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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2021

Last update: March 2026

Stoke by Nayland Resort is an award-winning, family-owned wedding venue located in Colchester, Essex.

The resort has been helping couples create beautiful, magical memories for over 50 years. It's surrounded by stunning English countryside scenery with lakes, streams, and woodlands, creating picture-perfect moments for your special day. Set within 300 acres of rolling countryside, the hotel overlooks a private lake that forms the perfect backdrop to your special day.

Facilities and Capacity

Stoke by Nayland Resort has the facilities to cater for every kind of celebration, from a grand gathering to an intimate festival-style bash. It offers a large and spectacular banqueting suite, an intimate function room at the country lodges, and seasonal luxurious giant Tipis set within the grounds and lakes. All event spaces enjoy natural daylight and private terraces, whilst the tipi offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside from a beautifully landscaped green. The hotel holds a wedding license, but couples can also make it official outdoors under a wooden pergola set within the stunning countryside. The four-star hotel has 80 contemporary bedrooms, as well as 10 luxurious countryside apartments, so your guests don't need to worry about travelling home.

Services Offered

With set wedding packages and bespoke offerings, the team at Stoke by Nayland Resort is versatile in their approach. They'll work with you to prepare the perfect package. They can assist and advise you on your choice of wedding breakfast, accompanying wines, and evening buffet. There are even additional extras such as giant light-up letters, a star-lit backdrop, a post-box, and a popcorn machine that you can hire. The hotel's event staff understands how time-consuming it can be to plan a wedding. For support, they have a dedicated wedding planning team to help you with every aspect of planning your big day. From your initial tour of the venue to the last goodbye, your wedding coordinators will take care of everything.

Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Asian wedding
Woodland and festival
Large hotel
Outdoor license
Tipis and yurts

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Corkage option
Private catering allowed
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities
Outdoor fireworks permitted

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Master of ceremonies/toastmaster
Wedding coordinator

Venue leisure facilities:

Swimming pool
Health suite
Fitness centre

Other features:

Accessible facilities
Car parking
Helipad
Confetti permitted
Changing room for wedding guests
illustration notebook

Do you have any questions?

Reviews for Stoke by Nayland Resort

Leanna
Leanna Sent on 11/08/2025
5 out of 5 rating

38 Days, One Tipi, and the Best Day of Our Lives

If I could give Stoke by Nayland’s tipi weddings more than five stars, I would. From the very first email, Victoria’s communication was flawless — fast, friendly, and full of reassurance. With only 38 days between booking and “I do” (yes, we were that last-minute couple), her attention to detail was phenomenal. She seemed to anticipate needs I didn’t even know I had, and somehow made everything feel calm, organised, and exciting all at once.
We were lucky enough to secure a last-minute package complete with thoughtful complimentary extras, which felt like winning the wedding lottery. On the day itself, Victoria was my right-hand woman — part wedding coordinator, part magician, part friend — making sure every single moment ran smoothly. I didn’t even know what a wedding coordinator really did before this, but now I can confidently say they are the unsung heroes of the big day.

Even our photographer couldn’t stop raving about the location — the lush, sweeping grounds, the perfectly styled high-quality tipi, and the way Victoria personally chauffeured us to the best photo spots so we could capture memories in the most magical light.

When the evening came, the handover to the night team was seamless, and they kept the same impeccable standard — attentive, warm, and ready to make anything happen without hesitation. Nothing was too much trouble.

The venue itself is just stunning. The tipi feels intimate yet grand, with every detail carefully considered. There’s a relaxed elegance to the space that makes it feel special but not stuffy — the perfect balance for a wedding celebration.

I truly wish I could do it all again. Stoke by Nayland didn’t just host our wedding, they helped create a day we’ll be talking about for the rest of our lives. If you’re considering it — don’t hesitate. Book it. You’ll be in the safest (and most capable) hands imaginable.
Anna-Marie
Anna-Marie Sent on 22/03/2026
5 out of 5 rating

A magical twilight wedding

Our wedding at Stoke By Nayland Resort was everything we could have wished for - and more! The beautiful venue, the stunning grounds, the gorgeous Devora and Haywain suites, and the great accommodation for our guests ticked all the boxes. But more than that, nothing was too much for the fantastic Stoke by Nayland team and the day was run seamlessly from start to finish. Thank you to our wedding planner Simone, with the assistance of James on the day, and all the team for making our day so incredibly special!
Vanessa
Vanessa Sent on 13/02/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Our wedding day

We were thrilled with our perfect wedding day. Victoria was on hand all day from helping set up, to getting extra fans for the rooms we needed and even guiding us with our special photos together.

