Earlier this summer I had the honour of marrying a very lovely couple at Hotel Du Vin, One Devonshire Gardens in Glasgow’s west end.
The Couple
The wedding ceremony was among the most exciting Glasgow weddings that I have conducted; the groom was Scottish and his bride was from India. We included wedding traditions from both Scotland and India to make a truly wonderful and unique ceremony.
The Venue
Hotel Du Vin has a lovely ceremony room, which was an ideal size for their intimate wedding party of just over 30 guests. Despite the dreich Scottish weather, the natural light that filled the room through the large windows made the day feel like an Indian summer. What’s more, there was a pianist and a violinist playing beautiful music befitting of the atmosphere and ceremony.
The Ceremony
To make their wedding day even more symbolic and special, the couple decided that they wanted to incorporate something that could “Fuze” their two cultures together. Clad in his family tartan, the groom exchanged fresh flower garlands with his bride, which is a traditional Indian custom.
This custom is very similar to the exchange of rings; the exchange of garlands is a gesture of acceptance to one another and a pledge to respect one another as partners.
Another Indian custom that the couple recognised during their ceremony is the colour red. Red commemorates union and togetherness in Indian culture. The bride wore a beautiful red bridal gown, with inspiration taken from a traditional Sari.
The happy couple exchanged their colourful fresh flower garlands as they exchanged their vows, then I pronounced them “husband and wife”. My memory of this ceremony is of vibrant colours and a wonderful sweet aroma from the flower garlands.
The fusion of the traditional Scottish wedding spiced with hints of Indian culture made this a truly beautiful wedding to be a part of.
Find out more about wedding celebrant, Morag Adams, on her profile page or get in touch via our Glasgow Weddings page.