Weekend Wedding Venues: How to Plan a Wedding Weekend & Where to Host It
From pre-wedding cocktail parties and dinners, to post-wedding breakfasts and brunches, these venues offer the full package for weekend wedding celebrations
Planning a wedding is all about creating the celebration of a lifetime for you and your partner, and data shows that more and more couples now want to book weekend wedding venues to make the fun last longer.
In a recent poll of Hitched users*, 28% of couples said they were planning a multi-day wedding weekend, while 30% said they’d attended one in the past. The rise of full weekend weddings comes as pre-wedding cocktail parties and post-wedding brunches become more stylish than ever. It seems one day just isn’t enough for some couples - and we’re beyond here for this trend.
And it’s not just couples who love the idea of weekend wedding venues and celebrations - guests love it too with almost a third (29%) of guests saying that two days was the perfect amount of time for a wedding celebration, and 27% saying they love the idea of a wed-cation.
But how are you to know which wedding venues offer full weekend hire? Well, that's where we come in...
Weekend Wedding Venues: How to Plan a Wedding Weekend & Where to Have One
If planning a full weekend wedding sounds like your dream, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best weekend wedding venues in the UK to extend your celebrations in, along with expert advice on how to plan a wedding weekend.
From what food to serve to wedding invitation wording, we have everything you could possibly need to plan the perfect two or three day wedding including some amazing weekend wedding packages and three day wedding venues that offer everything you could want and more!
The Best Weekend Wedding Venues in the UK
Planning a weekend wedding in the UK requires a few things, but the first is somewhere to host it!
Not all wedding venues offer full weekend hire, and some will have weddings on each day, so doing research on what type of hire your dream wedding venue offers is vital.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of full weekend wedding venues which offer two or three day hire packages and can house you and your guests overnight.
1. Achnagairn Castle - Inverness
When it comes to big, mighty weekend weddings, there are few places which can offer what Achnagairn Castle can. With the capacity for almost 140 guests across the castle’s estate, there’s no need for additional hotels or late-night taxis - you and your (many!) guests can have full reign of one of Scotland’s most gorgeous castle wedding venues.
What’s more, whilst you do have to choose from one of their wonderful caterers for the wedding itself, Achnagairn castle allow couples to cater the rest of their stay whichever way they want. Whether that’s Deliveroo pizzas for a chilled day-after, or cocktails and canapes for a night-before soiree - the choice is completely yours. How amazing is that?
Capacity: 20 - 260 guests
Pricing: Menus from £300
Deals: 1 deal currently listed
2. Brinkburn - Northumberland
From three day weekend weddings to two-day midweek celebrations, Brinkburn in Northumberland can host exclusive-use multi-day weddings that’ll give you and your guests the full celebratory experience.
With venue accommodation spanning across three gorgeous buildings including the stables and two cottages, you and your guests will be able to fully escape the fast pace of the real world and indulge in wedding bliss for an entire weekend.
What’s more, this historic wedding venue is not only steeped in charm and architecture, but it also has a rustic selection of tipis so you can combine an elegant wedding theme with a festival wedding vibe.
Couples love it here too, with one saying, “Not only did we have the best day of our lives, but we also got to turn it into a full weekend wedding celebration. We couldn’t have chosen a more beautiful or better suited venue.”
Capacity: 40 - 150 guests
Pricing: Menus from £60
Deals: 2 deals currently listed
3. Fforest - Pembrokeshire
From a grand Scottish castle to a rustic Welsh gem, let us introduce you to fforest - a farm wedding venue engulfed in gorgeous woodland, wildlife and serene surroundings. It would be a crime to only spend a day here getting married, and thankfully, that’s not the case.
Yours for an entire weekend, the team at fforest allow couples to have complete free reign over the 200-acre farmland, and can do so for weddings of any size. Whether you say ‘I do’ in their giant hat tipi or have an intimate wedding at the private stone pub, your weekend wedding can be whatever you want it to be at fforest.
And couples love it here, too, with one saying, “Ourselves and our guests had an absolutely perfect weekend that will live forever in our memories. It really is the most unique place and we can’t wait to visit again.”
Capacity: 60 - 160 guests
Pricing: Menus from £140
4. Pennard House - Somerset
Nestled within the stunning Somerset countryside is weekend wedding venue Pennard House. The fact that they don’t do back-to-back weddings here means many Pennard House couples have the option of staying both the night before and the night after their wedding.
The team here are committed to creating a ‘home away from home’ feel, with the aim of welcoming both you and your loved ones for a full weekend of celebrations and festivities. Whether it’s cocktails in the drawing room or a banquet meal in the dining hall, the guys at Pennard House throw pre-wedding festivities that'll impress even the biggest critics!
