Here in Gretna Green, Scotland's 'Wedding Capital' we like to make sure every day is special for our wedding couples. However, today in particular has stood out as a really special date...!

12th December 2012 (or 12.12.12) is a rare palindrome date and the last date this century where the day, month and the year all match! In fact... it seemed like a perfect date for our lovely couples to pick to mark 'their special day' and for almost 2 years now our Wedding Team here at Gretna Green and Smiths Hotel have been receiving enquiries about this date.

Last week we had a very special visit by the daughter of a couple who were married right here in our Famous Blacksmiths Shop 76 years ago... And she had a present for us! Here's the background story of this unique visit...

Our lovely wedding team here at Gretna Green have come up with a few helpful tips for Grooms (or perhaps more likely for our fabulous Brides to pass-onto their Grooms...)

So Grooms, listen up,

1. Groom Planning:

Make sure you do your part in planning the wedding. Although your soon-to-be bride will often say that she is happy with taking charge of planning the wedding, chances are she will secretly appreciate you taking some things off her hands. Whether it be sending out the invitations, or helping with venue arrangements, this will all help to relieve some stress and mean you have more time to yourselves together.

2. Wedding party outfits:

If you're hiring kilts or suits for your wedding party then be sure to have a practice dress rehearsal to avoid wardrobe malfunctions. This is not something that many men would think about but our wedding team has had to sort out quite a few mishaps in their time. You want to look your best on your wedding day so get up a little earlier on the day and leave yourself plenty time to get dressed. Trust us, it will be worth it!

3. On the day organisation:

Check that all your guests have directions and transport to your wedding venue. Choosing a sensible best man who can help with all these tasks is a must... Remember to make sure you and your best man are organised with directions too and get ushers to help with directions on the day also!

4. The Night before your wedding:

Although many men may have had a Stag Party weeks or months in advance even, sometimes (mainly from pressure from the Best Man) a drink the night before your big day seems like a good idea... trust us, the hangover in the morning really isn't worth it! Especially when everyone will be looking at you and your bride for the whole day! So make sure your best man knows this in advance and have a nice relaxing night before your big day.

5. Speech Preparation:

Do a run through of your speech before the reception. If you are very good at speeches then by all means go to town with yours, but if you struggle with speaking in public then keep it short and sweet. If you're really not comfortable with the idea of public speaking then we would also recommend having the speeches before the wedding breakfast so that you can relax and enjoy your meal afterwards.

6. Surprise your bride with a pre-wedding gift:

It doesn't have to be anything big, just a small surprise present before the big day will score you a lot of brownie points! Perhaps you can organise to get it left in her room while she gets ready? Our team would recommend something sparkly and romantic...

7. Remember to tell your bride how beautiful she is:

This one is pretty obvious but will mean a lot to your bride!

8. And... relax!

Last but not least... It's your day too so remember to enjoy it... You've done everything on your "to do list" and now you can relax and have a great day plus look forward to your honeymoon!

For more advice on your wedding day with us here in Gretna Green, you can always speak to our team through our Live Chat feature or book an appointment to come see us on 01461 336001.

Good luck with all your planning!

Your team at Gretna Green...

Cue Happy Birthday song...!

Yes, this week marks 7 years since we opened our Foodhall store here in Gretna Green. It doesn't seem that long ago that we had celebrity chef Nick Nairn in to visit us and formally open the Foodhall along with sampling some of the delicious treats we had to offer.

While the Foodhall remains the same store we all know and love, with their delicious cakes, shortbread selections (we get lots of compliments about the shortbread) and choice of traditional Scottish Fayre; it has also brought in some exciting changes in the last 7 years to give you, the customer, exactly what you want.

As our manager at the Foodhall, Rhona said, "We always listen to our customer's feedback. They would come in and ask for unusual products, such as flower petals and salt and pepper shakers. The more unusual the better...".

The Foodhall now has a terrific selection of food and non-food products... we even make our own fudge onsite, as well as having our own olive station which is extremely popular.

So join us in wishing Happy Birthday to our Foodhall and make sure you pop in when you're next here to sample these delights for yourself.

Oh and remember... we also do Christmas Hampers directly from our Hamper and Home shop right here in Gretna Green... so go on be super-prepared this year and have a look at our fabulous range!

Here in Gretna Green we're known as a more 'romantic' destination than a 'spooky' one but even we can't help but speculate sometimes on our address name of 'Headless Cross'! Who knows if that harks back to days of public hangings or not? These days we can guarantee you're more likely to see a bride than a headless ghost but it does makes you wonder as the night of old hallows eve approaches...

In true spooky style and fitting with our 'Headless Cross' address, the Foodhall here in Gretna Green has got these fabulous Glass Skulls in stock. Made in Milan from Bruni glass, these skulls contain a rare type of vodka which has been distilled over diamonds! Now thats fancy!

Ironically it was Ghostbusters' star Dan Aykroyd who has founded the company behind the eerie-looking gift!

Thought to offer spiritual enlightenment to those who touch them, these skulls have turned quite a few heads in our Foodhall already, sparking amazement (and sometimes fear!) in our visitors. What an interesting gift this glass skull would make and at only £75.00, it would be a unique addition to the household - after you drink the vodka of course...!

Entertain your guests this Halloween and call us on 01461 338601 or even drop into our Foodhall in Gretna Green to have a look!

It has been revealed in the news this week that Kim Sears, girlfriend of our own Scots hero, Andy Murray was sent a striking pair of 'golden' Hunter Wellies after Andy Murray won his gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics. This is a great PR strategy by Hunter, given that Andy also recently won the US Open - well done Andy! His glamorous girlfriend is ideal for celebrity endorsement but sadly this stunt backfired for Hunter since it only works if the prospective customer will actually wear them! Maybe Andy would have worn them if gifted to him but perhaps Hunter were scared they may get them 'rallied' back to them with his lethal back-hand slice...! So, gold wellies are not to Kim's taste but we'll let you decide!

Kim Sears Gold Hunter Wellies

After stumbling upon this article, in the midst of one of the more miserable days in Scotland (it doesn't always rain we'll have you know), it got us to thinking about the advantages that this range of footwear will have in the coming months... Albeit, perhaps not golden welly boots, we currently have a wide range of Hunter wellies and socks in stock. Perhaps in slightly more muted/traditional colours (although the fuchsia ones will certainly ensure you're seen from a distance!).

The moral of the story? We think if Hunter wants to send out welly boots to girlfriends of sporting celebs then they may perhaps want to check that the recipient will actually wear them! Then again... we're all talking about it and perhaps that was the aim of the game! In all fairness, we think she should wear them just to be a good sport (ha... get-it?!).

For everyone else, make sure you don't end up with cold, soggy feet this Autumn... Invest in a pair of Hunters (Probably best to pick a colour which is slightly less-Olympic for longevity reasons).

Happy Shopping!