Useful things to be aware of when planning for a wedding in Scotland!

Useful things to be aware of when planning for a wedding in Scotland!

Scottish weddings in particular, might be slightly different to other traditions you might be aware of, especially when you’re planning a destination wedding in Scotland – this might also be useful for our English friends beyond Hadrian’s wall who plan to get married in Scotland.

Wedding Day Schedule

Unlike in some other parts of the world, it is considered unlucky in Scotland for the couple to see one another before the official wedding ceremony so if you’re used to first look photos, this might come to you as a surprise that here, we start with separately taken preparations photos and official couple photos post-ceremony. This is why, traditionally ceremonies in Scotland start between 12 noon and 2pm, although a professional wedding planner can tailor a wedding day schedule specifically to your desired outcomes.

Ceremonies

You might be surprised that neither civil nor religious ceremonies are the most popular forms of legal marriage registration here… that’s right! Scotland, unlike England (although we’re all in the UK) is one of those very few places in the world where Humanist and Independent ceremonies take over the traditional forms of legal marriage registration, the reason for that is that couples have a lot more freedom and can personalise their ceremony a lot more when choosing a Humanist or Independent Celebrant to conduct their legal ceremony. And, it is the celebrant that carries the license, that is why in Scotland you can marry at the top of a hill, outdoors, indoors or in a family backyard – how could you not love this level of flexibility and freedom, right?

Gratuity

It is not as popularly considered at weddings as it is in other parts of the world and if you do decide to offer gratuity to your suppliers or venue in the UK, it is considered a very generous thank you gesture for an excellent service you’ve received. Remember that in the UK, minimum wages and unit prices are regulated that is why some services or products might seem more expensive than in other parts of the world.

Wedding world language

WOW, this is indeed a very exciting topic! For us in the UK, phrases such as Wedding Breakfast, Drinks Reception, Canapes, etc. are so obvious nowadays, however, they might not be as obvious for those couples who are starting to learn about our traditions, so let me bring to you a few of those phrases and their alternatives:

Wedding Breakfast - named as this for it is the first meal for a married couple, it is in fact - a Wedding Meal

Drinks Reception – otherwise known as the Cocktail Hour, this one take place post-ceremony when guests are entertained with canapes and drinks, giving the couple time for professional photography and venue the time to turn things round or complete the final setup touches

Buttonhole – otherwise known as Boutonniere, often floral decorative piece worn by men on their left lapel

Canapes – also known as Hors d’oeuvres, often taster sized savory or sweet refreshments served during the Drinks Reception

Starter / Main Course – might be also referred to as Appetisers / Entree

Chief Bridesmaid – often referred to as Maid (single) or Matron (married) of Honor, the most important person in Bride’s line of Wedding Party, normally assisting the Bride and standing right beside her during the ceremony

Open Bar – term a lot more popular in the Americas, as alcohol sales in the UK are a lot more restricted and regulated with venue licenses, minimum unit pricing and alcohol measures. In the UK, this might be referred to as an Account Bar, where couple pre-pays or pre-orders additional drinks for the guests to enjoy through the wedding day in accordance with the above-mentioned regulations

Additional charges

Some venues and vendors in the UK might charge an additional security deposit which is to cover any damages, normally refundable, but it is important you are aware of this so you’re not surprised last minute that you’ve got to have this amount put aside in addition to your final payments

Additionally, some venues and vendors might or might not include taxes such as VAT in their quotes – so make sure you always ask the question as standard VAT in the UK is 20%, which again could affect your wedding budget especially if this relates to venue hire or catering

Seasonality

In the UK, we’re both, blessed and coursed by the weather conditions, but you would always want to have a bad weather Plan B in place, no matter if your wedding takes place in June, July or December, January – I in fact got married in January and had a lot nicer day for my wedding then that of the first two weeks of June this year.

Additionally, you might want to consider the benefits of daylight – once again we’re blessed with it in the summer and cursed with it in the winter. Because of the far north location of Scotland (similar to that of Norway) we can enjoy up to 18 hours of sun in the summer months and as little as 6 hours of sun light in the middle of the winter, so this is particularly important when considering venues and locations for your wedding photography – also important to consider this in your wedding day schedule.

ENSURING YOUR WEDDING IS ON TREND IN 2020

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Are you planning a wedding for 2020?

Here are a few tips on what to look out for ahead of this momentous year - 2020.

Bringing the outdoors in, creative and sustainable catering arrangements, diversifying your wedding party and the return of Princess-like wedding dresses are among some of the biggest wedding trends in 2020.

Firstly, one of the most spoken about features of every year is the chosen colour and this time Pantone is going back to the “classic blue” - very understated colour, bringing peace and tranquility to the human spirit. This is reassuring in providing calmness and confidence in the wedding planning.

On the other hand, wedding flowers in 2020 will become a little more informal and rough around the edges to also show the connection with true nature. Sustainability will be a big factor in any 2020 wedding, so you should prepare for a lot more botanical, leafy greens and foliage.

On the subject of sustainability, I don’t think it will be a surprise to anyone that our menus will see a lot more vegan influence. Interestingly our tastes and vegan flavours changed so much that you might be surprised at how many more of your guests will opt in for the vegan option on their pre-order in the coming year.

Following on from the subject of catering, the trend for more informal dining options will prevail. According to the wedding market surveys, 3 in 10 couples will no longer choose a traditional sit-down meal for their wedding. A lot of weddings are now thinking of beginning their meal in a standing reception setup with Italian-style grazing stations, where guests can mingle with their small plate and sample their preferred choices of food as they please. This is a very effective way not to only impress your guests and give them choice, but to also encourage your guests to engage in conversation and is also a great ice breaker. This will quite often still be followed by a procession to a seated main course and family-style service of the dessert with a choice of cakes and sweet delicacies served at the table.

On the opposite spectrum and looking at dress codes, we will again see the opulent yet timeless Princess-like dresses. You can expect to see a lot more cathedral length veils and plenty more personalised embroidery.

Additionally, with the growth in same-sex marriages and also ever so changing roles in the wedding planning process, a lot more couples choose not to follow the traditional structure of the previously referred to “Bridal Party”. In 2019 we will continue observing a trend of growing introduction of roles such as Bridesmen, Groomsmaids, Best Woman or equivalent names to these new roles. It is encouraging to observe how couples more than ever before want to see those people truly closest to them at their side when making one of the biggest steps in their life. This also means that we will see a growth in the size of wedding parties going forward.

Finally, the upcoming leap year will see a lot more female proposals, so I recommend watching out for any hints ahead of 29th February as this might be your lucky year! You might even make it onto YouTube with the growth in streamed proposals on social media platforms.

All in all, according to many market trends, wedding magazines and influencers, these are just some of the many trends that are coming your way in the new year, so don’t be shy to put your own stamp on your wedding plans, as many couples are now opting to ditch the tradition and move towards a more diverse 21st century style of wedding.

Good luck to you all in your upcoming wedding plans.

Photography by Geebz Photography.