Scottish Wedding Customs
Gretna Green
Gretna Green is famed the world over for it's association with eloping couples and romantic weddings, but the reasons for it's fame are less to do with Scotland and more to do with the formerly more onerous English Laws of marriage. Because of many abuses of marriage in England by bigamists and opportunists seducing young wealthy girls the Church and aristocratic establishment persuaded the Law Lords of England to formalise and control those 'irregular' marriages.Lord Hardwick's Marriage Act of 1754 made several new regulations. Amongst the most significant were that if a couple wished to marry they not only had to marry in Church, but also had to be over 21 unless they had the consent of their parents. Lord Hardwicks Act did not apply in Scotland where the legal age was (and still is) 16. A legal and binding marriage could be made in Scotland by declaring before two witnesses. The result, when the Act came into force, was the immediate flight of young lovers who wished to be married against their parents wishes to Scotland. And Gretna, along with Lamberton and Coldstream became favoured locations for these quick marriages.