Latest news with #GretnaGreen
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
I'm a wedding expert – there's a major reason people aren't getting married & it's NOT the price
FOR over 270 years couples have eloped to Gretna Green. But while that tradition continues today in the Scottish Borders town, it is dying out in the rest of the UK. Marriage rates have been falling since the 1970s but they have dipped sharply this decade with more than half the country now unmarried. 3 3 A YouGov study has found it's not only societal changes at play but practical barriers too, as 61 per cent polled citing the cost of weddings as a deterrent - with £23,000 now the average price of tying the knot in the UK. However, Gretna continues to buck that trend. Executive chair of Gretna Green John Holliday said: 'We actually increased our marriages by nearly five per cent to around 4,000 last year. 'That's while marriage had been declining by one to two per cent across the UK since the 70s, then by the noughties it has shot up to around 2.5 per cent a year. So we're now getting a bigger share of the smaller market. 'Cost is a big factor with the average wedding now £23,000 whereas our average cost is around £2,000. But people come here because they want to be part of the history of Gretna Green.' However, John insists it's not just the eye-watering pricetag that is putting off people eloping, citing antiquated marriage laws as another major factor. He explains: 'The process of getting married is from a different era and it may drive you insane. 'It takes 28 days to get married. Compare that to Denmark with five days, America, with one to three days, and even Germany, which is really conservative, where it's 10 days. 'Ten years ago it was only 14 days in the UK but they doubled it to 28 to combat sham marriages. 'But technology has made huge advances since then. You can get a passport just by using your phone and a driving licence, so why can't you arrange to get married the same way?' He adds: 'Currently in this area, you have to ask Dumfries and Galloway to send you a M10 form, which you have to fill in with a pen. You can't even email it back, you have to post it. I'm 5ft3 & a size 12-14 - my 7 Tesco dresses are an absolute bargain & perfect for a last-minute wedding guest outfit 'Half the time there's an error on the form so Dumfries and Galloway Council has to post it back out to you again. 'But the registrars have told me they could easily do the whole process within five days if it was digitalised. 'It's an outdated, unhelpful, analogue system in a digital age.' Along with a review of the 28-day legal notice period, John is now calling for a cross-party figure to be appointed as a Marriage Tsar to lead system-wide reform He said: 'The fact that fewer than half of UK adults are now married should be a wake-up call. 'We're in severe danger of being ruined by rising costs and a raft of red tape. 'And if current trends continue, marriage risks becoming extinct within a generation.' Easier-to-navigate laws was how Gretna Green became famous in the first place in 1754. That's when couples from England began flooding across the border to get married by 'anvil priests' - local Blacksmiths who conducted marriage ceremonies as Scots law declared almost anyone had the authority to officiate nuptials. John, 55, said: 'Gretna Green became iconic because this was the place where love has broken the rules and written its own story. 'Now, unfortunately marriage is struggling, but let me tell you, it's not because love is dead, it's because the system is broken. 'There's something seriously wrong when it's easier to get divorced in this country than it is to get married, and that's why we need to promote it and make marriage a lot easier.' MSP for Dumfriesshire Oliver Mundell said: 'Getting married is one of the biggest statements anyone can make to show they are committed to each other. 'That's one of the reasons why the last Government changed the law to make same-sex marriage possible and took steps to back married couples and reward commitment. 'Sadly though, the process of actually getting married has gotten too costly, too complicated and it often takes too long. 'We must fix this.' 3
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Couple marries at Gretna Green on centenary of family's elopement
On August 12, 2025, Amber and Benny stepped into that history, choosing an intimate, unconventional ceremony to honour the moment when her family's story first intertwined with Gretna Green's. Their own romance feels like fate playing a long game. Though they knew of each other as teenagers and shared mutual friends, their paths never quite aligned until years later, when a match on Tinder finally brought them face-to-face. By then, the coincidences were uncanny: they had lived in the same cities, worked in the same shop at different times, and even walked the same streets years apart. Amber Chapell and Benny de Garis chose an intimate, unconventional ceremony (Image: Gretna Green) Marking the day with yet more history, Amber wore a handmade wedding dress first created by her grandmother and worn by both her grandmother