This English groom may have tied the knot on home soil, but with a surprise piper and even Highland coos at the wedding, it’s safe to say he fell in love with more than just his Scottish bride. Now he shares his kilt shopping experience
Photography | Helen Rose Photography
Jacob (Jay) married Morven (Morv) at the Ashes Barns in Endon, Stoke-on-Trent, on 23rd November 2024 wearing a custom Harris Mist tartan kilt outfit from MacGregor and MacDuff.
Now he shares a first-hand account of his groomswear shopping experience and doesn't leave out any details...
Can an English groom wear a kilt to his wedding?
"The wedding planning process was my first time getting fitted for a kilt – actually, it was my first time getting fitted for anything.
"But there was no way I was going to wear a suit on my wedding day.
"I’ve never liked suits – so much so that when my sister got married, I wore shorts!"
"I’ve always loved the idea of wearing a kilt, and I even had one when I was a kid visiting Edinburgh.
"So, when my wife Morv, who’s from Aberdeen, suggested I wear a kilt, I was all in. It just felt right."
Coordinating your groomswear with the wedding venue
"Before visiting our venue, the Ashes Barns, we’d been very set on a summer wedding. But it was winter when we went to view it, and the combination of the stone barn, and Christmas trees decorated with white fairylights hooked us.
"It couldn’t have been more perfect. It even had a small herd of Highland coos. (My dad managed to convince one of our guests that we’d arranged to have them transported down from Scotland on a lorry specially for the wedding!)
"The colours we were working with were all really natural – brown sandstone, white petal confetti, green foliage – so I kept this in mind when I started thinking about my tartan."
Private groomswear appointment at Edinburgh kilt shop
"To properly start the search, I relied on our close family friend and Scottish neighbour, John, to guide me.
"He had a good idea of where to go, so we organised a group trip to Edinburgh and made a weekend of it. We’d planned to go to a few shops, but MacGregor and MacDuff was our second stop, and that was it for us.
Meet groomswear experts MacGregor and MacDuff to find out what you can expect when you enter through their doors
"I’d already looked at its website and liked that it had a lot of modern tartans rather than just the clan ones. I had two or three tartans in mind when I got there, but as soon as I saw the Harris Mist, I knew it was the one.
"The MacGregor and MacDuff team were fantastic. It was a private appointment, so we had the whole place to ourselves, and they guided us without being pushy.
"I tried on different pieces, and when they put the plaid and brooch on me, it sealed the deal."
High-quality, hand-stitched kilts from MacGregor and MacDuff
"My groomsmen all wore Harris Mist tartan kilts, but they had Glen Orchy tweed jackets and waistcoats, while I stood out in a Tarbert tweed jacket and waistcoat.
"Plus I had a raccoon fur sporran and, of course, the Harris Mist plaid. My dad and I ended up twinning, as we always do, so he wore the same outfit as me.
"We both bought our kilts to keep, while the groomsmen’s outfits were rented. Everything was organised in one go – the staff at MacGregor and MacDuff made the whole process so straightforward.
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"I had my first fitting in December 2023 when we bought the kilts, and my final fitting was in August 2024, two months before the wedding. My kilt was ready to collect just two weeks after that final fitting, which was amazing.
"The quality was brilliant too – we opted for hand-stitched kilts rather than machine-stitched, which allows them to be adjusted more easily in the future."
"I wanted something that would last forever because I’m already looking for excuses to wear it again!"
What should groomsmen know about the kilt hire process?
"When I went for my final fitting, Skye, the store assistant who had helped us on our first visit, was there, and she remembered everything about us.
"That made it feel really personal. We went to MacGregor and MacDuff three times in total: once to choose everything, once for the final fitting, and then once to collect it.
"The groomsmen’s outfits were all sent out in individual packages, and it was really easy to return them afterwards.
"Of course, some of the guys gave the wrong shoe sizes – but luckily we checked two days before the wedding and MacGregor and MacDuff had new shoes sent out within 12 hours."
"The customer service was incredible. Luckily, John was there on the morning of the wedding with the follow-through, making sure I didn’t end up with my kilt on backwards or my laces hanging around my ankles.
"All in all, everything from the kilts to the ceilidh was a massive hit – our English guests especially were like, ‘Oh my God, this is the best wedding we’ve ever been to!’"
Experience groomswear shopping at kiltmaker MacGregor and MacDuff
“We were delighted to help bring Jay’s dream groomswear to life,” says Holly Nicholl at master kiltmaker MacGregor and MacDuff.
“Our dedicated Wedding Party Coordinators were in regular contact with him in the lead-up to the day to ensure everything went without a hitch.
"This is especially important if, as in Jay’s case, the wedding is taking place outside of Scotland and we need to post items in advance.
"When we heard there were sizing corrections to be made, our team made the changes as quickly as possible so all of Jay’s wedding party were looking and feeling their best!”
From sharp suits to traditional kilts, explore our supplier directory to find your perfect grooms outfit
