Gretna Green

Photo Credit: odolphie
(Creative Commons)

In Britain, the town of Gretna Green in Scotland will forever be associated with weddings. Very often these were of the clandestine variety - young English lovers running away to be married without the prmission of their parents.

So how did this custom orginate? Why should Gretna Green have it been such a magnet for young lovers? Was it the most romantic place in the UK? Not necessarily. It's appeal was basically a matter of geography.

Scottish Law

Many people outside Britain don't realise that Scotland and England have only been combined within the UK for a few hundred years. Even after the Act of Union they still retained individual legal systems.

In the 18th century a law was pased in England that required parental consent for marriage of people under 21. That law didn't apply in Scotland where teenagers could get married without the agreement of their parents. This led to many young couples eloping - racing up to Scotland in order to get married legally. The first place at which they arrived was often Gretna Green which was the first stop in Scotland for the coaches running from London to Edinburgh.

In addition the Scottish law merely required prospective partners to declare their intentions in front of witnesses - no need for any official involvement. Many local blacksmiths also did trade in hosting these weddings and became known as Blacksmith Priests.

Today

Over the years the marriage laws in Scotland were gradually tightened. Today there is no need for anyone to perform the midnight run to Gretna Green. However the place retains its association with romantic weddings and is still popular both as a tourist attraction for visitors to the UK and, of course, as a wedding venue.