Celebrate your big day in regal style with our pick of gorgeous castle wedding venues. Castles, from dramatic ruins to stunning medieval palaces, are some of the most romantic wedding venues and settings, and castle weddings offer a celebration filled with atmosphere and charm. The UK is full of beautiful castle wedding venues, so here, in no particular order, are 24 of our favourite.
For more wedding venue inspiration, make sure you check out our pick of the most beautiful barn wedding venues in the UK.
Why to have a Castle Wedding
A castle wedding is the perfect fairytale wedding venue, and there’s nothing quite like visiting a castle and feeling the years of history all around you. Castles are magnificent settings, astoundingly atmospheric, and the perfect romantic backdrop with endless photo opportunities both inside and out (most castles will, weather permitting, allow you to take photographs both indoors and outdoors).
Inside with their airy halls and soaring ceilings, lavish chambers and imposing towers, and outside with their vast parks, gardens, lakes, lochs, and woodland. Furthermore, all of the extra space afforded you by the castle grounds offer you the opportunity to indulge in exciting extras, such as an outdoor drinks reception or a fireworks display at the end of the evening (if your castle wedding venue allows fireworks).
Castles are wonderful venues for themed weddings. Whether you’re going for a medieval twist with a lavish banquet hall or you’re looking for fairytale magic with a breathtaking ballroom, there are all kinds of castles available. Although older, historic buildings often lend themselves well to candle‐lit evening receptions, to have a castle wedding doesn’t mean all dim lighting and huge halls and cool grey stone. When you say “castle”, a lot of people tend to think of medieval castles, but these days there are contemporary castles that are furnished with more of a modern touch: brighter, with clear open spaces.
Featured above: Windsor Castle Round Tower at Sunset – Peter Packer, Royal Collection Trust, via Windsor.gov.uk
1) Pentillie Castle and Estate
Pentillie Castle in North Cornwall is set on a 2,000 acre estate, promising views of rolling hills and the utmost privacy for your special day.
2) Belvoir Castle
Belvoir Castle is a Grade I listed stately home and wedding venue in Leicestershire, the East Midlands, overlooking the Vale of Belvoir.
Featured above: Belvoir Castle – Aerial Photo by Riff Raff Photography
3) Borthwick Castle
Borthwick Castle is a medieval Scottish Castle near Edinburgh, Scotland, that looks like it’s been lifted straight out of a storybook.
Featured above: Borthwick Castle
4) Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a historic medieval castle by the River Avon, developed from an original built by William the Conqueror.
Featured above: Caesar’s Tower at Warwick Castle
5) Peckforton Castle
Peckforton Castle is a medieval castle style Victorian country house in Cheshire.
Featured above: Peckforton Castle
6) Clearwell Castle
Clearwell Castle is a Grade II listed gothic revival mansion in Clearwell, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.
Featured above: Clearwell Castle – Wedding Photography by Martin Phillips Studio
7) Lews Castle
Lews Castle is a Victorian era castle on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland.
Featured above: Lews Castle
8) Culzean Castle
Culzean Castle is an 18th century clifftop castle in Ayrshire, Scotland, overlooking the Firth of Clyde with views toward the beautiful Ailsa Craig.
Featured above: Culzean Castle – Photography by Samuel Quinn
9) Durham Castle
Durham Castle is a Norman castle at Durham University College.
Featured above: Durham Castle – The Palace of the Prince of Bishops by Paul Steele
10) Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Castle is a Georgian castle in Herefordshire, in the foothills of the Malverns. A true fairytale castle wedding venue complete with a beautiful glassy lake.
Featured above: Eastnor Castle
11) Château Rhianfa
Château Rhianfa is a Grade II listed French-style inspired Welsh castle hotel in North Anglesey, Wales.
Featured above: Château Rhianfa – Gemma and Dave’s Real Wedding by Claire Penn Photography
12) Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Castle is an English Heritage Grade I listed building in Gloucestershire, near the Cotswolds, and a beautiful, historic castle wedding venue.
Featured above: Berkeley Castle
13) Dunrobin Castle
A fairytale, French chateau style castle and gardens in Scotland (and the seat of Clan Sutherland) that’s reminiscent of Cinderella’s castle at Disney World. See more of it in Stephanie & Alistair’s Real Wedding!
