HIGHLAND WEDDING.

Northern Advocate, 6 October 1913, Page 3

HIGHLAND WEDDING.

AT THE ALTAR IN TARTAN

Wood'd an' mairrit an' a' Kiss't an' cairrit awa'!

Oh, wasna she verra weel aff Tae be wood an' mairrit an' a', Kiss't an' cairrit awa'.

Old Scotch Song

There was a great stir in Sydenham, a suburb of Christchurch last week, over the wedding of Piper Archey, of the Caledonian Society's Pipe Band, and Miss Laura Campbell Foster, of Beckenham. Most of the Highland people in Christchurch and district knew that the event was coming off, knew, too, that it would be a Highland wedding in the sense that those taking part in it would wear the national costume, and that the joy music would be that of the great Highland war pipe.

At half-past two St. David's Church, Sydenham, was filled, mostly with woman folks, and just about that, hour, also, a band of pipers appeared, and friends who were not pipers but clad in bonnet, pJaid and philabeg, and wearing the usual ornaments of silver and Cairngorm stone that usually adorn the Highland garmenture. The Highland dress has an attraction peculiarly its own, and when a number of Highlanders get together, especially in bright sunlight, as it was last week, the effect is very striking. A private- Highlander—by which is meant one not belonging to any particular band or society or regiment—wears the tartan of his clan, and as there were quite a number of private Highlanders present the tartans varied considerably, from the sombre dark green of the Black Watch to the glaring scarlet of the MacLean and \the Royal Stuart.

An escort of Highlanders brought the bride and bridegroom, best man and best maid from the home of the bride to the church, and when the party alighted they marched along quite a lane of kilted men, the pipers playing the while a pibroch of

welcome. The procession up the aisle was very striking and the bridal party so arranged made quite a beautiful picture. The parties took their places in the raised platform Hn front of the pulpit, which was occupied by the Rev. C. Murray.

The wedding ceremony of the Presbyterian Church, though impressive in a high degree, is simple in the extreme.

When the ceremony was over there was another bridal procession to the carriage, the pipers playing merrily the tune from the words of which the verse quoted at the beginning of this article is taken. Showers of rice and an abundance of good wishes and away the newly wedded pair went to their own home, the pipers playing merrily all the way, and so ended one of the very, very few Highland wedding I celebrations that have been held in !the City of the Plains. The bride looked charming in her gown of white silk and flowing veil. A knot of tartan ribbon gave the required national touch and her bouquet was tied with vivid streamers of the same ribbon.