Why Choose A Religious Wedding Ceremony at Gretna Green?

Religious ceremonies performed by a Minister are becoming increasingly popular at Gretna Green! And why might that be? Well, a religious service is similar to that of a church wedding but not as formal, and you’re free to tailor your wedding so it’s just right for you. A marriage conducted by a Minister can also lower the cost of your marriage fees, with the hiring of a Minister costing just $214.90! (Registrars now costing up to $647.40)

Our Spring Wedding day is on Sunday, the 10th of March 2019, 10-4pm.

Gretna Hall hotel, as a Historic Marriage house, was initially built in 1710. This traditional Scottish hotel has stood in the heart of Gretna Green for over 300 years as was made famous for hosting a series of high-profile aristocratic weddings in the 1800’s. Set in a beautiful parkland, Gretna Hall appeals to everyone with its unique combination of Scottish tradition, modernity amenities and refined décor.

The Gretna Green Brides and Grooms guide to perfect wedding photography

Credit: Colin Carpenter Photography

We’re lucky enough to live in one of Scotland’s hidden treasures; Dumfries and Galloway. Often forgotten, behind more familiar tourist destinations, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Loch Ness, this does give Southwest Scotland the added advantage of being largely ‘untouched’ in terms of its landscapes, castles and historical landmarks.

Here at the home of love… the Famous Blacksmiths Shop, stands proudly against the green landscapes of the hills and nearby Gretna offers an opposite vista; overlooking the Solway Firth and the fells of Cumbria beyond.

So what does this mean for wedding photography? In essence, you are spoiled for choice! But… wedding days can be busy enough, without worrying about where to get your perfect snaps, so let us give you our top 15 places to have your wedding photographs taken in Gretna Green and Gretna!

We're so excited for this year's Royal Wedding and, in celebration of Harry and Meghan's May 19th date, the team here at Gretna Green Famous Blacksmith Shop will be sharing the love over the month of May. 

We've selected a series of dates on which all of our prospective Mr and Mrs's can enjoy special rates on venue hire!

Would you like to follow in Harry and Megan's footsteps and tie the knot this May? 
Well, we're giving you the chance to become part of the Gretna Green love story and join 260 years of romantic history - but you need to act quickly to secure your own May date.

This April, recapture the romance of your wedding day by enjoying an intimate Anvil Blessing, at the Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop.

The perfect, unique proposal idea for Valentine's Day proposals in 2018

7 Easy Steps to Planning a Gretna Green Wedding

So you’re engaged? And you’ve always wanted to have your special day at Gretna Green?

Congratulations! That’s such exciting news … and we’re definitely thrilled that you’re thinking about Gretna Green! But where to start? Relax … arranging your wedding with us is easy: just decide on your date, choose your ceremony venue and banqueting venue, and your preferred hotel for accommodation. You will also need to consider if you wish to have a minister or registrar; but worry not, our wedding team is here to help and guide you through each stage...

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Welcome to summer … or as it may also be known … wedding season! Whether you’re a regular wedding aficionado or never been, we know just how much of a challenge it can be to find that perfect wedding gift! Still searching? Let us help...we know a thing or two about love, romance and weddings here at the Famous Blacksmiths Shop! We've put together some of our favourite Scottish Wedding Gifts...our vast range of unique wedding gift ideas are ideal if you're looking for something that little bit different!

We love talking about all things weddings here! As we welcome our happy couples to  Gretna Green Famous Blacksmith Shop, Smiths Hotel, Greens at Gretna, Gretna Hall or the Old Toll Bar we get asked many questions... We've been hearing some quite frequently so we've gathered our most frequently asked questions about Gretna Green which we've had our wonderful wedding team answer...

Love hearts? Check. Lovelocks? Check. It's all go as we prepare to welcome Valentine's Day 2017 here at Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop.

You may have heard through the grapevine that weddings and romance are slowing ... but fear not ... that's due to wedding numbers being down on last year/2015 due to Valentine's Day falling mid-week this year (always less popular than when it falls at the weekend). We can assure you that love is very much alive and well and in the air here at Gretna Green this Valentine's Day!

