Gretna Green Wedding Packages at Gretna Green Venue in Scotland

Located on the old postal coaching route between London and Edinburgh, Gretna Green is the first village you reach once you entered Scotland. After Lord Hardwick's marriage act in 1754 outlawed marriage in England without paternal consent before the age of 21, young couples started to elope 'over the border' to Gretna Green, where they could be married at 16 years of age as long as they were on Scottish soil for 21 days. (No longer a requirement)

Many an infamous 'pursuit' has took place along the way to Gretna Green, and there are many legendry tales of angry fathers in hot pursuit throughout the night,

In popular folklore, the local blacksmith and his anvil have become the lasting symbols of Gretna Green weddings. Scottish law allowed for, 'irregular marriages', meaning that, so long as a declaration was made, in front of two witnesses, almost anybody had the authority to conduct the marriage ceremony. The local blacksmiths in Gretna became known as 'anvil priests'. As a "forger", the blacksmith marries hot metal to metal over the anvil, in the same way the anvil priests forged a union between couples who had eloped in love.

Gretna's two Blacksmiths shops and countless Inns and smallholding became the backdrops for of thousands of weddings.

Today, Gretna Green remains one of the most popular and romantic wedding venues in the world, and thousands of couples still come from all over the world to be married 'over the anvil' at Gretna Green.

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About Gretna Green