Experience the magic of Gretna Green at our Wedding Open Weekend, taking place on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th March 2025. Discover everything you need to know about tying the knot at Gretna Green. By pre-registering, you'll have the chance to explore our beautiful marriage rooms, witness stunning reception setups, and tour the luxurious hotel suites at Gretna Hall and Smiths Hotel. Savour a complimentary glass of fizz and delectable canapés while meeting with a member of our award-winning Wedding Team and immerse yourself in the enchanting atmosphere of Gretna Green.

Come and discover why Gretna Green is the Original Home of Romance! To secure your spot for our March 2025 Wedding Open Weekend, simply fill out the form below. Our dedicated Wedding Team will confirm your appointment. We eagerly await the opportunity to welcome you both to Gretna Green!

The Meaning of a Leap Day Wedding

The 29^th February is a date which only occurs every four years but there’s so much more to this incredible quadrennial day! Read all about the history and symbolism of this special date and discover our exclusive Leap Day Wedding Special Offer.

Discover Gretna Green’s Range of Large & Bespoke Weddings

Have you got big ideas for your big day? Here at Gretna Green, we have a range of large wedding packages and special offers, as well as our bespoke wedding planning service, right at your fingertips.

Currently, our largest all-inclusive package is the The ‘Love Story’ 40-60 Guest Wedding, including a variety of wedding necessities as well as exclusive extras; meaning you can relax knowing your special day has all been taken care of. Find out more below about this package, pet-friendly receptions and rooms, wedding gifts and favours, and everything else you’d like to know about marrying at Gretna Green, Scotland.

Pre-Register Today For Our Winter Wedding Open Day 2019

And Join us on Sunday 17th November 2019

Looking for wedding inspiration? Curious to know what Gretna Green has to offer? Join us for our Winter Wedding Open Day on Sunday 17 November 2019 across our venues; including The Famous Blacksmiths Shop, Smiths at Gretna Green Hotel, Gretna Hall Hotel and Historic Marriage House and Greens at Gretna Hotel. 

Meet with our wedding planners for an informal chat, or arrange a private one-to-one, tour our venues, view our suites and be inspired by local suppliers.

Open from 10 am to 4 pm.

Register below.

Note: registration closes at 23.59 on Saturday 16 November 2019. You can still register at any of our venues on the day.

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 £185.00! (Registrars now costing up to £512.00)

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!

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!

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...