Speaking about their experience, one couple said, “We really appreciate everything you did to make it the most perfect weekend. We honestly can’t thank you enough and have spent every day since the wedding reminiscing about our time at Pennard House - it’s a wedding weekend we’ll never forget.”
Capacity: 50 - 180 guests
Pricing: From £2,750
Deals: 2 deals currently listed
5. Garthmyl Hall - Powys
Bringing historic opulence and rustic visions to life are the team at Garthmyl Hall, a Georgian manor house with a variety of licensed ceremony areas for couples to choose from. Whether it’s an outdoor rustic wedding or a luxurious indoor ceremony - these guys have you covered.
Stretching the celebrations at Garthmyl Hall can be done in a number of ways, and you won’t have to worry about bumping into another couple while you’re here. Committed to booking just one wedding per weekend, your two or three night stay here is completely exclusive to you.
Choose from a dinner or BBQ the night before or afternoon tea and cocktails on arrival, and rest assured that your guests will be entertained the whole time. The team here offer options to extend your stay even further and can arrange activities such as shooting, golfing and more to keep everyone happy during their stay on site.
Capacity: Up to 150 guests
Pricing: From £6,700
Deals: 1 deal currently listed
6. Iscoyd Park - Cheshire
Weddings at Iscoyd Park encompass what weekend-long celebrations re all about. They offer one and two day hires, but it’s their three day hire that really allows guests to settle in. This type of exclusive hire includes access to your venue from lunch time the day before the wedding.
They can facilitate games, activities and a dinner for you and your guests before the big day. Once the actual wedding has passed, the following day, you can carry on the party and have a gorgeous lunch feast with everyone who stayed where you can reminisce about yesterday’s celebrations and spend quality time together before departing.
The team here work tirelessly to ensure your weekend stay is perfect. One newlywed shares the incredibly sweet touches made by two wedding coordinators from Iscoyd Park during their stay, “Charlie is warm, kind and goes above and beyond to make sure that everything goes to plan - including putting pizza in my bedroom at night because I'd been too excited to eat all day!
"Tim was also so attentive on the day and was wonderful too, even saving the first champagne cork that was popped for us. Thoughtful touches like this are a common thing for everyone who works at Iscoyd.”
Capacity: 50 - 150 guests
Pricing: From £8,000
7. The Ferry House - Kent
The only thing better than a weekend wedding venue, is when there’s a totally tempting deal up for grabs - that’s what venues like The Ferry House in Kent have to offer couples. This enchanting 16th century wedding venue has charm exuding from every corner.
Set in idyllic surroundings, this gorgeous Kent wedding venue has 11 onsite guest rooms complete with excellent amenities, and space to house a further 61 guests in the Mocketts Farm Cottages complex nearby. Couples dreaming of a long weekend wedding in winter will love the sound of their winter weekend package.
Offered during Fridays and Saturdays in January and February, you and your guests can have exclusive reign of this venue for £10,800. And if a winter wedding isn’t your vibe, the same package is available for Wednesday and Thursday hire throughout the rest of the year.
Capacity: 15 - 250 guests
Pricing: From £5,790
Deals: 2 deals currently listed
8. Trevenna - Cornwall
Available to hire exclusively for one, two or three days, couples can enjoy every inch of the 142 acres Trevenna has to offer over the course of a full wedding weekend. With barns and farm houses to accommodate overnight guests, an in-house catering team, leafy lanes, meadows, two private bars and a lawn for garden games, Trevanna has all of the ingredients for the perfect weekend wedding.
Guests rave about the service at Trevenna, with one couple saying, “Being able to have all our family and closest friends with us for the weekend and stay at Trevenna was such a special time and one that we will always remember. We'd personally say it was worth every penny and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone wanting an intimate or large wedding.”
Capacity: 40 - 120 guests
Pricing: From £7,750
Deals: 3 deals currently listed
9. Tunnels Beaches - Devon
If your dream wedding weekend involves a beach, unspoilt ocean views and capacity to house your guests overnight, then coastal wedding venue Tunnels Beaches in Devon could be the perfect spot for you. Bookings at Tunnels Beaches can be made up to four years in advance, meaning you can give your family and friends plenty of notice ahead of your Devon-based wed-cation.
All in all, Tunnels Beaches can accommodate guests in a total of 42 bedrooms across four accommodation houses, meaning most (if not all!) of your party can stay for the duration. The venue accommodation here operates a minimum two night hire, encouraging both you and your guests to stay for the weekend in its entirety. And who wouldn’t want to?
Amongst many five-star reviews reads this one from a happy couple who say, “I don’t have the words to describe how pleased we are with our decision to choose Tunnels Beaches as our wedding venue. The food was incredible and the accommodation made for the perfect wedding weekend!”
