Possible functions for a Piper at Weddings on land or at sea

On land - kirk/church, wedding-venue, home, farm, park, bush, lake, riverside, mountain, beach, coastline etc....

1.........Play while guests arrive and stop within 5 minutes of the time the bride is due to arrive.

2........ Pipe the Bridal vehicle from the road, to the kirk (church), or building in which the marriage ceremony is to be performed. Or even pipe the bride from home to the ceremony location. (The longest wedding marches I have played for are (1) from down Rostrevor street along Victoria street (the Hamilton main street) as far as Collingwood street, ie from the brides home and into a restaurant where the ceremony took place - about 1 km., and (2) from St.Peters Cathedral on the hill above Victoria street, via Victoria street, Victoria bridge, Parana Park, River road and into Te Aroha street to the Cattanach Hall for the after wedding reception. Also nearly 1km.)

3........ Pipe while the bride disembarks from the bridal vehicle and prepares for entry into the church.

4....... Pipe the bridal procession into the church, or to the marriage place, and
... (a..... continue to lead the procession down the aisle. This is suitable for larger churches, cathedrals or outside ceremonies.
... (b..... halt at the entrance, but continue to play as the procession moves down the aisle.
... (c..... or play outside the church until the bridal procession reaches the end of the aisle. This option is useful for small chapels.

5........ Once the vows have been taken, the piper can play appropriate tunes while the marriage register is signed and witnessed.
Tunes would incorporate those selected but additional and appropriate tunes would be added as necessary (it all depends on the number of witnesses and time involved). This provides variation and interest for guests. Smallpipes can be used in enclosed places if requested.

6........ When the couple are ready to exit from the registery, they can be piped back down the aisle to enter the world as a married couple.
... (a....... from within the church, or
... (b....... from outside.

7........ The piper can simply play as the couple emerge from the church, and while all the guests also emerge. There would then be an appropriate pause for the various socialising activities outside the church.
Playing can continue at a discrete distance. This provides unobtrusive background music while guests gather around to congratulate the couple and while the usual family photographs are taken.

8........ The piper can be included in the wedding photos if desired, to add colour and cultural interest.

9........ Play as the bridal couple drive away in the bridal cars by..
... (a...... leading the bridal car(s) back to the road, or
... (b...... from one point while the bridal car(s) drives away.

10...... A photo of the piper with the newly wed couple generally concludes the piping requirements.

11........ The Reception. (Additional to the Wedding ceremony).

The piper may also be required at the reception; for piping in the couple to their table, or piping in the wedding cake, and occasionally a haggis as well. Perhaps also playing for dancing (waltzes, reels, quicksteps, jigs, hornpipes, step, set and ceilidh dancing etc..). This is normally at additional cost. Sometimes this is an alternative to having a piper at the actual ceremony.

The Seafarers Option:

Aboard ship / vessel, ashore - shoreline, island, bay, estuaries, caves.

Have done a few of these over the years, including being helicoptered out, but these days we're fairly land locked and the costs of travel plus traffic congestion mean a referral to a coastal or port city piper would be made, unless there was special incentive. I really enjoyed doing these as they were invariably different to the norm.

Weddings aboard ships/boats are not as common but add the nautical atmosphere for those folk who love the sea. Pipers are just as at home at sea as on land. It has been suggested that the first music heard in NZ from Capt. Cooks ship was that of the bagpipes as he was known to have a piper on board. Pipe music carries beautifully across bays, estuaries and the sea, especially if the shoreline is rocky.

1.........Play while guests arrive and board the vessel. Stop playing within five minutes of the time the bride is due to arrive.

2........ Pipe the bride along the foreshore, jetty or wharf to the point of embarkation, and while her entourage boards the vessel.
The piper can play from the jetty or wharf as the vessel sails. This may be all that is required, or the piper may be required aboard, to perform at any stage during the voyage and the ceremony.

3........ The Wedding march (equivalent). Depending on the size of the vessel and whether the ceremony is done afloat or ashore at some secluded bay, the piper can provide a magnificent contribution to the occasion.
.......... Play while sailing/motoring into the bay for mooring.
.......... If the ceremony is being done ashore, the piper can play the guests ashore and then pipe the bride ashore and along the beach/foreshore etc.

4........ The signing
........... Play for the signing from for'ard on the vessel or somewhere on the shore (promontory, cliff top or base, beach etc).

5........ After the ceremony.
........... Play for the guests entertainment while ashore on the foreshore or beach and also while guests re-embark.

6........ Anchors a weigh and sailing.
........... Play as the anchor is weighed and the vessel sails out of the bay on the homeward voyage. Play as the vessel returns into port and berths.

The Seafarers option involves much more time for the piper. Times are usually dictated by suitable tides (and weather). Costs are therefore higher but the contribution bagpipes can make is very significant, versatile and enthralling.

Attire for Groomsmen:
Do you all wear
the same or different tartans?

Suits are always the same colour and style.

Kilts are more flexible and striking.

Different tartans

= the joining of families
+ support from friends
+ support from kinfolk.

