch Leven; and hold you wedding breakfast in our opulent red dining room. Whatever combination you choose, the gardens, castle and manor house are exclusively yours for the day.

We are half way between Edinburgh (35 minutes) and St Andrews (45 minutes), and I would be very happy to recommend a small selection of lovely places to stay. Please feel free to contact me through this forum or through our website http://www.arnottower.co.uk - I would be glad to send you our brochure.

I understand it's tricky to choose a wedding venue from another country (we could be situated next to a poultry farm for all you know [we're not!], or just show the nicest angles in the photos on the website). If you would like to contact previous couples who have been married here for their opinions I can put you in touch - just let me know.

Best regards,

Helen Gray

PS Personally, I believe that your fiance' and the other men in the wedding party should wear whatever tartan they like. It's a tribute to our traditions that you are considering this at all.