Couple retrace family footsteps to Gretna Green

ALTHOUGH newlyweds Amber and Benny eloped to Gretna Green this week, family was still at the forefront of their special day. The couple from Salisbury met on a dating app and knew within months that they wanted to spend their lives together, but a big wedding wasn’t their style so the couple decided to take inspiration from a family legend and head to Gretna Green. They were inspired by Amber’s great-grandparents, Archibald and Isabella, who rode their motorbike to Gretna Green in 1925 to be married. A century later, to the day, Amber returned with Benny by her side to follow in their footsteps, with her sister Poppy as bridesmaid and Benny’s best friend Declan as best man. [caption id="attachment_62044" align="aligncenter" width="486"]

NEWLY-WEDS . . . Amber and Benny[/caption] Adding to the history, Amber wore a wedding dress which was handmade by her granny and also worn by her mother. She said: “My granny made this dress by hand to marry my papa Davie and she managed to finish it the night before her wedding, and my mum wore it as well. “My granny and papa were together until they died in their late 80’s and my mum and dad are still together, so I think it’s a lucky dress. “It was also altered to fit me using my granny’s sewing machine, so there’s all sorts of family history going on.” Benny and Amber have also made a road trip of their elopement, travelling through Wales and the Lake District as they headed north and going home through Whitby and Lincoln. Benny added: “We wanted to make an adventure of it, and have that real elopement adventure feeling, we tried to keep it a secret but it’s actually been quite terribly kept, we were just too excited.”