Summer weddings make some of the most fabulous events. Filled with sunshine, vibrant colours, and picture-perfect settings. Whether it’s a dreamy beachside ceremony, a sophisticated garden party, or a joyous festival-style occasion, summer offers the perfect backdrop for your big day. And with our top ten summer wedding venues, the backdrop is certain to be stunning.
Summer wedding venues often provide the flexibility of choosing between outdoor and indoor settings, making the most of the weather and natural environment. Whatever the design of your wedding, the choice of summer wedding venue will have a guiding effect on the format and style of your day.
Beachside wedding venues, with soft, gentle waves, breath-taking sunsets, and a casual, relaxed vibe are ideal for couples who feel the call of the ocean. A garden wedding is perfect for nature lovers with blooming flowers, lush greenery, and a serene atmosphere. Straight out of your favourite period drama. Looking for a rustic backdrop? Decorate a renovated barn with fairy lights, hay bales, and mason jars. Or if you’re a pair of city dwellers, rooftop wedding venues will offer stunning cityscape views for a chic, modern wedding.
As professional wedding planners, we make it our mission to find the finest wedding venues. We’ve scoured our archives. Opened our little black book. And put our wedding planners to work recommending the best summer wedding venues across the country. Here’s our guide top to the top ten summer wedding venues:
COMBERMERE ABBEY, CHESHIRE
Firstly, in our guide to the top ten summer wedding venues, we begin in an area where TLC has great expertise. Cheshire, with its breath-taking countryside, is of course where many of our clients live, work, and choose to get married.
Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire
There are so many idyllic summer wedding venues in Cheshire from sprawling country estates to rustic barns and fairy-tale castles. Peckforton Castle. Arley Hall & Gardens. Capesthorne Hall. Lyme Hall. And Grange Barn. Just some of the spectacular spots to say, ‘I do’. But for our guide, we’ve chosen Combermere Abbey with its walled gardens, elegant spaces, and romantic woodlands. If that’s not enough the Edwardian glass house is the most idyllic spot to say your vows, filled with natural light. There’s stunning accommodation for the happy couple in the Abbey itself. With the Courtyard Cottages offering ample space for guests. And what more to amaze your guests? A maze of course!
https://combermereabbey.co.uk/
POLHAWN FORT, CORNWALL
A dramatic cliff-top fort in Cornwall. Standing tall among sweeping lawns overlooking a secluded beach sounds too good to be true. Well, it could be all yours, with exclusive access available. It’s tough to find a wedding venue that’s quite as spectacular. So if you’re in search of a summer beachside wedding venue like no other, this is the one. There’s luxurious coastal-themed accommodation on site too – with all rooms facing that spectacular ocean view.
BLENHEIM PALACE
Not only did this venue make our pick of the top ten summer wedding venues, but is a place we have used for many incredible big days. This exceptional venue provides a spectacular setting for a summer wedding. Its 18th Century baroque architecture, over 2000 acres of picturesque, landscaped parkland and award-winning Formal Gardens, make it the perfect backdrop for photographs.
The Marlborough Room hosts grand weddings, with the Oudenarde perfect for smaller numbers. The Formal Gardens make the most of the panoramic views of the Palace and grounds and are ideal for a wedding ceremony. Marquees can be located in many beautiful areas across the Estate for larger wedding numbers. The Orangery, restored to its former glory, has recently opened again for wedding events.
https://www.blenheimpalace.com/hospitality/weddings/
Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire
GILPIN LAKE HOUSE, CUMBRIA
Imagine your own country house overlooking a tranquil lake. Complete with outdoor cedarwood hot tubs. A private swimming pool. A boathouse (with a rowing boat for two moored at a private jetty) . And a spa with floor-to-ceiling windows perfectly framing the one hundred acres of private land. Weddings at Gilpin Lake House are another level of luxury and privacy, with the entire property available for exclusive use.
https://thegilpin.co.uk/your-room/gilpin-lake-house/
RIVER COTTAGE, DORSET
Described as ‘a working farm with a beautiful backdrop of rolling hills and stunning sunsets’ River Cottage was made famous by the Channel 4 documentary of the same name. Gourmets flock here not just for the delectable cuisine overseen by chef Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall but for the unrivalled views which come into their own at summertime. Choose from the famous garden to the yurt or threshing barn. With the option to add marquees for larger weddings.
https://www.rivercottage.net/weddings
TATTON PARK, CHESHIRE
OK, so we sneaked another Cheshire wedding venue to our list. But this is a venue we have held some of our most spectacular wedding at. A marquee by the lake at Tatton Park is an idyllic setting.
Surrounded by 1,000 acres of Cheshire Parkland, beautiful meres and ornamental gardens, Tatton Park is the perfect backdrop, and one of the most photogenic locations for any wedding day.
https://www.tattonpark.org.uk/hire/weddings-and-celebrations.aspx
Tatton Park, Cheshire
LET PETIT CHATEAUX, NORTHUMBERLAND
Who needs the south of France when you have your very own Chateaux wedding right here in Northumberland. What makes this venue even more amazing is the Mediterranean terrace which, aside from its stunning aesthetic, has a retractable roof, as your wet weather backup plan.
GRANTLEY HALL, YORKSHIRE
A favourite of the team. Grantley Hall is a gem found in the Yorkshire Dales, offering 47 bedrooms, five restaurants, including Michelin-starred Shaun Rankin at Grantley Hall, and three bars.
Ceremonies take place in the ornate Music Room, or outdoors by the Japanese Garden. Followed by Champagne and canapés in The Orchard orangery, with views across the gardens, spilling out onto the lawn. The Wedding Breakfast is served in the Grantley Suite, adorned with a decadent chandelier and sophisticated soft lighting.. Plus, you can have Valeria’s Champagne & Cocktail Bar, for your after-party into the small hours.
https://www.grantleyhall.co.uk/
Grantley Hall, Yorkshire
KIFTSGATE COURT, COTSWOLDS
A more spectacular English country garden you could not find created a century ago by Heather Muir and still looked after by her descendants. Take in views over the Vale of Evesham and on towards the Malvern Hills as you say your vows against a backdrop of breath-taking countryside.
https://www.kiftsgatecourt.com/
KING STREET TOWNHOUSE, MANCHESTER
This opulent hotel has become an iconic feature of the Manchester hospitality scene. And is most notably recognised for its gorgeous rooftop terrace which can be enjoyed in all seasons thanks to its canopy and underfloor heating. For a summer wedding, it is just spectacular. As night time comes alive, the rooftop lounge transforms into a place to dance the night away under the stars and city lights.
https://www.kingstreettownhouse.co.uk/
AND FURTHER AFIELD….
ST BRELADE’S BAY HOTEL, JERSEY
Did you know that Jersey has its own microclimate which makes it feel like you’re on the other side of the channel, but with the benefits of getting married right here in the UK? Where better for a summer wedding than this magical island surrounded by sparkling crystal waters? St Brelade’s Bay Hotel is a real gem when it comes to summer weddings combining colonial-style chic with beautiful gardens and unobstructed views of the ocean.
https://www.stbreladesbayhotel.com/meetings-occasions/weddings/
St Brelade’s Bay, Jersey