With picturesque views overlooking the Avon River, Christchurch Castle and the King Arms Bowling Green, the hotel seamlessly blends tradition with exquisite contemporary style.
Proudly perched atop the Isle of Portland, with incredible sea views, Pennsylvania Castle offers an intimate and unique backdrop. Penn Castle is the perfect venue for the fairy-tale wedding of your dreams.
A unique and exclusive wedding venue set in extensive parkland, nestled close to the World Heritage Jurassic Coast. Bespoke celebrations, your day your way. Civil Marriage Licence, Church & Chapel.
Wedding venue in Dorset , set in impressive cliff-top grounds, Highcliffe Castle is a beautiful Grade 1 listed mansion
Historic wedding venue in Swanage, Licensed for ceremonies and available for your wedding breakfast and reception
Civil Licensed wedding venue in Sherborne. Available for your exclusive wedding day.
As a country, the UK is famous for it's historical buildings, and none of these is more magical than a castle. If you want a romantic fairytale wedding day, then a castle wedding venue is the ideal place to get married. From gothic fortresses to ivy-covered towers and feasting halls, having a castle wedding is the ideal way to feel like royalty on your special day.
Most castle wedding venues in Dorset will have a civil ceremony license, which will allow you to legally marry in one of their rooms or in the grounds. If you want to marry in the castle grounds, make sure you confirm with the venue that they are licensed for outdoor ceremonies. If your chosen castle venue isn't licensed for civil ceremonies, then you can always enquire about having your wedding ceremony at the nearest registry office or having a humanist ceremony, prior to hosting your wedding reception at the castle.
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! You may find that if your castle venue doesn't have a church or chapel on site, then there may be one not too far away. When making your enquiry with your chosen castles make sure you ask whether it is possible to have a religious wedding ceremony on site.
If you need a wheelchair friendly wedding venue, then you may be amazed to know how accessible castle venues can be. Most castles will be a tourist attraction in their local area and is therefore important that wheelchair users can be accommodated. There may be areas of the castle that are steep or unsuitable. Be sure to ask your venues ahead of time if accessibility is top of your priorities list.
Castle wedding venues in Dorset can be surprisingly affordable. Even huge palaces and historical monuments don’t always need an extravagant wedding budget, so it’s always worth enquiring. For couples on smaller budgets and hoping to save money on their castle wedding in Dorset, then opting for a midweek package or marrying in an off-peak season is a brilliant way to cut costs.
If you're hoping not to do too much decorating at your wedding venue then a castle in Dorset is perfect. After all, they’re often sumptuously decorated in the first place. With striking artwork, historic suits of armour and unique architecture, a castle's original decor is impossible to reproduce. However, as they’re often listed buildings, there may be restrictions as to how you can decorate. There may be limitations on hanging decorations, with many castles unable to allow paper confetti at all.
A classic fairytale wedding theme works wonderfully for a castle venue. Think horse-drawn carriages, ball gown wedding dresses, glistening chandeliers and red roses 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 in Dorset often have recommended entertainers such a falconers and dancers that are ideal for this, and your guests will certainly enjoy a tasty medieval feast.
We also find that an ideal time of year for your castle wedding is at Christmas, as castles are often richly decorated for Christmas with candles, trees and traditional touches. Take advantage and have a beautiful winter wedding in a castle!
Elaine has over 8 years of experience working with wedding venues, and advises many of the top hotel and venue brands on their wedding marketing. She has a deep understanding of statistics that can accurately predict the online populaity of a particular venue and she is happy to share that knowledge with wedding couples and venues.
