We sure do love an Orkney wedding! Weddings here are famous for feasting, dancing and customs passed down through our ancestors from time immemorial.
There’s the delight of the Grand March, in which we all promenade round the wedding venue – eventually getting everyone on the dancefloor. Think of it like a first dance but where all your friends and family join in. There’s the first congratulatory drink from a large wooden cup known as the cog. We even designed a charming wee bride’s cog charm inspired by this love token!
To “Tie the Knot” also is a Scottish wedding tradition, when the bride and groom’s hands were bound with a clan tartan cloth to signify the joining of the families. Until 1814, Orkney couples used to pledge their love by joining hands through a hole in the Odin Stone, a remnant of the island’s Norse heritage. Seal your own love vow, Viking style, with our beautiful Odin Stone silver pendant, a unique design by Theresa Shearer.
One of the most unique Scottish wedding traditions that is still found in the Northern Isles is the Blackening, in which the bride and groom are tied to the market cross and smeared with foodstuffs like flour, treacle or whatever else maybe in the store cupboard (baked beans aren’t unheard of) by our mates. We remember well our own blackening, and while it was indeed a sticky situation, it’s all in good fun, you might say a right of passage, for couples here.
It’s tradition that inspires all of our wedding collections. From our ring sets and engagement sets to bridesmaid and groom gifts, each accessory and piece of jewellery evokes our Celtic, Viking or Scottish heritage. Lush traditional or contemporary designs available in gold, silver and diamonds, hand made in Scotland with love, using the ancient lost wax method.
And of course it couldn’t be a Scottish wedding without the tartan, which we have in smart kilts and ties for the groom’s party and accessories for the bridal party. All our kilts are handmade by our own professional kiltmaker and are made to measure for the perfect fit. Our handmade kilts come in a variety of colours to coordinate with the bride, and you can hire or order your own in store, or even purchase online.
Our Exclusive Aurora Orkney Heather tartan kilt was created to reflect the intrigue and charm of Orkney's landscape, specifically the standing stones found scattered throughout the islands against a purple backdrop of heather.
Our Exclusive Aurora Spirit of Shetland tartan depicts the landscape of Shetland. The grey and green represent the land and the purple represents the heather, with blues for the sea and sky, and yellow for the sandy beaches.
And don’t forget the kiltpin- the Outlander Oath pin is especially appropriate and completes every kilt. We also have our runic kiltpin with a stunning design and secure fastening which has been well tested at lively Orkney functions! This kiltpin reads Orkney in runes and is also available with either Scotland or Shetland written in runes.
It’s a privilege and an honour for us to be a part of your most special day, no matter where you are in the world. So now that you’ve found your soul mate and are ready to tie the knot, browse our website for worldwide delivery, or call in to one of our shops in Thurso, Kirkwall or Lerwick.
“A thousand welcomes to you with your marriage kerchief. May you be healthy all your days. May you be blessed with long life and peace. May you grow old with goodness, and with riches." – a traditional Scottish wedding blessing.