After much discussion upset and tears over a wedding abroad the 2 of us are going to Gretna to get married BUT..... i don't know which venue there to choose! Most of them we'l look lost in - help x
CommentAuthorKirstyM3690
whatever one jumps out at you hun ive no idea what rooms packages etc r like at gretna!! xxx
Yay..Soon Be Mrs Castle
3rd july 2013
Cyprus
CommentAuthormym72
Georgie - I've sent you a message. Have a look at the Gretna Wedding Bureau for smaller wedding venues. Also some hotels do weddings as well. If you need witnesses they can organise this for you as well.
CommentAuthorDonda
You have to be careful who you book through, if you want to get married in the original and proper Gretna Green marriage rooms, there are 3 of them, The original Blacksmiths workshop, which accommodates up to 45 people, The Saddlery Room, which accommodates up to 25 people, and the Rennison Room which accommodates up to 10 people. Then ring up The Smiths Hotel, Gretna Green, the people who own this hotel also own Gretna Green. We had booked with a company we got through the Gretna Green Wedding Bureau and I told them I wanted to get married in the Blacksmiths Workshop. Luckily we went up for the day to see them and sort everything out personally with them and I'm so glad we did because we discovered that the company we booked with was a hotel about 2 miles outside of Gretna Green, they had a room which was a copy of the original Blacksmiths workshop. I was not happy. It was worth the 1 and half hour drive, it turned out to be a lovely day out. We were told by staff at the proper Gretna Green to go over to the Smiths Hotel as they were the owners, (the hotel is right behind Gretna Green, and we booked our wedding at the original blacksmiths workshop through them, they were so friendly and helpful, we were given a free tour of the museum, and marriage rooms by a member of staff, she was lovely, and she even gave us direct telephone numbers for photographers, hair & make and a piper, who we booked for a lot cheaper than if we'd gone online. I do recommend you take a visit if you can to make sure you're getting the venue you really want. There are lots of other venues owned by other hotels which are lovely, but if you want the original marriage rooms then ring The Smiths Hotel and ask to speak to a wedding co-ordinator, they are lovely and very friendly and helpful. Want any info or help let me know xx
Met on 7th April 2008
Got engaged on 14th November 2011
Getting married on 12th December 2012
Looking forward to the rest of my life with the man I love
CommentAuthormym72
edited
Donda - the place I think you're referring to IS actually in Gretna Green, because we got married there!! There is the 'world famous' Blacksmith's in Gretna - but the Gretna Hall (with 3 marriage rooms - Blacksmith's Workshop, capacity 60, Blacksmith's Cottage, capacity 15, and Linton Suite, capacity 20) was built in the 1710 and has hundreds of years of history for weddings as well - as the Linton Suite (where we got married) is named after John Linton who performed marriages there in the 1800's and when you sign the register in there, you use his original signing table which still houses his his original marriage register. It is situated in the centre of Gretna Green (as opposed to Gretna, the slightly bigger town down the road) next to the Gretna Hall Hotel. I think you'll also find that the Smith's Hotel only own the 'world famous' Blacksmith's and NOT the whole of Gretna Green lol.
Gretna Wedding Bureau use this venue for their bookings as well as other venues around Gretna Green and the surrounding area (churches and castles included).
If you want a 'traditional' wedding in Gretna Green, I wouldn't really look at the Smiths Hotel - as this is at the very edge of Gretna Green, but is a very modern building, much different to the rest of the village.
It is a good idea to take a trip up there if you can - as we had a weekend there the year before our wedding to 'fact find' and found it very useful, even though we'd already picked our venue. We visited the venue (Gretna Hall Linton Suite) and the staff went through everything with us, even to where we would stand during the ceremony and the general gist of it all.
Gretna Wedding Bureau were fantastic for helping us with the necessities as well - even sorting out a minister for us, given that we didn't want anyone too 'formal' (dog collar etc) - and they organised Sandy Jamieson from the Assemblies of God Church - one of the nicest guys you could imagine (so much so he's now a friend on FB lol).
We customised our wedding package as we wanted to book our own transport, flowers, cake, reception etc - but you can book just about anything with them.
For our reception and accommodation we travelled a few minutes down the road into Gretna to the Solway Lodge Hotel - and Iain the wedding co-ordinator was just perfect. He was a trained chef and told us that he had 25 yrs experience - so if we needed anything at all that the bureau or hotel couldn't organise, he would probably know someone local (from hair to dj's lol).
Get in touch again if you need any more information x
Thanks guys. I think we're going to go up and have a look first even though its a 3 hour drive. Might just do it there and then lol I find with most venues they look different to the pictures and i want it to feel right x
