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Ever Thought of Having a Scottish Wedding?
Filed under Fun Stuff
Ever thought of having a scottish wedding? Many young married couples to be have been discovering the traditions in a scottish wedding very interesting.
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Michael Breck writes.
One of the great ways to add a touch of Scotland to your wedding is to have a Ceilidh Dance.
Scottish Ceilidh Dancing is among the most exciting, exhilarating, and fun types of dancing in the world! It’s fast, lively, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve got two left feet or three! You’ll dance as you’ve never danced before and think you’ve got wings on your heels!
What is a Ceilidh?
A Ceilidh (which is pronounced “kay-lee”) used to mean a visit or informal gathering of friends and neighbours. However, these days in Scotland, it means a Ceilidh Dance where everyone can get up on the dance floor and enjoy themselves.
What is a Ceilidh Band?
The modern, traditional, Scottish ceilidh band is composed of fiddle, accordion, and drums; however, these days, the line up can be more eclectic with other instruments such as penny whistle, mandolin, big scottish drum, piano, and even bagpipes! There is no set rules about the line up, so just pick the band you like the best.
Won’t some people be left out?
Not at all. Ceilidh Dances (as opposed to strict, formal Scottish Country Dancing) can be considered even more inclusive than many other forms of dancing because the dances are easy to learn and fun. Everyone can participate, regardless of age and experience.
So in this way, there is less chance of a single person or children (or a married person whose grumpy partner “won’t dance”) at a wedding or function being left out of the dancing. Some dances are for couples (with lots of changes of partners!) but many others are for groups of people. So everyone can participate!
But we don’t know the steps!
Many people worry that some of the guests will be left out because they don’t know the steps to the Scottish Ceilidh Dances. However, exactly the reverse is true. Most good bands can provide a “Caller” who will go over the steps before each Dance and “Call” the steps during the Dance. This is part of the fun.
Don’t worry!
So don’t worry. With a good Ceilidh Band and Caller all your guests will soon be “hooching”, “setting” and “casting off” with the best of them. And if they get it wrong, don’t worry! That’s also part of the fun and there will always be a friendly neighbour to “push” them in right direction. A Ceilidh is a gathering of folk where everyone is encouraged to join in and everyone helps one another. It’s a great ice-breaker.
We live abroad and want a ceilidh band!
If you cannot find a Ceilidh band, then at least try to find a wedding band that can play a *** Gordons and a Strip The Willow. Failing that, ask them if they could they play the music from CD or iPod. Then find someone from a Scottish Dancing Society who could come along and call the dances i.e. instruct you and keep you right when you are dancing. The Caller might provide the music as well.
Here are some of the most common Ceilidh Dances in Scotland.
*** Gordons Dashing White Sergeant The Eightsome Reel St. Bernard’s Waltz Strip the Willow Britannia Twostep Military Twostep Canadian or Highland Barn Dance Circassian Circle Pride of Erin Waltz Highland Scottische Orcadian (or Shetland) Strip the Willow Swedish Masquerade Virginia Reel
However you do it - have a lovely Scottish wedding!
One of the great ways to add a touch of Scotland to your wedding is to have a Ceilidh Dance.
Scottish Ceilidh Dancing is among the most exciting, exhilarating, and fun types of dancing in the world! It’s fast, lively, and it doesn’t matter if you’ve got two left feet or three! You’ll dance as you’ve never danced before and think you’ve got wings on your heels!
What is a Ceilidh?
A Ceilidh (which is pronounced “kay-lee”) used to mean a visit or informal gathering of friends and neighbours. However, these days in Scotland, it means a Ceilidh Dance where everyone can get up on the dance floor and enjoy themselves.
What is a Ceilidh Band?
The modern, traditional, Scottish ceilidh band is composed of fiddle, accordion, and drums; however, these days, the line up can be more eclectic with other instruments such as penny whistle, mandolin, big scottish drum, piano, and even bagpipes! There is no set rules about the line up, so just pick the band you like the best.
Won’t some people be left out?
Not at all. Ceilidh Dances (as opposed to strict, formal Scottish Country Dancing) can be considered even more inclusive than many other forms of dancing because the dances are easy to learn and fun. Everyone can participate, regardless of age and experience.
So in this way, there is less chance of a single person or children (or a married person whose grumpy partner “won’t dance”) at a wedding or function being left out of the dancing. Some dances are for couples (with lots of changes of partners!) but many others are for groups of people. So everyone can participate!
But we don’t know the steps!
Many people worry that some of the guests will be left out because they don’t know the steps to the Scottish Ceilidh Dances. However, exactly the reverse is true. Most good bands can provide a “Caller” who will go over the steps before each Dance and “Call” the steps during the Dance. This is part of the fun.
Don’t worry!
So don’t worry. With a good Ceilidh Band and Caller all your guests will soon be “hooching”, “setting” and “casting off” with the best of them. And if they get it wrong, don’t worry! That’s also part of the fun and there will always be a friendly neighbour to “push” them in right direction. A Ceilidh is a gathering of folk where everyone is encouraged to join in and everyone helps one another. It’s a great ice-breaker.
We live abroad and want a ceilidh band!
If you cannot find a Ceilidh band, then at least try to find a wedding band that can play a *** Gordons and a Strip The Willow. Failing that, ask them if they could they play the music from CD or iPod. Then find someone from a Scottish Dancing Society who could come along and call the dances i.e. instruct you and keep you right when you are dancing. The Caller might provide the music as well.
Here are some of the most common Ceilidh Dances in Scotland.
*** Gordons Dashing White Sergeant The Eightsome Reel St. Bernard’s Waltz Strip the Willow Britannia Twostep Military Twostep Canadian or Highland Barn Dance Circassian Circle Pride of Erin Waltz Highland Scottische Orcadian (or Shetland) Strip the Willow Swedish Masquerade Virginia Reel
However you do it - have a lovely Scottish wedding!