and mother before her. The dress has now seen three generations married. Sophie Lytollis, Head of Sales at Gretna Green, said: 'It is incredibly special to welcome Amber and Benny on such a historic day. To marry exactly 100 years after Amber's great-grandparents stood here is not just romantic, it is a living reminder of why Gretna Green has been such an enduring place for love stories through the generations.' The Famous Blacksmiths Shop in Gretna Green has welcomed couples from around the world since 1754, making it one of the most iconic wedding destinations in history. Today, it remains at the heart of a family-owned business that spans five generations, offering a 5-star visitor attraction, two 4-star hotels and the historic Old Toll Bar, the First and Last House in Scotland. READ MORE: Gretna Green 'Gateway to Scotland' attraction launched Last year, Gretna Green was named in the top three destinations globally for couples seeking to elope, beating off competition from Spain, France and Italy. To crown the world's top elopement destinations, experts looked at Google search results, Instagram posts, the cost of marriage certificates, hotel prices and weather data, along with the data surrounding the most publicised celebrity elopements. Las Vegas took the top spot, followed by the Californian city of San Diego. Gretna Green is the marriage capital of the UK, facilitating nearly 4,000 ceremonies a year - 3% of which are weddings from overseas, the US, Canada and Australasia. It has appeared in films, TV shows like Coronation Street and Downton Abbey, and was a central part in Jane Austen's book Pride and Prejudice.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Susan Dalgety: Gretna Green – still leading the way in quickie modern marriage
Gretna Green's new marketing ploy should help keep the historic town happily in the wedding business Whoever came up with Gretna Green Ltd's latest marketing strategy deserves every PR award going. The company that provides wedding packages at arguably the world's most famous marriage venue has just launched a campaign to persuade the UK government to modernise marriage. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Gretna Green's demands include speedier marriages. At the moment, lovestruck couples have to wait at least 29 days before they can get hitched. In exceptional circumstances, a registrar can authorise a wedding with less notice, but Gretna Green wants the timing for all ceremonies to be reviewed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Life doesn't always give us time. The law should be ready when love is,' trills the campaign. It also points out that, once upon a time, a couple could get married with only an hour's notice. Such haste would be fine, if divorces could be arranged with the same speed. The 'Love Shouldn't Wait' campaign also calls for clear, modern guidance for couples, written in plain language, and 'digital first'. 'No more PDFs from 1997' it cries. And it calls on the government to appoint a marriage tsar – 'a champion to lead reform, act with compassion and keep love on the agenda'. Now, the good folk of Gretna Green know a thing or two about weddings. After all, they have been welcoming blushing brides and their grooms since 1754, after the minimum marriage age in England, without parental consent, was raised to 21. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As there were no such restrictions in Scotland, lovestruck couples rushed to Gretna Green, the first village over the border, to pledge their troth. The law in England has changed considerably since then, with people over the age of 18 now being allowed to marry without anyone's permission. These days, the 5000 couples a year who get hitched at Gretna Green are looking for a fabulous photo-opportunity in a romantic setting rather than escaping the wrath of angry parents. But while Gretna may be the expert in all things wedding-related, from luxurious venues to made-to-measure kilts, their idea for a marriage tsar seems a tad over the top. Who could do such a ridiculous job? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Joan Collins perhaps? The 92-year-old icon of stage and screen has had five husbands. She married Percy Gibson, her fifth and presumably last husband in 2002, so should have plenty of tips on how to make a marriage work, or how to get out if it doesn't. Personally I would prefer my marriage tips from Slow Horses star Gary Oldman, who like Joan has been married five times, but I am not sure he's looking for a job. Arguably Britain's most famous married couple, Sir David Beckham and his glamorous wife Lady Victoria, could do a job share, though I think that David's advice to young married couples would be very straightforward. The answer to every question is, 'Yes, dear. Except when she asks, do I look fat in this dress?' My advice, as someone who has been very happily married for 28 years, is don't spend the night before your wedding, whether it is in Gretna Green or St Giles Cathedral, with your sister, mixing cocktails. Nothing is more guaranteed to spoil an otherwise fabulous wedding than a bride with a raging hangover.
Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Times
Marriage age may rise to 18 in line with England and Wales
Runaway lovers, disapproving families, and a mad dash for the border — for centuries, Gretna Green was the stuff of romantic legend. But the Scottish government has now confirmed it will consult on raising the age of marriage and civil partnership from 16 to 18, bringing it in line with England and Wales. Currently parental consent is not needed to marry aged 16-17 in Scotland. The move follows a 2023 law change south of the border, where the UK Conservative government increased the minimum age to 18. Previously 16 and 17-year-olds could marry with parental consent. For centuries, the legal differences between Scotland and England drew couples to Gretna, just a few miles north of the border, to defy their parents and tie the knot. In the 18th century, when English law forbade marriage under 21 without parental permission, Scotland permitted boys of 14 and girls of 12 to wed. The formal consultation on the new legislation was confirmed in a written answer to Ash Regan, an Alba MSP and a vocal campaigner for increasing the marriage age. Ministers will also consider making any attempt to cause a person under 18 to marry a criminal offence. Unicef, the United Nations agency providing humanitarian and development aid to children worldwide, defines child marriage as 'any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child', and considers it a violation of human rights. Legal experts note that Scotland is an outlier in the developed world for allowing marriage from 16 without parental consent. Regan welcomed the government's move. 'Child marriage is a hidden crime, but I am concerned that it is very much a live issue in Scotland,' she said. 'In Scotland, the legal age is 16 and no parental consent is needed. Campaigners have previously highlighted that this leaves girls vulnerable to grooming and coercion. I want to see new safeguards to prevent coerced marriages for under-18s, to protect their childhoods and their life chances.' Data from the National Records of Scotland shows a steep fall in teenage marriages. In 1974, there were 3,780 marriages where at least one partner was 16 or 17. By 2022, that number had dropped to just 18. Siobhian Brown, the Scottish government's community justice minister, said: 'As part of our considerations on the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership, we have engaged with a wide range of organisations and interested individuals in order to gather views and evidence.' The Scottish Conservatives said: 'We would urge SNP ministers to do the same given similar laws are already in place elsewhere in the UK.' Scottish Labour and the Greens have made no comment. Rob Clucas, a family law expert at Edinburgh Napier University, said: 'Forced marriage is a global evil that disproportionately affects young women in different-sex marriages, and it should be eradicated. 'Forced marriages do occur in Scotland, as does early marriage and civil partnership — though these phenomena are not identical, and it is not clear how harmful early marriage or civil partnership is in Scotland, it may sometimes be neutral or beneficial.' He added: 'Research is needed to establish this. If we take our young people's autonomy seriously — and we should, for 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland are not children — we ought to be wary of infringing their rights, even temporarily.' A Scottish government spokesperson said: 'While statistics show that marriages involving under-18s are rare in Scotland, as previously announced, we intend to consult on whether the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership should be raised from 16 to 18. 'The consultation, which will be published this autumn, will also consider extending the existing forced marriage offence to criminalise any attempt to cause a person under 18 to enter a marriage or civil partnership, regardless of whether coercion can be proven. 'This responds to a recommendation by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that Scotland should prohibit marriages involving under-18s to protect young people.' Marriage laws vary across Europe. While countries including Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden do not permit marriage under 18, others allow for exceptions with parental or public authority consent. In Estonia, the minimum age for marriage is 15.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE We were together for 35 years before breaking up. Now we're best friends, share a house and starred on prime-time TV... and this is what it's REALLY like: TV's Gaz and Yin reveal the stunning truth about their relationship
Will they, won't they? How could they not, given how well they get on, how much she laughs at his jokes, how much they finish each other's sentences, how much they seem to actually like each other, even when they are both knackered and stuck in a thunderstorm. And the chemistry! It's there, surely? You don't need a map to find it. A (soppy) section of the British public has almost been buying confetti over the past few weeks, hoping for a finishing line in Gretna Green, home of happy-ever-afters.