Capacity: 2 - 160 guests
Pricing: POA
10. The Tythe Barn Launton - Oxfordshire
Specialists in planning dreamy wedding weekends is the team at The Tythe Barn Launton in Oxfordshire. Their charming barn wedding venue is set on a working farm owned by the Deeley family and provides a stunning backdrop for any style of wedding. Farm wedding venues are synonymous with cosy, rustic interiors and acres of land, and The Tythe Barn is no different.
And the best news? An all inclusive three day wedding won’t cost you a fortune here. The Tythe Barn offers an amazing Monday to Wednesday three day wedding package whereby couples arrive on a Monday for pre-wedding activities, get married on the Tuesday and then have the Wednesday to relax before leaving the venue - all from just £10,000.
When throwing a three day wedding here, couples can treat their guests to a wedding BBQ, tea and cake or a farmhouse supper the night before the wedding as well as a group breakfast the day after the celebrations have taken place - how cute is that?
Capacity: Up to 150 guests
Pricing: From £10,000
Deals: 3 deals currently listed
11. Elmore Court - Gloucestershire
Elmore Court is a stunning wedding venue that specialises in exclusive hire, but who knew you could celebrate here for more than just one day?
Us, we knew. So, what’s the deal here? Exclusive hire at Elmore Court includes accommodation in their three bedroom coach house the night before, full hire of the house, gardens and Gillyflower building for the day and night of your wedding, as well as breakfast the next morning.
This intimate wedding weekend offer is perfect for those who want to extend the celebrations with a small group of their nearest and dearest, but exclusive hire of the venue and full amenities for longer of periods of time can be arranged if that’s what you have in mind.
Delighted with the service here, one newlywed wrote in their review, “Everything from the night before to the morning after the wedding was perfect!”
Capacity: 100 - 250 guests
Pricing: From £5,000
Deals: 3 deals currently listed
12. Gileston Manor - Vale of Glamorgan
The team at Gileston Manor offer a wide range of wedding packages, but their exclusive weddings is what we’re really interested in. The three day wedding venue package gives couples the option to extend their celebrations both before and after the big day itself.
The day before can be spent with you and your very closest friends and family, getting pampered, enjoying some drinks and perhaps indulging in a pre-wedding catered meal, or one you all cook together.
After the wedding has taken place, Gileston Manor invite you to enjoy a lazy morning complete with a group breakfast before inviting all of your day guests back to the venue to enjoy a traditional Sunday lunch in the garden, outdoor food on the lawn, afternoon tea in the walled garden or some fun outdoor games on the lawn - the choice is entirely yours.
Capacity: 4 - 600 guests
Pricing: From £4,400
Deals: 1 deal currently listed
13. The Slaughters Manor House - Gloucestershire
Weekend wedding venues with accommodation don’t come much grander than The Slaughters Manor House. Inviting you to feel like royalty for a full weekend wedding, this 17th century four-star manor house combines modern decor with charming country style to create the most beautiful wedding backdrop.
With five acres of gardens, luxurious bedrooms, a tennis court, croquet lawn, billiards room and on-site cocktail bar, there’s plenty to keep you and your guests busy for an entire week, let alone a full wedding weekend.
Their exclusive use package includes a full breakfast for all overnight guests the morning after the wedding - very appropriate after you and your loved ones have fully indulged at the hotel’s cocktail bar…
Capacity: 2 - 120 guests
Pricing: Menus from £230
14. Bickleigh Castle - Devon
Bickleigh Castle in Devon offer a magical weekend wedding package which offers couples the chance to stretch out their wedding celebrations.
The package includes exclusive use of Bickleigh Castle from Friday through to Sunday at midday, welcome drinks, wine with your meal, fresh flowers, an on-site DJ, a dedicated wedding coordinator and the flexibility to plan a three day wedding extravaganza. The package starts from £16,600, but there are extras you can add on if you want to tailor it to your needs.
After their wedding weekend here, one couple said, “Bickleigh Castle is an absolutely stunning location and venue - the staff have been incredibly helpful and friendly. We had such a lovely wedding weekend.”
Capacity: 50 - 150 guests
Pricing: Menus from £200
15. Chateau Rhianfa - Anglesey
The only thing better than hiring a French-style chateau for your wedding day, is hiring it for a whole weekend or wed-cation, right? And that’s exactly what you can do here at Chateau Rhianfa. The team here give couples the option to exclusively hire the chateau for as long as they like - the opportunities are endless.
In their own words, you can “Create an event full of fun-fuelled activities, host dinner parties big and small, wine tastings in the authentic wine caves, throw a few games in the gardens – with the run of the whole Château to play with you can let your imagination run wild and leave the rest to us.”