Featured above: Dunrobin Castle – MyHighlands
14) Castle Menzies
Castle Menzies is a restored Scottish castle in Aberfeldy in the highlands of Scotland and the ancestral seat of the Clan Menzies and the Menzies Baronets.
Featured above: Castle Menzies by Targn Pleiades on Shutterstock
15) Kinnettles Castle
Kinnettles Castle is a beautiful Scottish wedding venue in Angus, Scotland.
Featured above: Kinnettles Castle
16) Atholl Palace
Atholl Palace is a gorgeous Scottish castle and highland spa hotel in Pitlochry in the Scottish Highlands.
Featured above: Atholl Palace
17) Walton Castle
Walton Castle is a 17th century, Grade II hilltop castle in Clevedon, North Somerset.
Featured above: Walton Castle
18) Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe Castle is a romantic, picturesque, Grade I listed castle in Dorset.
Featured above: Highcliffe Castle
19) Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace is a World Heritage Site in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. A historic house with sprawling, beautiful gardens.
Featured above: Blenheim Palace – Photography by Pete Seaward
20) Mount Stuart
Mount Stuart House is a Scottish castle on the Isle of Bute, Scotland.
Featured above: Mount Stuart House
21) Hever Castle and Gardens
Hever Castle and Gardens is a romantic, historic wedding venue in Kent complete with lovely gardens, moat, and lake that’s famously the childhood home of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn.
Featured above: Hever Castle and Gardens – Sunset at Hever Castle by Ozturk Aker on Flickr
22) Allerton Castle
Allerton Castle is a Grade I listed, 19th century, Victorian Gothic house in North Yorkshire.
Featured above: Allerton Castle
23) Amberley Castle
Amberley Castle is a luxury castle hotel and restaurant in West Sussex, near the South Downs.
Featured above: Amberley Castle
24) Ackergill Tower
Ackergill Tower is a luxury hotel in the Scottish highlands and sits right by the coast for stunning views across the sea.
Featured above: Ackergill Tower
Castle Weddings Abroad
Castles can be found all over. They’re built on lake-sides and lochs, hill-sides and valleys, and span the entire length of the UK. A wedding in such a fantastic venue is sure to leave you with a treasure-trove of memories. But castles aren’t just found in the UK; if you want a wedding abroad you’ll find a host of stunning castles all across the world.
With such a huge array of possibilities, from Scandinavia to Italy and beyond, you have a choice of near any location you can imagine. Prices for castle weddings vary, but by carefully researching your options you’ll find that they may not cost nearly as much as you fear.
Last year we had the pleasure of visiting Chateau Mercues in the South of France, and we couldn’t imagine a more picture perfect place to live out your dream of a fairytale wedding.
Turrets create the perfect backdrop for your wedding photos, and the grounds of the chateau are just made for romantic soirees. The venue overlooks rolling hills and rambling rivers, while the rooms boast authentic wooden shutters for a real life Beauty and the Beast feel.
For a castle wedding abroad, this is the place for you.
What You Should Know
Having a castle wedding guarantees a day filled with magic and romance, but it’s very important to find out everything about your possible venues and ensure they have all of the facilities you need.
- Booking times vary, as do guest capacity and availability—some castles will allow you full private hire for a few days, thus allowing you and your guests to stay for a few nights like royalty, but other castles may only give you the wedding day so you might have to organise alternative accommodation.
- Depending on the castle you choose, you could have either a civil ceremony in one of the stately rooms, or a religious service in the chapel if there’s one on‐site.
- Castles and their guidelines vary: some castles have sound restrictions, which may impact your plans for your wedding reception, and some may not allow fireworks or the traditional throwing of confetti. Make sure you know what your venue has and doesn’t have, and what they do and don’t allow.
Whether you’re considering a medieval banquet, a Jane Austen style ball, or a fairytale celebration, a historical castle is the perfect backdrop. To find castle wedding venues that are perfect for you, browse our venue directory for venues in your area.
If you love castles we think you’ll also love this LEGO model of Windsor Castle!
