47 weddings are due to take place in Gretna today – celebrating the memorable 9/9/9 date.

There are understood to be 47 weddings due to take place in Gretna today (9th September 2009), as couples ensure a memorable anniversary date.

According to the BBC, a total of 47 marriage ceremonies are due to take place in the south of Scotland town, which is famed as a destination for young lovers.

Gretna Green became famous for ‘handfasting’ ceremonies following the 1754 Marriage Act – with this ancient tradition for marrying couples being law in Scotland until as recently as 1940.

According to GretnaGreen.com, this simple civil ceremony enabled couples over the age of 16 to marry by declaring in front of two witnesses their wish to be husband and wife and they were legally bound. 

Lord Hardwicke, the English law lord who introduced this law, was determined to quash the desires of young couples from becoming husband and wife through this ‘quickie’ ceremony. His law introduced an age of consent at 21 and couples were required to marry within a church.

Scotland refused to adopt this law and once couples discovered this loophole they, in turn, were quick to take advantage and eloped to marry over the border.

Just over the Scottish border, Gretna Green soon became a haven for fleeing couples who married wherever they could find two witnesses to make their ceremony legal.

At the Blacksmiths Shop, the canny Blacksmith soon downed his tools and took up the role of ‘Blacksmith Priest’. For nearly 200 years the Blacksmiths at Gretna Green continued to marry couples over the now famous Marriage Anvil.

The town of Gretna enjoyed a similar wedding boom on both 8 August 2008 and 7 July 2007 as people looked to ensure a memorable anniversary date.