How magical does that sound? So, not only do you get the French-inspired wedding day of your dreams, but you get to make the before and after just as memorable.
Capacity: 2 - 140 guests
Pricing: Menus from £65
Deals: 1 deal currently listed
Expert Tips on How to Plan a Wedding Weekend
To help you plan the best wedding weekend possible, we’ve got some tips and recommendations for you, including expert insight from Ginger Ray’s Jess Martin.
1. Avoid ‘Musts’ & Communicate Clearly
While weekend weddings and wed-cations are most guests dream, it can feel a little overwhelming receiving an invitation to a three day wedding as opposed to a regular wedding day.
Jess advises, “Couples should ensure that guests aren’t overwhelmed with additional events or out-of-pocket expenses, so, when writing your wedding invitations, I’d advise including information on which events are optional and which ones guests are required to attend.”
And we couldn't agree more, communication is key to ensuring everyone who attends the wedding weekend feels happy and comfortable with the plans.
2. Keep Guest Spend in Mind
Whilst we know that wedding guests love a multi-day celebration, and almost a third of users polled by Hitched said they prefer two-day weddings, 34% of guests said they would happily attend additional events, but this would be dependent on the cost to them.
So when it comes to planning your wed-cation, consider the financial implications for those coming and, if there are additional costs they will incur, be sure to communicate that to them.
3. Plan a Welcome Party
There’s no better way to kick off a full weekend wedding than hosting a fun welcome do for everyone who’s staying the entire time.
“Big welcome bashes are going to be a big wedding trend for 2023,” says Jess. “Not a traditional party, but something more laid back and entertaining for guests, as a way to get involved and mingle with other guests ahead of the big day.
“From fun fair games or a DJ’d BBQ lunch, to a gorgeous garden picnic or drinks at the local pub, getting your guests together the day before the actual wedding ceremony is a great way to welcome all your guests to the destination, as well as working through any nerves before the big day.”
4. Have a Midday Ceremony
Choosing to host your wedding ceremony at midday can really work when planning a full weekend of wedding celebrations, as Jess explains: “The most memorable part of any wedding is often the reception, but it can be tiring for everyone to go straight from the ceremony to the party, especially if they need time to get ready.
“By having the ceremony in the middle of the day, guests have the chance to rest up in the afternoon, explore the rest of the venue or location, or have time to have something to eat, before everyone comes back together that evening for the real after party.”
For a more casual feel to your wedding weekend, breaking up the different elements of the day can be really refreshing and a cool way to extend the party without tiring everyone out.
5. Choose the Right Food
Ensuring your wedding guests are fed and watered at a wedding weekend is essential, but you want to choose the right kind of food and drink to suit your style of wedding. Catering a wedding weekend is quite different to wedding day food on its own - so your wedding catering will play a huge role in nailing the weekend plans.
Jess encourages couples planning a weekend-long celebration to consider food options such as grazing tables and pre-made drinks. These not only help you cut costs on plated meals, but also tend to work better for guests. This gives them the opportunity to pick on food throughout the day as opposed to creating rigorous structure to eating times.
6. Keep the Entertainment Coming
Housing a group of guests for a full wedding weekend requires a little more than just food and drink - you want to ensure that your guests are entertained throughout. Now, this doesn’t mean you need a full agenda of activities and forced fun - quite the opposite in fact. “Couples are increasingly wanting to make sure their wedding reception is as memorable as it can be,” says Jess.
“Wedding entertainment will become more of a focus, as couples are looking for wedding experiences rather than just wedding days, and are wanting to entertain their guests more than ever – especially those who have travelled far to celebrate with them.”
Keeping guests entertained over a wedding weekend could include things as simple as some lawn games during the day-after BBQ or some live music playing throughout the pre-wedding drinks. We have a whole selection of wedding entertainment ideas which will leave you spoilt for choice.
7. The Day-After Activities
Giving guests a good send-off at the end of the wedding weekend is the best way to say a proper ‘thank you’ for spending an entire weekend celebrating with you. Organising something relaxed and fun the next day is a great way to do this and also ensures you get the chance to see and catch up with anyone who you didn’t thank on the wedding day - we all know how quickly time flies on the day-of.
“From boozy (or booze-free!) brunches or casual sit-down lunches after check-out, this casual meal is the perfect opportunity to reminisce on the events from the days before, before saying goodbye to your nearest and dearest.”
Now you have your venue sorted, it's time to book some suppliers. Here's a list of dos and don'ts when it comes to booking wedding suppliers, and when you're ready to choose, we'd suggest finding a wedding photographer and videographer who are up for a weekend-long gig!
*Hitched poll of 529 users conducted on 04/04/2023
