At MacGregor and MacDuff we recommend organising your kilt outfit hire as early as possible. Doing things early allows us to make sure we have the kilt and jacket you want in stock for your dates. Generally speaking, for us at Macgregor and MacDuff, there are two times of year, wedding season and not wedding season. Wedding season is the busiest time of year and runs from around April to September. During this period we highly recommend ordering your hire and getting measured no later than 12 weeks in advance.

Handfasting is where the term ‘tying the knot’ comes from. In modern ceremonies, two tartan ribbons are used and will usually represent each side of the family. The officiant will ask the groom and bride to each hold an end of a ribbon and will ask the groom to place his hands on top of the bride’s. The officiant will then start to wrap the ribbons around the couple's hands while telling the congregation about the symbolic importance of the ritual. Towards the end of the speech, the officiant will place the remaining ends of the ribbon in the couple’s empty hands. The couple is then be asked to take a step back and in doing, the tartan ribbons slowly stretch out and end up knotted together. The handfasting ceremony usually precedes the exchanging of the rings and is a great way to add a touch of Scottishness to the wedding.

Plaids can be fly or pleated and are draped over the left shoulder. The left shoulder is used because most highlanders would have been right-handed and therefore would have found it easier to drape the plaid over the left shoulder with their right hand. The plaid is secured in place by a plaid brooch. Plaid brooches have become more than just a way to affix your plaid, they are now intricate accessories in their own right and a great way to add a personal touch of style to your kilt outfit. Plaid brooches are available with Celtic patterns, thistles, clan crests, gemstones, and much more.

The benefits of being able to shop online for your kilt outfit are endless but quite often people miss the personal touch that they would normally get from dealing with a kiltmaker in person. Whether that be for the assurance that the measurements taken will be correct or even just to have someone on hand to answer any questions. That’s why we recently launched our Online Appointments service that aims to bridge the gap between the convenience of buying online and the personal touch of visiting a store. Online appointments are conducted through video call and the entire process of buying your kilt or kilt outfit is carried out with one of our expert stylists. This includes talking through each element of your outfit, tartan choice as well as guiding you through the self measuring steps. This ensures that you receive all the best information to help choose the right options as well as minimising any possibility of making any measurement mistakes.

With the help of our in-house tartan designer, anyone can create their own tartan. Whether you can’t find the perfect tartan, or if you would like an exclusive design inspired by your family or business, you will be able to create a tartan that is completely unique to you. Your tartan will also be officially registered with the Scottish Tartan Authority and a certificate will be issued.