Hannah Young and William Harpin became Mr and Mrs Harpin over the anvil at the iconic marriage village in Gretna Green on 10th December 2023
Hannah Young and William Harpin
10th December 2023
Venue The Coach House at Gretna Hall Historic Marriage House, Gretna Green, Dumfriesshire
Photography Emma Halliburton Creative
There was no chance of Hannah and William burying the sausage the day before their wedding. (That’s not a euphemism, by the way; it’s an old tradition said to guarantee a sunny day.) “We’re not fans of summer or hot weather,” laughs Hannah, “so we always knew that if we were to get married, we’d do it in autumn or winter.”
The Wakefield-based couple, who have been together ever since high school, had long had their hearts set on eloping – and where better to do that than at the iconic Gretna Green, the Dumfriesshire village that has been the centre of ‘runaway love’ since 1754.
“As soon as we got there, everyone we met was friendly and welcoming, which made us feel completely at ease. There was no fuss whatsoever – which is what we wanted."
Cold weather was, thankfully, guaranteed for the couple’s December wedding. “Marrying so close to Christmas made it feel even more magical,” says Hannah, who reveals their date has added significance. “We married on the exact date that William had asked me to be his girlfriend 18 years before, 10th December 2005.” How sweet!
Most couples will have visited their venue at least once or twice in the run-up to their wedding, but Hannah and William only arrived in Gretna the day before.
“I suppose choosing to get married somewhere that you’ve never been before could be quite daunting,” muses Hannah. But as elopements are one of Gretna Green’s specialties, she knew they’d be in safe hands. “I spoke to the weddings team on the phone multiple times, and they were great at answering my questions and allaying any concerns.
All you need to know about Gretna Green weddings, ceremonies and elopements
The pair checked into Gretna Hall Hotel’s “amazing and spacious” Queensbury Clayton Manor bridal suite the night before their wedding, then spent a properly chilled-out morning having breakfast and getting ready, just the two of them.
“William got dressed in his dapper blue tweed jacket, set off by a pop of orange in his bow-tie, and left to go to our ceremony venue first,” recalls Hannah, who donned a full-length lace dress by Belgian bridal label Rembo Styling.
Built as a private manor house in 1710, and serving as a coaching inn from later that century, Gretna Hall was the venue of choice for many of the noblemen and ‘well-to-do runaways’ of that era, and Hannah and William discovered that the Coach House there matched their “old-fashioned” tastes perfectly.
“It’s beautiful and charming. It feels so full of history with its horse-drawn carriage, wooden pews [seating up to 70 for those not eloping], old stone floor and foliage dangling down from the ceiling.”
“It feels so full of history with its horse-drawn carriage, wooden pews, old stone floor and foliage.”
The couple wrote their own vows for their short, registrar-led ceremony: “It was so special and felt even more intimate as it was just the two of us,” recalls the bride.
Despite hosting 3,500 weddings a year, this Dumfriesshire village manages to feel intimate and inclusive, says Hannah.
“There are people from all parts of the world and walks of life who get married here, doing the same thing as you. It’s quite magical, really.
"After we got married, we sat in the bar with other couples who had also eloped. We drank and shared stories. It was great! We also enjoyed a quiet moment together to reveal the special messages we’d had engraved on our wedding rings.
“We loved our experience at Gretna Green so much that we went back in December for our first anniversary and had a handfasting ceremony.”
Venue The Coach House at Gretna Hall Historic Marriage House, Gretna Green, Dumfriesshire
Accommodation Gretna Hall Hotel
Wedding meal Smiths at Gretna Green Hotel
Photography Emma Halliburton Creative
Filmmaker Analogue and Light (see highlights above)
Wedding dress Rembo Styling
Groomswear Michelsberg Tailoring
Rings Berry’s Jewellers
Cake Dream Cakes by Donna
Flowers Blackburn Florist of Wakefield
