Surnames

Last names, or surnames, being such an important expression of who we are, it’s only natural that some wedding traditions evolved around a bride’s maiden name.

‘To change the name
and not the letter
Is to change for the worst
and not the better’

If the bride and groom both had last names that began with the same letter, it was thought to be bad luck. I wonder if they both had the same last name if it would be even worse luck?

As mentioned under handfasting, another wedding tradition of Scotland was for the bride to maintain her maiden name. If the groom was joining her clan, he would assume her name.

Nor should the bride practice writing her married name before the wedding. This was thought to be tempting fate and would bring bad luck to the marriage.