Gretna Green - A warning!

kawasaki_dave

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Dave, I think you should post the name of the second hotel, the one that seems good now that you have seen it.

Allowing witnesses to observe a wedding is actually quite important, and there are good historical reasons for this. Just so long as they behave themselves!

Hi Voyager. We've decided to hold both the caremony and reception at The Garden House Hotel ( www.gardenhouse.co.uk ). Even the vicar performing the ceremony seemed relieved, pointing out that the original venue has a wedding at least every hour and a half! At The Garden House we have exclusive use of the suite for the entire day, for less than half the price of the original venue.

Oh, and as for eating, the Hazeldine Hotel is fantastic and I'd highly recommened it.

Perhaps I should point out I'm not attached to either venue in any way lol :rotfl:

fruitycar

xxlaurissaxx wrote: »

A girl in my work got married in Gretna green and you could view the wedding on web cam through their website! I think you can ask for it to be turned off, but if you dont know its there then the whole world could be sharing your special day. xx

The chapel my DD was married in had a webcam, it was lovely for friends and relatives that were unable to come, to ba able to watch and share (even in Australia!)

babybug

I was looking at a venue (not Gretna) that I thought was perfect. My OH and I did as Dave suggested and went for a night's stay and have since taken our deposit elsewhere.

The production line feel was so uncomfortable. There was a soon-to-be bride in reception while we were checking out and the manager was telling her about their wedding package. All I kept hearing was "You'll do this at this time, then you'll do this." Everything was their way and it was awful.

I definitely agree that you should stay at the venue before booking.

honeypop

Always_Harassed wrote: »

They also allow tourist to witness weddings in the anvil and this takes away from an important time in your life if you've got kagoul wearing tourist that are translating the service for each other.

Not sure of the law in Scotland, whether it's different at all, but in England at least you have to allow anyone in to see your wedding, whether it's civil or religious. To be fair you rarely get someone that isn't invited but if some randoms do show up you can't stop them coming in. Although hopefully they'd be quiet and respectful!

RoxieW

babybug wrote: »

I was looking at a venue (not Gretna) that I thought was perfect. My OH and I did as Dave suggested and went for a night's stay and have since taken our deposit elsewhere.

The production line feel was so uncomfortable. There was a soon-to-be bride in reception while we were checking out and the manager was telling her about their wedding package. All I kept hearing was "You'll do this at this time, then you'll do this." Everything was their way and it was awful.

I definitely agree that you should stay at the venue before booking.

This is often the same for weddings in resorts abroad - 30 mins for photos on the beach, 10 mins to drink your comp glass of champers etc - spoils the day if you ask me!!

nell35

Always_Harassed wrote: »

They also allow tourist to witness weddings in the anvil and this takes away from an important time in your life if you've got kagoul wearing tourist that are translating the service for each other.

Just wanted to clarify that while at the world famous blacksmiths, tourists can maybe hear your ceremony they won't be able to see it - as there is a curtain and rope barrier to stop them actually viewing or walking into your ceremony. No other place lets tourists into your ceremony at all. The staff there are very vigilant when weddings are taking place. :rotfl:

cff850

hi nell35- i have pm'd you regarding an insiders rec!

RustyFlange

nell35 wrote: »

Just wanted to clarify that while at the world famous blacksmiths, tourists can maybe hear your ceremony they won't be able to see it - as there is a curtain and rope barrier to stop them actually viewing or walking into your ceremony. No other place lets tourists into your ceremony at all. The staff there are very vigilant when weddings are taking place. :rotfl:

I am sorry but I agree with the post above. My dad and step mum got married there just over a year ago and whilst it was completely different to your full white lavish no expense spared wedding the ceremony itself was lovely.

My step mum married in a lovely dress from debenhams, and my dad wore a kilt which came as a shock to the rest of the family as we weren't expecting it. My son who was 5 then even helped with the ceremony, he walked in holding my step mums hand and had a teddy which had the rings stitched into the pockets. Then he had to have over the rings to the lady who did the ceremony. Even at the end when she hit the anvil she let my son help which made the wedding so completely different and personal. I only had one problem with the wedding .... that was the photographer, he was shocking and luckily OH stood snapping away on his camera, the photos from gretna green which were done as part of the package were rubbish ... they have since had a new wedding album done which consists solely of the photos from OH.

When you book a wedding you always go to view the venue no matter what, Gretna green is a lovely place to have your wedding. There are no webcams which are turned on unless you ask for them to be switched off. You have to ask for them to be turned on in matter of fact! And also lastly there are no tourists/complete strangers allowed to just walk in on you!!!

Shelley3774

My Sil got married at The Garden House Hotel in 2002 and we had a lovely time.
Last October my cousin got married at The Old Blacksmiths and the reception was held at the Smiths. We also stayed 2 nights at the Smiths and it was fantastic.
I've had such lovely memories from both weddings.

Burny_Sweetwater_Glasgow

Gretna was or is a place that those in love to commit to each other, sadly it would appear that commercialism has taken over. My OH and I committed our love for each other over the anvil with witnesses who we had never met, it was the best day of our lives, us my step daughter and her friend, that's all. That was 23 years ago nearly, sad you may think, just the 4 of us but no one could ever take away those special memories. Gretna is steeped in history of lovers marrying for love that was scoured upon by families and friends and sadly that tradition has been lost because of people wanting just to say they were married in Gretna with all the trimmings of a normal wedding.