Think of the word 'elope' and Gretna Green often springs to mind. For one, it's what made this wee place just over the Scottish border famous as young couples in love made the journey here determined to wed.

Although times have changed (and now a little more time and notice is required to complete the legal aspects), many couples still choose to 'elope' to Gretna Green. Modern elopements can vary from just the couple to a select, intimate group of friends and family.

If a traditional wedding just not your thing, you may be looking for some tips or elopement ideas? We've gone to our team of expert wedding planners to share some of their favourite advice on 'eloping' to Gretna Green - 2016 style!

As we're busy writing this, we're all reminiscing in the office about the weddings we've been to over the years! One thing that's always a talking point are the different wedding traditions often included simply because it's 'tradition'. But where did these come from? We were curious....so did a bit of digging and found a plethora of fascinating facts. Here are some of our favourite wedding traditions....and their origins!

Every couple wants to make their reception memorable - but it's sometimes hard to come up with "out-of-the-box" ideas! Here at Smiths Hotel and Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop, we've spotted a number of highly creative receptions set up whilst we've been popping to and fro recently. We thought we'd share these with you - could trigger a brainwave or two, don't you think?

We get many a query here at the Famous Blacksmith Shop asking if it would be possible to organise a 'surprise' wedding.....sadly, however romantic this may seem (yes, we've also watched the Youtube video of the surprise proposal and wedding on one day!), legal paperwork says nope! (Find what you need to get married at Gretna Green here.)

However, if you're already married and wish to surprise your spouse with a secret blessing......YOU CAN!

One of our very own, Margaret Salaman, did just that to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary! Awwwww! Just like Mags did, arranging a secret blessing can be the unexpected romantic gesture and a wonderful way of celebrating a special anniversary!

We receive all sorts of queries here at Gretna Green Famous Blacksmith Shop and Smiths Hotel- some of the most common we answered in our recent blog on the myths of this mysterious and romantic place! However, as of late, a new question has been popular....

Quite a few of you wish to know what the waiting list for getting married at Gretna Green Famous Blacksmith Shop or Smiths Hotel is!

Well....

With the arrival of 2014, the slate for wedding trends has undergone a few changes! We've scoured various blogs and leading wedding magazines to see what seems to be vogue for 2014 weddings...... the settings at Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop and Smiths Hotel for your dream (and trendy) wedding!

If you're anything like us, the timeline on your facebook or twitter newsfeed gained a certain trend over the holidays. You may have even posted the status yourself!

You guessed it - we're talking about engagements this past Christmas or New Years!

First of all - congratulations! Then.........now what? Where does one even start planning? We thought we'd share a little of the collective wisdom gained from years of wedding planning here at Gretna Green to help .... after all, it's very easy to get yourself muddled with all the decisions to make from canapés to your menu to reception location or design!

As we're busy writing this, we're all reminiscing in the office about the weddings we've been to over the years; including some of our very own! One thing that's always a talking point are the different wedding traditions often seen here in Scotland, especially in Gretna Green (which in itself is one of the longest wedding traditions in the world). We often see some of these traditions on a daily basis...

1. Passing of the Quaich

For this tradition we're going back as far as the 16th century to when King James VI of Scotland presented a Quaich to Anne of Denmark on their wedding. Quaichs are traditionally a silver or pewter cup which comes with two handles and is known as the 'loving cup' or the 'cup of friendship'. At a Scottish wedding, the tradition is to fill the Quaich with whisky and you will often find it used at the start of the ceremony, as a way to welcome friends and family! A couple would also drink from the Quaich as a symbol of trust and unity.

Nowadays you may find couples making slight changes to the tradition. Perhaps your guests aren't partial to a dram, some brides nowadays are exchanging whisky for gin or bubbly (we'd still recommend the whisky, traditions and all that!) but whatever takes your fancy!

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'...