The accommodation was spot on, apart from one minor hiccup but that didnt matter once it all came together.

Me and my matron on honor ordered room service, and unfortunately the wine got spilt into the food, but the catering staff were spot on as they came back right away with new food and drink and snacks to apologise.

The food was absolutely sensational and was a huge hit with our friends and family.

Another shout out to the team in the sports bar who were super friendly and welcoming too!

A huge thank you again, we have visited since as well as friends, and loved every minute.
N
Nichola Sent on 23/01/2026
5 out of 5 rating

The best decision we made!

From the day we chose Stoke by Nayland as our wedding venue I knew we had made the right decision. From day one Victoria and the whole wedding team were at the end of the phone to answer any questions/queries/requests. Having 2 very young children and planning a wedding could of been stressful but due to the team I can assure you it wasn’t. Nothing is any trouble, even up until the last week they were still arranging some last minute requests without any hesitations. The wedding day was perfect. Everyone from the receptionists, the waiters, the bar staff and of course Victoria our wedding co ordinator were unbelievable. They were all there to ensure our day was as special as it could be and the compliments from our guests said it all - every single person commented on the venue and how amazing the staff were. I cannot Thank the whole team enough for giving us our magical day and being part of making it so perfect. Would I book Stoke by Nayland again - in a heartbeat!!!
Debra
Debra Sent on 11/01/2026
4.8 out of 5 rating

A winter wedding…

We initially visited the Stoke by Nayland (SbN) resort for a show round approximately 14 months prior to our special day.

We decided on the resort to host our wedding due to us wanting a whole weekend of celebrations and the resort catered for everything including accommodation for us, and our guests, a restaurant, sports bar and spa area.

Throughout the process leading up to the day we cannot fault the regular communication, which involved periodic face to face and telephone meetings to discuss the details of the arrangements for the day, as it involved a somewhat bespoke element.

There was an online system for our guests to input their food choices from a number of starters, mains and desserts including their dietary requirements.

On the actual day, it’s only natural to feel slightly stressed and anxious on how it is all going to come together. However, these feelings were evaporated instantly as our wedding coordinator, Victoria, was on hand throughout the day to oversee everything and ensure the whole day came together beautifully and ran smoothly. As our special day was at the end of November, the resort was already decorated for Christmas including numerous trees, window designs, reindeer and a sleigh. Plus, a snow cabin doubling up as a photo booth made the day even more magical.

Thank you Victoria, the wedding team and all the staff at SbN for helping to create, enjoy and remember our special day fondly forever.
Oliver
Oliver Sent on 03/01/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Without Hesitation - Book this venue!!!

Too many excellent things to say about SBN Resort and in particular, Victoria! She was our rock.

After booking a traditional Manor House Venue, for our desired winter wedding, something wasn’t sit right with us.
I had previously looked at the website for SBN and decided against viewing. WHAT A HUGE MISTAKE THIS WAS!

With this feeling of unhappiness weighing me down with our chosen venue, I booked a visit to SBN Resort and upon entering the building, we started to feel excited about getting married. The building was stylish, clean, welcoming - the total opposite of the period style wedding we had in mind and I felt completely at ease.
We met Victoria, who was simply lovely. She looked the part. She was confident and answered our questions with ease. The tour was superb. When we saw the view from the Ceremony Room and then from the suite where our reception would be held, we were totally in love. It was stunning!
The view of the lake and golf course beyond was breathtaking. We could not understand why we didn’t have this feeling about our initial venue choice.
Victoria went through the prices and we were gobsmacked at how reasonable it was, for what we were being offered with the Winter Wonderland Package, we knew that we had to cancel our other venue and book this place and fast, so did it there on the spot.

