Cultural appropriation VS. appreciation in your Scottish elopement

As a Scottish elopement photographer who documents couples of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures, I often get questions about whether certain Celtic rituals or Scottish traditions are appropriate for non-natives. That’s why I’ve crafted this handy-dandy guide to cultural appreciation vs. appropriation in your Scottish elopement!

My hope is that by reading through this guide, you’ll be able to make confident decisions around how to honour ancient Celtic rituals / Scottish traditions in your elopement – all in the most intentional way possible.

I’ll be answering your biggest burning questions, such as…

Is it okay to incorporate handfasting rituals in our elopement if we’re non-natives?

Can we wear a kilt or tartan during our elopement without any blood ties to Scotland?

How can we embrace Celtic traditions without appropriating?

And more! 

I ask that you go into this subject with an open mind and an open heart, ready to educate yourselves on how to embrace local traditions, cultures, and communities with respect every step of the way. It’s about so much more than just your own marriage celebration; it’s about treating our people and our history with the honour they deserve!

What is Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation?

Whew, this is a biggie! It’s obviously a much broader topic than I can cover in just one small blog post, but I hope to give you at least a wee bit of valuable insight that you can take with you as you plan your Scottish elopement.

Defining a clear difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation can be a struggle, even for native Scots like myself. When does partaking in a ritual or tradition show genuine appreciation for a beautiful culture, and when does it turn into something that is potentially disrespectful; a borrowing of something that does not belong to you? That line can be difficult to navigate… but from my perspective, it’s all about context and intent.

Let’s say you’re wondering if you can add a handfasting ritual into your ceremony, or if you can wear a kilt on your elopement day. The answer to both is yes – as long as it’s done respectfully and appropriately. It could be argued that it needs to be linked to Scotland, whether through the main people involved (you and your partner) or the place (i.e. you are eloping here).

How to Respectfully Embrace Scottish Traditions at Your Elopement

Wondering how you can embrace our ancient Scottish traditions and Celtic rituals in your own elopement? Here are three ways to do so with respect and thoughtfulness:

1. Educate yourself on the origin and uses

This is step one no matter what ritual you’d like to include, no matter where you elope, no matter what ties to Scotland you do or do not have in your bloodline. For example, if you want to wear a tartan, understand where it came from. Some tartans have affiliations that you need to be aware of before choosing, such as football tartans or memorial tartans. You don’t want to get caught up in an inadvertent faux pas.

As for use… there is a 2025 TikTok where the creator, Kenny Boyle, asked the leader of Scotland, John Swinney, if it was okay for anyone to wear a kilt – and he said yes. So I guess that’s as good an answer as a person could get!

Similarly, the quaich ritual was originally used between rival clans and has plenty of history you’ll want to look into before deciding if it’s right for you.

Local wedding professionals / craftspeople / suppliers are always willing to help as best we can so don’t be afraid to ask questions!

2. Support local craftspeople and artisans

If you choose to wear a kilt or anything of the like, support local craftspeople by using local Scottish kiltmakers. It’s a dying art, and you want to know it’s being made to measure correctly for your special day. “Tourist Shop Tartan” (i.e. imported mass-produced acrylic) is often what people mean when they talk about ‘cheapening’ the culture, whereas buying an heirloom kilt, woven in Scotland, supports the Scottish economy.

Same goes for handfasting cords, quaichs, etc. There is something special about knowing you bought these ceremonial items from the place the rituals originate from.

If you hire me as your Scottish elopement photographer, you’ll receive recommendations on my favourite local craftspeople to support.

3. Care for the environment as you would your own home

Finally, part of honouring the history of the land and its people is to care deeply for the land itself. Every bit of your elopement day should take into consideration the protection and respect of the landscapes you’re exploring, and the rich history and cultural significance they hold; from lochs to castle ruins to coastal cliffs. Many natural heritage areas around Scotland have fewer restrictions than, say, American national parks do, so it’s your responsibility to minimise your impact, and keep the vast wilderness beautiful for years to come. I happen to be a Leave No Trace Aware Photographer, which you can read here for further information about social media awareness, ethical tourism, and Scotland’s Outdoor Access Code.

Don’t take any natural ‘souvenirs’ home with you – this is where appropriation might also be called theft!

Can We Include a Handfasting In Our Elopement as Non-Natives?

Handfastings have become extremely popular in elopements over the last 5-10 years. So much so that you’ll see them featured regularly on international wedding blogs and industry suppliers’ websites in lists like ‘interesting ideas for your elopement ceremony’. (Often without cultural context, unfortunately).

Here’s where things can get tricky… when a tradition is adopted by the wider elopement community as a ‘pretty’ ceremony ritual without paying any respect to its origins from Celtic nations, that’s when cultural appropriation comes into play. I am particularly concerned about handfastings being taken out of context, and being turned into something that is simply for aesthetic purposes in countries/situations where it has no historical or personal significance. 

For example, a handfasting performed in, say, Oregon for a couple with no known links to the tradition, led by a celebrant who treats it as a ‘ribbon ceremony’ without acknowledging its Celtic or Pagan roots, risks becoming a trope. It’s not about the location; it’s about whether the ritual is being used as a prop when what it really is, is a sacred, ancient rite of Scotland, other Celtic nations and Paganism.

It’s really easy to understand how this happens – people see beautiful handfasting cords on Pinterest or social media. It seems harmless and they don’t think to research and understand handfastings before choosing to add it into their ceremony. Through this, there is a risk that the cultural significance of handfastings becomes diluted.

Why are handfastings especially at risk of cultural dilution?

Handfastings have a very long but often poorly-document history – which has led to a lot of debate amongst scholars about the specific development + use of this ritual. That said, handfastings are undeniably linked to Celtic nations in a historical context (i.e. Scotland, Ireland etc.) and in a modern context amongst neo-pagans.

As for its Scottish ties, this ritual has been firmly kept alive and celebrated here in Scotland throughout centuries of weddings (albeit, with ebbing and flowing popularity). Because of its reasonably broad origins with strong ties to several modern nations, there seems to be less of a respect for it as a “cultural” practice. Especially because these nations have had huge migration efforts globally – meaning there are millions of people who claim Celtic ancestry living outside of these countries. With over 30 million people in the US alone claiming Scottish ancestry, this ritual arguably belongs to a massive global family. That makes it even more vital that we don’t lose the ‘why’ as the ‘what’ spreads across the world.

Unlike cultures that have been historically marginalised, Scotland’s traditions are often celebrated globally. However, that doesn’t mean they should be stripped of their meaning. When a ritual becomes a ‘prop’ without its history, it loses its soul and cultural significance.

It’s your responsibility to be honest about your motivations/intentions when it comes to the traditions you want to include in your elopement ceremony, honouring ancient local Celtic traditions as they speak to your heart… and as is appropriate. For us Scots, keeping these traditions alive is really important to our culture. And when you’re marrying here, we’ll warmly invite you to help us by creating space for them in your elopement ceremony on Scottish soil – if they feel right to you.

Take a deeper dive into handfasting and how to incorporate it into your ceremony here.

To finish up… here is a wee reference table to help you navigate what might be perceived as appropriate/inappropriate reasons to include Celtic rituals and Scottish traditions in your elopement…

I know this topic can be quite a personal and emotional one to discuss, so know that as your Scottish elopement photographer, my DM’s are always open to chat, answer your questions, etc. In fact, you can find your way to my inbox right here to begin planning your magical Scotland elopement experience!

Care to learn a wee bit more about which Celtic traditions you can include in your elopement? Breeze through this guide next!