Scottish Wedding Traditions!

Here's the first of our insights into Scottish Wedding Traditions:

In the lead up to the wedding a bride and groom traditionally receive lots of gifts from friends and relatives to help them furnish their new home. The Bride's mother usually holds a "show of presents" over a number of nights. Invitations are sent to those who gave wedding gifts to the couple and the wedding gifts are unwrapped and set out for viewing. I once heard of a Scottish Lady who had given cash as a present, but to ensure her present was on view to the locals - she obtained one of the large Presentation Style cheques from her Bank - so that her gift could also go on show!

After the show of presents the bride-to-be is often dressed up and her friends and then they go around the village, singing and making a racket! They usually cover the bride in Flour, Treacle, Curry Powder and then add some water!!! Yuck! This is then followed by a Hen Night to mark the Bride's last nights of freedom.

The groom is also "subject" to public humiliation - this can be known as a blackening. Quite often a wee lorry is hired and the groom driven round the village covered in gunge with the horn being tooted away!

On a recent visit to Orkney, a Blackening was happening - however after hours of circling the village with the groom getting dirtier and dirtier the van stopped and the groom was taken to the Cathedral in the middle of the Shopping area. He was then stripped and cling filmed to the post in frony of the Cathedral. and left for a few hours!

I bet they needed some Loch Leven Tablet to help them recover!!!