The support provided by Victoria was phenomenal and there were many invitations to attend wedding events being held at the venue throughout the year.
The suppliers they invite to showcase are all amazing and we ended up using their florist and photographer. Both of which were amazing also!

The menu tasting evening was so impressive.

We had complete faith in Victoria and the team at SBN that our day was going to be perfect and it exceeded our expectations immensely.

We attended the venue a number of times throughout the year unannounced. Every visit was outstanding. The welcoming, The Service and quality is truly impressive. We were both so excited with every visit.

Throughout the year, the communication, check-ins, offers of assistance with anything was exceptional. The wedding team are always on hand to help.

The day before our wedding, we arrived at the venue and it was wonderful.

The winter wonderland theme was in full swing and our friends and family were amazed at how elegant and festive it was.
Victoria came to find us without request and introduced us to team members who were on hand for the day.
The day itself came and Victoria was on hand to help with anything we requested. She was offering advice and did a phenomenal job. I was relatively calm until about 1 hour before the ceremony and Victoria was there, keeping me calm in her usual way of just being brilliant.

The day went exceptionally well. Our vision was executed perfectly. The food and service was amazing.
All of our guests were so complementary about everything and they are a difficult bunch to please.

I will say this to anybody who hasn’t thought about viewing SBN Resort, to do so. You will not regret it!!
If you have reservations about it, ignore it!
We could not have dreamt of a better day, in stunning surroundings, with an excellent team on hand every step of the way. Your day will be exactly as you dream it. Trust me!!!!

We will never be able to thank Victoria and the team enough.




A
Alice Sent on 02/01/2026
5 out of 5 rating

Winter Wonderland Wedding at SBN

We booked our wedding with Stoke by Nayland 2 years ago and when we first walked in to view the venue we were greeted by the most amazing christmas set up which made us decide to change our plans. We had originally wanted a may wedding but when seeing all the Christmas set up we knew we wanted a winter wonderland wedding.
From the very beginning the SBN team have been brilliant in organising everything, arranging meetings, discussions, viewings of the venue and it put us so at ease knowing everything was organised through the venue. The team are so professional and just take away the stress of planning a wedding to make us excited about it all.
Every meeting we had with them they ran through everything from start to finish, showed us around, walked us through what the day would be like and just made us feel so comfortable (even the small gestures of a drink at every meeting was lovely).
Fast forward 2 years to our wedding and OMG we had the most magical day and so much more than we could have asked for.
Firstly the food was amazing and we had so many comments made by our guests about how lovely the food was.
Every member of staff at SBN were calm, caring and couldnt do enough for us. Waiting staff were checking in with us to make sure we were okay before the wedding, changing small bits last minute (at our request) and working late to get these changes sorted, they were just brilliant
Victoria our coordinator was absolutely brilliant, the whole day went off so smoothly and that was because of her, she was so organised ensuring times were stuck too and was so caring, offering us drinks all throughout the day and making sure that we had time for just the two of us after our ceremony. We could not have asked for a better person to help us with ensuring we had the best day.
Overall it was the most magical day and we are so happy we chose Stoke By Nayland to get married at.
We will definitely come back to spend our anniversaries at Stoke By Nayland.
Thank you Victoria and the whole staffing team at SBN.
John
John Sent on 25/11/2025
5 out of 5 rating

twilight Marriage

We could not have asked anymore from every member of the events team and staff at Stoke by Nayland. Communication was to a very high standard, asking us what we would like, was everything okay? They suggested things as well. Because of the weather and being dark they asked us if we would like to have the confetti throwing inside? The decorations were fantastic as the venue had been decorated for Christmas and we then added our own touches. Once we arrived back at our room there was a lovely little surprise, we won't tell you as this would spoil it.
Even the next day the staff were so helpful, they cleared all the rubbish up and put all of our decorations to one side for us to collect which saved so much time.
E
Emma Sent on 11/11/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Best Wedding Day Ever !

