Castle and Palace Wedding Venues

Couples marrying in Scotland and Northern Ireland can generally have a civil ceremony at castle venues because it is the officiant who is licensed, not the venue. For couples in England and Wales, most castle wedding venues will have a civil ceremony license, which will allow you to legally marry in one of their rooms or in the grounds. If your chosen castle venue doesn't have a civil ceremony license, then you can always enquire about holding your ceremony at a register office or having a celebrant-led ceremony, before hosting your wedding reception at the castle. Most castles have large spaces that are perfect for banquets and dances, so bigger weddings aren't often a problem.

Often, castles have their own chapel or church on site, which is where its inhabitants would have religious services. This means that you may be able to have a religious wedding ceremony without leaving the castle grounds! If there isn't a church or chapel on site, then there may be one close by. Be sure to ask your chosen venues when enquiring about religious ceremonies to find out if this is a possibility.

If a palace or castle is offering their space for weddings it is more than likely that they can hold civil ceremonies. As for religious ceremonies, you will want to check if they can accommodate cultural traditions like a Chuppah or a Hindu fire ceremony, if they can then the answer will be yes. For those wanting a church wedding, some of these venues even feature a church or chapel on site.

If you need a wheelchair friendly wedding venue, then you may be surprised by how accessible castle and palace venues can be! As many castles and palaces also act as tourist attractions for their local area, it's important that wheelchair users can be accommodated. However, there may be steep towers or areas where this isn't possible. Be sure to ask your venues ahead of time if accessibility is top of your priorities list.

You may be surprised at how affordable a castle wedding venue can be! Even huge palaces and historical monuments don't always need a royal wedding budget, so it's always worth enquiring. If you're on a tight budget and want to save money on your castle wedding, then opting for a midweek date or marrying on an off-peak season is a brilliant way to cut costs as you can often find an excellent wedding deal.

Castles and palaces are perfect for couples who don't want to do lots of decorating at their wedding venue. After all, they're often sumptuously decorated in the first place! With incredible artwork, hanging tapestries, candelabra and suits of armour, castle decor is hard to replicate. However, as they're often listed buildings, there may be restrictions as to how you can decorate. You may not be able to hang decorations or bunting, and many castles and palaces will only allow natural or biodegradable wedding confetti.

A classic fairytale wedding theme works wonderfully for a castle venue as well as a palace wedding venue. Think horse-drawn carriages, ball gown wedding dresses, roses and sparkling chandeliers and you have the perfect castle wedding theme. If you're a history lover, then a medieval wedding theme is also perfect for a castle. Castles often have recommended entertainers such a falconers and dancers that are ideal for this, and your wedding guests will love a delicious medieval banquet. We also find that Christmas is the perfect time to have a castle or palace wedding, as they are often richly decorated for Christmas with candles, trees and traditional touches. Take advantage and have a beautiful winter wedding in a castle or palace!