I'm an American; tartans fr my wedding?

Question

I am an American currently planning my wedding and, as my fiancee and I are both Scot-Irish (her name is Doyle, my mother's maiden name is O'Coffey), we have decided that my groomsmen and I will wear Highland attire. We would also like for each of the men to wear a tartan that is significant to them, even if they are not Scottish or Irish; for example, my German friend who is a sailor will probably wear the popular US Navy tartan, and my best man from California will wear the California state tartan.

My question is this: given that my fiancee's family name is Doyle--from the Gaelic "Ó Dubhghaill"--would it be appropriate for her brother (one of my groomsmen) and her father to wear the MacDougal or MacDowell tartan, given that those clan names are derived from Ó Dubhghaill as well, or should her family wear--as I will be--the Irish county tartan for where our families are from, as is the custom for Irishmen?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Doyle is not linked to theses names in tartan reference books I would suspect it is because it is from Irish descent rather than scottish. So irish tartan is more appropriate.

krissylyn · Answer

Illya has your answer for you, but the whole thing sounds contrived to me.  You're all not really Irish/Scottish - You otherwise never wear kilts or tartans, why now?

marycarol999 · Answer

wow I hope that someone who understands the whole tartan thing can give you an answer..it all sounds very lovely 

if you can't get a concrete response on here why not contact the shops that make the tartans and ask them??? ( just a thought)

XT rider · Answer

lets hope it is not a windy day - men in Scottish kilts wear nothing underneath

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I'm an American; tartans fr my wedding?

4 Answers