In the south of England, we’re blessed with some of the best wedding venues in England and the UK. But with so many on offer how do you narrow down the choices? Well, let us do it for you with highlights of some of the best wedding venues in England and Wales.
Here are 11 of our tried and tested favourite wedding venues from across the south west of England and Wales. With everything from stately homes to renovated barns, lakeside retreats, country estates and castles.
With our rundown of the best wedding venues in England and Wales, we are here to help you choose your perfect romantic wedding venue that is waiting to be discovered by you.
Orchardleigh
Nestled on a 500 acre estate in the Somerset countryside just outside of the trendy town of Frome, Orchardleigh House is a fantastic former manor house built in 1856.
Restored to its former glory by a local businessman, the manor house offers Gothic styling, luxurious accommodation and a host of great photo opportunities.
Acclaimed as one of the regions finest wedding venues. Orchardleigh holds a late licence to keep the party going until the early hours, has its own helipad, lake and island church and offers the ability to extend your wedding into a 2-3 day celebration.
The real beauty of the estate however is that it houses two separate and completely different wedding venues on the same site.
The Walled Garden – also known as Elmhay Park and the Orangery – is light and airy, comfortably holding up to 150 seated guests. The outdoor space is fantastic, housed in its own walled garden with a large patio and lots of space for guests to enjoy on the various lawns.
Ceremonies can be performed within the grounds. There is the choice of the nearby chapel and two outdoor spaces available, all of which are licenced for civil ceremonies and partnerships.
A great do it all wedding venue, with a choice of old or new. Our favourite is the Walled Garden but you can’t go too far wrong with either.
Visit Orchardleigh’s website for full details.
The Gathering Barn
A relatively new wedding venue in England, The Gathering Barn is a renovated barn sat on a working farm in a beautiful hamlet called Monkton Deverill – handily just a stones throw from the A303 in Wiltshire.
Make as much noise as you want and make the place your own!
The wedding venue offers exclusive four day hire from Thursday morning to Sunday afternoon. With self contained accommodation sleeping 6-8 guests, there is also room to house your most important wedding crew.
Cosy, rustic and renovated beautifully, the Gathering Barn serves as a blank canvas to bring in your own suppliers to enjoy with family and friends.
Set around its own U shaped courtyard, there is plenty of space to get married on site (or in one of the many nearby churches.) The venue can supply a bar for you to use – with no corkage fees – or bring in your own suppliers to run it for you.
Somewhat of a hidden gem, this is the perfect place to make your own fun filled memories for your wedding weekend. We can imagine The Gathering Barn getting very popular once word gets out.
Brinsop Court
I’ve only attended this venue once, but it was love at first sight!
A 5* Grade 1 property, cited as one of the worlds top 100 wedding venues. Brinsop Court is a magical English country manor sitting in 800 acres of rolling Herefordshire countryside – one of the most picturesque and best wedding venues in England.
Dating back to the mid fourteenth century, Brinsop Court is loaded with astounding period features. The wedding venue has its own spectacular moat and breathtaking photo opportunities wherever you turn.
Available for two day hire to really make your own. Brinsop Court has luxurious on site accommodation for up to 33 guests and its own romantic private cottage for two with a hot tub. Perfect to relax after all of the wedding shenanigans!
I visited Brinsop Court three or four years ago, and despite visiting hundreds of other wedding venues in England since – this one has really stood out in my memory. Have a look for yourself here.
Gants Mill
A beautiful family run wedding venue in a cosy corner of Somerset, Gants Mill pitches itself ‘as if you had a marquee in your own back garden’ with all the freedom that this entails.
Bring in your own suppliers (with no corkage.) Get married in the gazebo and then relax and dine in the marquee, surrounded by beautiful well kept gardens. Run throughout the summer season with weddings only on Saturdays (with the occasional Wednesday.) The demand for Gants Mill speaks for itself with few dates left for 2022 already.
Husband and wife team Greg and Elaine take care of things, with the friendly and welcoming Greg managing the front of house operations whilst Elaine puts her green fingers to action in keeping the glorious gardens in bloom for your guests to enjoy.
Located just outside of Bruton in Somerset, we’ve been visiting Gants Mill since 2013 and its easy to see why The Independent named it as one of the UK’s 50 best wedding venues.
A charming and enchanting wedding venue with the old mill as the backdrop for the day, book your own beautiful slice of the west country and get in touch with Greg and the team.
Canada Lodge
We love a visit across the bridge to Wales – with its gorgeous countryside, friendly and welcoming people and an array of fantastic wedding venues.
Canada Lodge is no different and stood out as a Welsh wedding venue to remember.
Nestled in a picturesque rural area besides a shimmering crystal blue lake, this is a country idyll a stones throw away from Cardiff. The perfect romantic wedding venue retreat for the most important day of your life.
With luxury cabins and apartments available with lakeside views, guests will be well taken care of – leaving you to party the night away.
With two wedding venues available to accommodate different numbers of guests and competitive packages available, this is s great option for a getaway in the Welsh countryside just beyond the bright lights of the big city.
Wellington Barn
With unspoilt views of the surrounding beautiful Wiltshire Countryside, Wellington Barn is a gorgeous high end country wedding venue in England.
With its vaulted ceiling and exposed beams, it manages the perfect balance of being cosy whilst still able to hold a large number of guests for your day. The New Barn offers a warm and contemporary space for your celebration, expanding the space available from the Old Barn which has stood on the site since the 18th century.
