Why Couples From Around the World Are Choosing Scotland for Their Weddings

Thousands of couples are travelling from outside Scotland to get married there, drawn by historic castles, dramatic landscapes and traditions that have made the country a popular destination for weddings.

According to figures from National Records of Scotland, 6,596 of the 27,191 marriages registered in Scotland in 2025 involved couples who did not live in the country. That means almost one in four weddings involved two people who were not Scottish residents.

From Pennsylvania to a Scottish castle

Hayden and Savannah, from Pennsylvania in the United States, had never visited Scotland before deciding to hold their wedding there.

The couple considered destinations across Europe before Savannah saw photographs of a castle wedding online. They eventually chose a castle near Edinburgh and travelled to Scotland with family and friends.

For them, the wedding was also an opportunity to turn the celebration into a shared adventure. Many of their guests extended their trips and explored Scotland after the ceremony.

Why Gretna Green remains so popular

One of the biggest attractions for visiting couples is Gretna Green, a small town near the Scottish border with a long association with weddings.

Of the 6,596 marriages involving non-Scottish residents in 2025, 3,492 took place in Dumfries and Galloway, the region where Gretna Green is located. The town has remained a major wedding destination for more than two centuries.

Its reputation began in the 18th century, when young couples from England travelled across the border to Scotland because marriage laws there were less restrictive.

A wedding connected to a shared love of Scotland

For Patryk and Angelika, their decision to marry in Scotland was more personal.

The couple, who live in north-west England, first connected as teenagers and later developed a shared affection for Scotland. They travelled there regularly, including visits to Edinburgh and the Highlands, and Patryk eventually proposed beside Loch Ness.

When they married at Gretna Green in June, the ceremony included Scottish traditions and bagpipe music. Their families travelled from Poland to join them.

The couple said the landscape and history were important parts of the experience, allowing their wedding to become connected with memories they had built together over several years.

A love story that began in Scotland

For another couple, Scotland was not simply a wedding destination. It was where their relationship began.

Chihon, from Chile, and Anna Maria, from Moldova, first met through a dance society at the University of Edinburgh in 2018. They remained friends for years before their relationship changed when Anna Maria returned to Edinburgh in 2024.

They eventually married on the Isle of Arran, surrounded by family and friends who had travelled from different parts of the world.

Their wedding included a traditional Scottish ceilidh, while parts of the ceremony were translated into Spanish and Russian for relatives from Chile and Moldova.

More than a wedding day

For many international couples, choosing Scotland means turning a wedding into a longer journey. Historic venues, mountains, coastlines and traditional celebrations allow couples to share more than a single ceremony with their families.

For some, the country is connected to a childhood memory or a favourite film. For others, it is where their relationship began. And for others, the appeal is simply the chance to celebrate their marriage somewhere that feels different from home.

Whatever the reason, the growing number of international weddings shows that for thousands of couples, Scotland has become not just a place to get married, but part of the story they want to remember.

Sources: BBC Scotland, National Records of Scotland.