Hartlebury Castle is a grade I listed former bishops residence. Complete with a private chapel and a 15th century Great Hall, the castle makes a stunning and atmospheric backdrop to your special day.
As a country, the UK is well known for it's historical buildings, and none of these is more spectacular than a castle. If you want a unique fairytale wedding, then a castle wedding venue is the perfect place to tie the knot. From gothic fortresses to ivy-covered towers and feasting halls, having a castle wedding is the perfect way to feel like royalty on your wedding day.
Most castle wedding venues in Worcestershire will have a civil ceremony license, allowing you to have a legally binding marriage 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 doesn’t have a civil ceremony license, then you can always enquire about having your wedding ceremony at a registry office or having a humanist ceremony, before having an unforgettable wedding reception at the castle.
You may find that many castles have a 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. When discussing your wedding with your preferred castles, be sure to find out if having a religious ceremony is possible at that specific castle in Worcestershire.
If you need a wheelchair friendly castle wedding venue, then you will be impressed by how accessible castle venues can be. You will find that because many castles in Worcestershire are tourist attractions for their local area, it’s important that wheelchair users can be accommodated. Although, you may find that there may be areas of the castle that are unsuitable. Be sure to ask your venues ahead of time if accessibility is top of your priorities list.
You'll be pleased to know that castle wedding venues in Worcestershire are certainly affordable. Even huge palaces and historical monuments don’t always need an enormous wedding budget, so it’s always worth enquiring. For those on a strict budget and need to save money on your castle wedding, then opting for a midweek package or marrying in an off-peak season is a brilliant way to cut costs.
Castles in Worcestershire are ideal for those not wanting to do much decorating at their wedding venue. After all, they’re often sumptuously decorated in the first place. A castle's decor is difficult to imitate, with it's breathtaking tapestries, historic artwork and medieval candelbras. 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 is ideal for a castle 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 in Worcestershire 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 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.