We always have a good time here, with its own patio for the nice weather and some perfect countryside shots to be had.
Wellington Barn is a versatile venue that can hold up to 200 guests with a great team in place. Conveniently located halfway between Bristol and Newbury and with a number of wedding accolades under its belt – enjoy your own slice of secluded rustic charm at this fantastic wedding venue in rural England.
Smedmore House
I first went to this wedding venue just a few weeks ago and it stands out as one of my new favourites.
You fall in love with the area before you even arrive at Smedmore. As you crest the hill and start to descend towards Kimmeridge Bay, the scenery opens out before you with its magical rolling green pastures sweeping into the distance towards the sea.
This feels like a beautiful forgotten corner of the Dorset coast. As one of the county’s finest Georgian manor houses, Smedmore offers a level of peace and tranquillity difficult to find elsewhere.
Dating back to 1610 and located a short distance from the impressive ruins of Corfe Castle; Smedmore House sits overlooking Kimmeridge Bay on the stunning Jurassic Coast. You’ll be spoilt by countryside and sea views as far as the eye can see!
It can sleep up to 16 in its 8 double bedrooms, has a large lawn upon which to add your own marquee if you wish, and offers a range of options to utilise the space available and truly make it your own.
With its two acres of flower gardens, orchards and Mediterranean garden and the scenic walk down to Kimmeridge Bay, this is a country retreat well worth a visit.
Walton Castle
Your own picture perfect, pint sized 16th century castle with its own turrets and an indoor swimming pool? Sign me up!
There is something magical about this stunning little castle tucked away on a hill in Clevedon looking out across rolling countryside and to the wild North Somerset coast. Available to hire exclusively with its 8 bedrooms (5 of which are turret bedrooms for your guests to fight over), Walton Castle comes complete with its own games room, heated indoor pool and hot tub.
The perfect hideaway for your special day. Walton Castle allows you to bring in all of your own suppliers to really personalise the catering to your tastes.
Opened up over the past couple of years for weddings, the last time I attended Walton Castle there was Scottish traditional dancing, freshly made pizza and ice cream for evening refreshments as guests partied into the early hours.
To the front of the castle a large marquee housed the earlier formal dining, and a number of guests set up camp in the surrounding area.
There is something enthralling about stumbling upon this venue. Restored beautifully by its owners, it is bound to leave you and your guests as impressed as I was.
A picturesque and unique wedding venue in England. Find out more about Walton Castle here.
The Marine Theatre
If you are looking for a cosy and unique venue this is it! Located in the lovely seaside town of Lyme Regis, the Marine Theatre has ample space inside and breathtaking views of the sea right on the doorstep.
The theatre has capacity for up to 124 guests to eat (and up to 330 standing.) I attended a recent wedding in which fish and chips from the local chip shop were served for mains, followed by delicious Marshfield Farm dairy ice cream from Somerset for dessert.
Guests took a break to enjoy the views and get some fresh air. Then the evening culminated with a superb band bringing the theatre to life until the early hours.
A gorgeous wedding venue that brings a quirky twist to your special day. This is a great example of venues opening up to wider event opportunities, allowing access to a great event space that you and your guests will certainly remember.
Find out more about your perfect day on the Dorset Coast at The Marine Theatre’s website.
Sudeley Castle
Looking for a venue with royal connections? Look no further than the magnificent Sudeley Castle, hailed as ‘the hidden gem of the Cotswolds.’
Steeped in over 1000 years of history, Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe, Gloucestershire is a grand and impressive venue that sits in more than 1200 acres of grounds. It’s easy to see why it’s described as ‘the most romantic castle in England’, with its historic ruins and award winning gardens offering a beautiful backdrop to your perfect day.
With the ability to cater for small and intimate weddings on one hand or large events for up to 600 guests on the lawns surrounding the castle, this is a spectacular wedding venue that has it all.
For the history buffs, Sudeley Castle remains the only private castle in England to have a queen buried within its grounds. Queen Katherine Parr was the last and surviving wife of Henry VIII who lived and died within the castle.
With countless photo opportunities available, the sheer size and breadth of Sudeley Castle alongside its historic connections makes it a particularly special and idyllic venue.
The Orangery, Euridge Manor
Last but not least, if you are looking for your dream fairytale wedding venue, The Lost Orangery at Colerne could just be it.
Sitting in the rolling hills of the Cotswolds near to the picture perfect English village of Castle Combe. Euridge House is an exclusive self catering venue that sits its own 450 acres of grounds.
I had a booking to attend a wedding here a couple of years ago shortly after it had opened as a wedding venue. Due to another event, a team member attended instead but following feedback and looking at some photos of the venue, I instantly regretted it! Fast forward a year and I’ve had a chance to have a quick peak round, and it really is a magical place.
With classical Georgian style architecture, sparkling water features, lawns, cloisters, its own thatched boat house and so much more. This is a place to truly immerse yourself and get lost from the outside world.
Your wedding photographer’s paradise – see for yourself at The Lost Orangery website.
Now you have some inspiration regarding a number of the best wedding venues in England and the UK that you should explore. Here are the top four things to consider when choosing a wedding venue and some alternative catering ideas to consider for your big day.
What are your favourite wedding venues in the UK, and what makes them stand out? Let us know in the comments section below!
