The Ultimate Wedding Attire Guide, Celtic Style

Your special day is coming up — why not enhance the celebration by choosing Celtic wedding attire for you and your wedding party? 

Kitting the crew out in kilts and other traditional Celtic wedding attire can give your ceremony a beautiful, timeless look and honor your connection to the Celtic tradition.

What is a Celtic Wedding?

A Celtic wedding simply incorporates Celtic traditions into a wedding. Each couple can choose the traditions they want to honor in their own ceremony.

Some of the traditions that many brides and grooms choose are:

• Celtic wedding circle, which honors nature with candles and natural elements.
• A Celtic presentation of the couple in which the couple presents themselves to the altar together.
• Handfasting, a tradition in which the bride and groom’s hands are bound together with cloth.
• Oath over the stone, in which the couple makes an oath over a holy stone which represents the commitment of their vows.
• Ancestral feast, in which the couple offers mead and bread to their ancestors and those in attendance.

Read on for some Irish wedding traditions as well as some Scottish wedding traditions.

 

Why Choose Celtic Wedding Attire?

There are many reasons you might opt for Celtic fashion at your wedding. Here are a few:

• It is timeless.
• It honors Celtic heritage.
• It is unique and personalized.
• It looks beautiful.
• It is fun to wear.
• It is your day to wear whatever you want!

The Bride’s Guide To Celtic Wedding Attire

Let’s start with the bride. What options are there for a bride who wants to incorporate Celtic elements into her wedding?

Don’t worry — you don’t have to forego your dreams of a traditional long, white wedding dress if you don’t want to. You can choose which features of Celtic style to add to your dress to create an overall look that is unique to you and your personality.

However, if a white dress isn’t your style, that can work to your advantage in a Celtic wedding. Traditionally, Irish wedding dresses were blue. (That’s why we have the “something blue” tradition today!) Perhaps a blue wedding dress suits you?

Traditionally, Scottish brides wore wedding dresses made from a variety of fabrics, but they almost always included a tartan in the material. The tartan could be meaningful (the groom’s or bride’s family tartan) or simply chosen for its colors. In other words, choose whichever tartan you want to wear!

You can have the tartan incorporated into your dress, or you can wear a tartan sash over your dress. If a sash doesn’t work with your dress, consider a shawl.

Another option is to wear a tartan skirt with a shirt of your choosing. Typically, the longer the skirt, the more formal it is considered, so you can choose a skirt to match the style of your wedding. (Seriously — we’ve got everything from mini skirts to ankle-length!)

Rosettes are a nice touch for a wedding, too. You can add one to your sash or simply pin it to your dress. You can also have your entire bridal party wear a matching rosette brooch to add a hint of Celtic flair without sacrificing modern style.

 

For The Bridal Party

Don’t forget your bridesmaids, maids of honor, flower girls, etc.! Here are a few Celtic touches you can incorporate into the bridal party’s style:

• rosettes
• shawls
• sashes
• tartan skirts
• brooches

 

The Groom’s Guide To Celtic Wedding Attire

One of the most iconic aspects of a Celtic wedding is the kilts the men wear. The groom and the groom’s party can all wear kilts to honor Celtic heritage or personalize a wedding-day look.

You might think you can pick any old kilt for your wedding day — and it’s true, you can. However, if you consider the formality of your wedding and the location, you can ensure your kilt makes the best impact — and is comfortable for you all day long.

• If your wedding is outdoors in a warm climate and less formal, consider a lightweight, 5-yard kilt.
• If your wedding is very formal, or you want to make the most visual impact you can, choose a heavyweight, 9-yard kilt.

The groom has choices for the top half, too! Jackets, vests, ties…what will you choose?

• A Kilkenny jacket and vest is like the Argyle jacket for Scots. This wool jacket is perfect for formal or semi-formal occasions.
• A Prince Charlie jacket and vest is an excellent formal option, especially if paired with a bow tie. You can wear it to formal black-tie events; it’s like a Celtic tuxedo. You can even rent the set rather than purchase it — complete with all the accessories you’ll need!
• An Argyle jacket is less formal than a Prince Charlie. You can wear it for formal or semi-formal occasions, and it comes in different colors.
• A tweed jacket and vest set is slightly less formal, and the textured fabric can be a good choice for an outdoor or rustic wedding setting.

A Groom’s Accessories For A Celtic Wedding

It doesn’t end at the clothing for the guys. Many different accessories are typically worn by the groom in a Celtic wedding.

• Most of the above jacket sets are often paired with fly plaid. A day plaid is a less formal option. You can also wear a sash instead.
• A sporran is a common accessory for a groom. Dress sporrans are reserved for formal or black-tie events and paired with a Prince Charlie or Argyle jacket. A day sporran can be worn in a more casual wedding.
• If the groom wears a traditional button-down dress shirt, why not add some Celtic flair with tartan cufflinks?
• Of course, there are all the usual things you wear with a kilt that you’ll want to include: kilt pin, kilt hose, flashes, ghillies… 
• Overwhelmed by all the options? Go with one of these all-in-one rental packages. You can even keep the kilt!

 

Other Celtic Wedding Traditions & Accessories

There are many Celtic wedding traditions you can incorporate into your ceremony if you choose.

• OK, this isn’t a Celtic wedding tradition, but if you want to bring the Celtic into your modern wedding, choose a tartan garter.
• Everyone’s familiar with the heart, crown, and two hands on the traditional claddagh wedding ring. 
• If you want a band that more closely resembles a simple wedding band, consider one with a Celtic design on it. (Of course, there’s a woman’s version to match!)
• Having a handfasting ceremony? Make sure to get a handfasting tartan to use.

Any questions?

Hopefully, you’ve found everything you need to bring the Celtic tradition into your special day in a way that is personal to you. If you still have questions, please reach out to us and let us help you create the wedding of your dreams!