Two well-dressed gents tell Nicole Conner how they dressed for their big days
MacGregor and MacDuff provided Ryan Docherty with sterling service for his wedding outfit
Ryan and wife-to-be Ainsley began the quest for the groom’s outfit at MacGregor and MacDuff, and were impressed by their experience there.
“The staff were really friendly and the shop had a nice vibe to it. It was a chilled-out place and there was no pressure from anyone to make any instant decisions,” Ryan recalls. “We did go on to visit another store, but the service was not as good, so it was an easy decision to return to MacGregor and MacDuff.”
Ainsley had initially been hoping Ryan would wear a tux for their wedding at Dalmeny Park House Hotel near Glasgow in March earlier this year, but the groom always had his eye on Highlandwear. “As soon as I tried on the Silver Mist outfit, we both knew that it had to be a kilt,” he smiles. “I loved how comfortable it was and it felt really smart. I also loved that we’d all be in matching outfits.”
All the gents wore the Silver Mist kilt (picked because it’s “a classic, timeless tartan that fitted the theme and colours for the wedding”) paired with the Glen Orchy Tweed jacket and waistcoat. A bow tie allowed Ryan to stand out. He also made a tweak to the hire package, swapping the sporran for one with more of a brushed-chrome look.
The groom started shopping for his outfit four months before the wedding, which he says felt like “ample time” to get everything sorted. “The store was very accommodating. It offered us a discount too, where if we had five hires we got a sixth free, which was great.”
Ryan’s one bit of advice to other gents shopping for their big-day look? Take your partner!
Coordination was key for Thomas Limmond and his groomsmen when shopping at Slanj Kilts
Thomas began his search online, where he discovered an impressive range of tartans at Slanj Kilts.
He knew he’d find what he was looking for there for his wedding to Pauline last July and, sure enough, ended up going for Slanj’s Buchanan Tartan kilt with a green jacket. What Thomas loved most about his wedding outfit was the fact that he and his groomsmen all wore the same thing, even the wee ones.
“My best men and I all sported matching tartan ties as well, while the kids wore green cravats,” he recalls. “We bought the ties as a nice keepsake from the day. We all got matching tartan boxer shorts to wear under our kilts as well!”
He made sure he stood out by tweaking a few elements – his sporran was slightly different, and he wore a plaid over one shoulder.
The groom has nothing but praise for Cheryl at the Duke Street branch: “She was so helpful, not only with me but with the rest of the party and guests, too. Plus the store is great for parking, making pickups really easy.” Thomas and Pauline loved their experience with Slanj so much, in fact, that they returned to get their son a kilt for his communion.