Multiple tartans add vibrancy, interest, colour and individuality.
They enhance the overall impact of the entire wedding party. The potential choice for co-ordinated colour variations in decoration on bridesmaids dresses and accessories is enhanced. If the grooms party all wear the same tartan there is a tendancy to look like a dressy army platoon or pipe-band with out instruments.

However if the grooms party are all related and would wear the same tartan, that is a good reason to wear identical kilts. In this case consider variation through use of different shades - Ancient, Modern, Muted, Dress, Hunting etc.. The groom could choose to wear the more formal tones, or the more individualistic.

The formal black jackets with silver buttons, worn with long kilt hose and same style shoes (eg Ghillie brogues) provide all the conformity and co-ordination required for the grooms party.

Different tartans create interest and introduce many additional subjects guests will love to discuss, further enhancing the wedding and friendships.

Different tartans add colour and interest to the photographic record of the wedding day.

Avoid sombre or dark photographs. Some people are shy about wearing brighter tartans so opt out by selecting the Black Watch tartan. To avoid sombre photos consider; the same tartan background is used in many tartans, including Gordon, MacKenzie, Campbell of Argyll (the Black Watch or Government sett is a Campbell tartan). The overstripes in these tartans provide lift and highlight to photographs, so enhancing the photographic record of a wonderful day. Photographs are an important long term record and outlast the actual day itself ~ ensure they are interesting and fun to look at. Once they enter family archives they may even outlast you and the different tartans will always attract interest.

 

Wedding Ceremony with a difference.

Many couples select their own format, be it in church, a garden setting or elsewhere. Often the intention is to “be different”, but within the traditional concept and format for a wedding.

There is no doubt at all that the bagpipes add impact and a cultural dimension that gives the specal day very tangible extra emotions. Also weddings that genuinely include God, as understood in by a Christian perspective, have the feel of an extra special spiritual blessing.

Here is a variation that adds very significantly to the effect of the day, common to weddings overseas, but now uncommon to most weddings in New Zealand.

When the formal part of the Wedding Service ends the couple with their witnesses proceed to sign the register. While the signing takes place the guests leave the church and assemble outside where they wait to greet the couple as they emerge.
While the guests move outside there is plenty of time for a medley of pipe tunes or alternative organ music, or even singing. The piper can play from outside or inside with equal ease and effect. After the signing the witnesses may also go outside while the bride and groom wait inside, or they can wait to follow out after the bride and groom and the piper.

The couple is led out of the church by the piper playing a selected pipe tune. The couple emerge through the church doors to be greeted en-masse by all their friends, relatives, guests and well wishers. To emerge to a mass of joyful faces full of anticipation and smiles is particularly emotional and heartwarming. The piper moves off to a discreet distance, still playing, and continues playing a medley of suitable tunes.
The effect is a wonderftul climax to the formality of the ceremony. Much better than emerging to an empty forecourt and then waiting for the guests to filter out after them.

Click here for a schedule of suggested things to consider.
(Omissions are not our responsibility).

Hints: Don't overcomplicate your wedding day. It is simply the day on which two individuals publicly express their love and desire to commit to llive together as man and wife before God, family, friends and community. It must be this, before the aggregation of material gifts, reward, position or politics. If it involves more; such as a political convenience, a display of power, influence or wealth, the immediate accumulation of materialism and the like, then you will need effective organisation and spiritual guidance. A significant number of Wedding Planning Packages now exist. They are based on Project Management skills and computer Project Management software packages that were developed for commercial projects. The aim of many "pre-set" plans seems to be commercial commitment, especially those based on American concepts, to prise the most expensive wedding out of the couple, their family and guests. Wedding customs are/were quite different in NZ, but like the penetration of TV and it's effect on our culture, American Wedding Planning software and crass commercial and materialistric attitudes have an ability to distort the essentials. It would probably be easier to encourage people to elope off to Gretna Green* and to dispense with the commercialism and greed. But in reality good organisation makes things run much smoother. If you need a package, make sure it can be "localised" (altered or setup for New Zealand requirements), and make use of it. Just don't forget a wedding actually has a very simple aim, and should involve romance and commitment. It need only involve the couple, the minister or celebrant and a witness, and some form of celebration afterwards. So tailor the day to what you want and try to avoid the stress of being pressured in to something you cannot control or do not want. *Gretna Green, a town just over the border in Scotland, was where many couples from England eloped to get married. Scottish law enabled weddings to take place in a matter of urgency without family approval. The couple only needed to declare their marriage before two witnesses, rather than four weeks (ie the week after the reading of banns over three consecutive Sundays in their parish Church) and with family approval. The bride could also be younger (16 instead of 20). The Smithy at Gretna Green became famous for such marriages. Any Scottish border town was as useful to eloping English, but not all roads were as convenient as the one on which Gretna Green is situated. It was on the stagecoach route from London to Edinburgh. Laws have changed and the significance of Gretna Green has dwindled, but it still has a certain romance associated with it and the "Smithy" is still there. But Gretna Green is on the other side of the world to New Zealand. It's easier from here to fun at a wonderful New Zealand wedding venue* instead. *And we do have an Internationally reknown, wedding venue here in the Waikato: Hobbiton! Click here for details of a PIPER able to play at a Hobbiton wedding.