Weddings... They do take a little bit of planning dont they? (which is why we have our own team of wedding planners to help our Gretna Green couples). However, imagine adding "Training for a 980 mile cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats" to the to-do list...We certainly can't but yesterday we met a wonderful couple who did just that!

If you were with us this weekend, you may have been lucky enough to see lots of vintage cars around the Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop and Smiths Hotel. While we're used to seeing vintage cars used by our Brides and Grooms as part of our Gretna Green Wedding Packages, it was particularly interesting to see all the different makes and models onsite. All in all we were really excited to be chosen (again) as one of the main checkpoints for this year's Flying Scotsman Vintage Car Rally!

Over the years, we have been lucky to meet so many different people in the Famous Blacksmiths Shop from so many varied walks of life, and it's certainly true that it's a place that holds special memories for many of our visitors.

One recent visit in particular turned out to be very nostalgic for Roger Claymore who we were delighted to meet a few weeks ago in our carriage museum, and he shared his story with us...

Love is in the air quite literally this week as a pair of young wild swans wearing 'marriage' rings from the wedding capital of the UK, Gretna Green's Famous Blacksmiths Shop are 'eloping' to an Icelandic love nest in the name of science.

The two 'darvic' rings, attached to the legs of the Whooper Swans, were blessed in a symbolic 'over-the-anvil' Gretna Green blessing ceremony by us inside the Famous Blacksmiths Shop on Valentine's Day. UK bird experts hope the two white Whoopers - which mate for life and live for up to 26 years (how romantic!) will help them uncover new information about the species' migration behaviour between the Caerlaverock Wetlands in Scotland and Iceland.

Another little piece of Gretna Green History...

Last weekend, we were visited by 3 generations of a family, with a very special connection to Gretna Green's Famous Blacksmiths Shop.

Geraldine Davey (nee Tough) had been visiting Gretna Green, namely the Famous Blacksmiths Shop, for a friend's wedding when she spotted an old photo hanging up of a 'Mr & Mrs John Tough' and upon inspection it turned out to be her Great Aunt and Uncle...

We may still be feeling the winter chills but things were definitely heating up here in Gretna Green as we celebrated another lovely Valentine's Day! Love and romance is always in the air here at Gretna Green; we've always tried to add our own special touch to Valentines Day and this year was no different. We were also lucky to get some good rays of sunshine, quite a rarity lately so it was perfect weather for the occasion!

For our lovely couples who chose this romantic date to get married with us in the Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop, our very own Frank and the team from the Famous Blacksmiths Shop presented each bride with a single red rose after the ceremony...

This week is UK Marriage Week (7th - 14th Feb) and it's time for couples to celebrate their marriage and that special someone in their life.

Weddings and therefore 'Happy Marriages' are central to our history here in Gretna Green, and being the "Wedding Capital of the UK"we're so lucky to see our lovely couples as they make their wedding vows to one another and start their married lives together!

Just like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Gretna Green has its own 'enduring love affair' story... in fact it dates back to even before this great novel was written. Harking back to 1754 and with the introduction of a new controversial Marriage Act in England, Gretna Green flourished as a haven for runaway couples and has been growing in popularity ever since... With mentions of this little village in not just 1 but amazingly 3(!) of Jane Austen novels, Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility and Mansfield Park, we can safely say that Austen herself had a genuine, sincere affection for Gretna Green.

This week is Rabbie Burns Week and for many it's a time to think back and remember a great literary figure in Scotland while at the same time enjoying some delicious Haggis, Neeps and Tatties! Here in Gretna Green however, we've been spending some time at our local primary school where they've been learning more about Robert Burns' famous poems...

It's true, we hold our hands up... here at Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop and Smiths Hotel we can indeed offer 'cheaper weddings' alongside an offering including 20 guest, 50 guest and 75 guest packages... but we'd say firmly that our more economic packages were anything but 'cheap'...