Gretna Green Weddings
The Law and getting married at the
World Famous Blacksmiths Shop in Gretna Green
Call the Gretna Green Wedding Bureau 01461 336001 to see how easy it is to be married here.
Gretna Green and the Law
Over the last three centuries, the World Famous Blacksmiths Shop has been the centre stage for countless scandalous elopements and wedding dramas.
But why is this little village so famous?
The answer lies entangled in Britain's marriage history and the difference between Scottish and English law.
For many years the combined forces of the Church and the Establishment tried to persuade Westminster Law Lords to formalise and control the 'handfasting' ceremonies, known as 'irregular' marriages. These ceremonies had become a booming trade and a great worry to the aristocracy of England.
Much to the relief of the rich and powerful whose offspring were often targets for seduction by bigamists and penniless opportunists, they eventually succeeded and this led to the most important event in Gretna Green's history, Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act of 1754!
Unbeknownst to the establishment a little matter of a legal loophole would lead to nearly two centuries of battling with Scottish Law lords to try and close the floodgates that were opened for young couples to run-away and marry over the English border in Scotland.
Read more about events that shaped Gretna Green's past...