From the first moment we looked and then booked Stoke by Nayland there attention to detail was amazing and the time they had for us made it feel like we were the only ones getting married there all year.
All the planning was helped so much from guidance and support from everyone in particular our amazing wedding coordinator Victoria she went above and beyond to make our dream day come true.
We will always recommend here to everyone and anyone getting married.

All our guests have commented saying how smoothly the day ran, the attention to detail, the food, accommodation.

It really was the best day!
Emma
Emma Sent on 24/10/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Seamless, beautiful and unforgettable

We recently had our wedding at Stoke by Nayland Resort, and it was absolutely perfect from start to finish.

The whole team were brilliant throughout, but a special mention has to go to Victoria, who was simply outstanding. Her attention to detail, positivity, and calm approach made the entire process stress-free. Nothing was ever too much trouble — she truly went above and beyond to make sure our day ran flawlessly.

Every one of our guests commented on how fantastic the food was — both in quality and taste — and how smoothly the day flowed. Having everything in one place made things so easy and relaxed for everyone, and the entire day went without a single hitch.

We couldn’t have asked for a better experience — amazing service, stunning setting, and great value for money. We’d highly recommend Stoke by Nayland Resort to anyone planning their wedding!
Jessica
Jessica Sent on 13/10/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Mr & Mrs Drew

Stoke by Nayland golf and spa resort is an absolutely stunning venue and location. From start to finish I found the staff professional, welcoming and friendly. My wedding coordinator Isabelle was brilliant, we cannot thank her enough for all she done for us. She was kind, bubbly, patient and so attentive to our needs and wants. It truly felt magical and we felt like VIP guests over the two night stay at the resort. We had guest staying in the lodges for the wedding and they are beautiful and easy to get to, especially with the shuttle that is available from 7pm-7am. Nothing was too much trouble when asked and found it reasonably priced for such luxury. We decided on a twilight wedding in the Devora suite, ourselves and guest were blown away with how lovely it is. The bar staff were also incredible and so friendly. I cannot thank everyone enough especially Isabelle, I genuinely feel she couldn’t do anymore for us, she played a huge part in ensuring we had the best day and we so appreciate her. It was the best few days of our lives. Thank you again, Jess and Jack xx
L
Leila Sent on 09/10/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Big thank you to SBN

From start to finish we had such a positive experience with sbn and all their lovely staff. They went the extra mile and made sure our wedding day was just as we imagined.

The venue was stunning! We had the best day/evening celebrating. The whole day was organised so well we didn’t have to worry about a single thing.

A big thank you to all the wedding team and also reception staff who had to put up with our never ending questions. We appreciate you all! Thanks again.

Jamie & Leila
C
Clare Sent on 27/09/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Great Venue!

Stoke by Nayland (Hitched)
We chose SbN as our wedding venue and was not disappointed. The venue is stunning and has everything you need to make your day perfect. There are plenty of photo opportunities for group and intimate photos. The staff were great on the day but our wedding coorindator Victoria was amazing and really did go above and beyond. She was brilliant from the planning stage right up to the wedding day, providing support to us on the day as well as ensuring everything ran smoothly. Nothing was too much trouble for her and she is brilliant at what she does. We can’t thank her enough.
J
Joe Sent on 19/09/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Outstanding Venue

The settings is beautiful and the staff were amazing! They couldn’t have been more helpful and attentive. Simone in particular was a real life saver.
Hannah
Hannah Sent on 17/09/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Flawless day despite rain—beautiful venue, stunning photos, and amazing team.

We had our Twilight wedding ceremony at Stoke by Nayland Resort, and we couldn’t be happier with our experience. From the very beginning, Victoria was absolutely fantastic. She guided us through every stage of planning with such calm and reassurance, always on hand to answer questions and make sure everything was organised perfectly.
On the day itself, everything ran so smoothly—it honestly felt effortless. Even though the weather wasn’t on our side and it rained, the team made sure it didn’t affect the day at all. There were plenty of beautiful indoor spaces for photos, and our photographer had no trouble finding gorgeous backdrops. It actually made the whole atmosphere feel even more magical.
The ceremony was seamless, the food was delicious, and the staff were attentive and professional throughout. Our guests commented on how stunning the venue was and how well looked after they felt. We never once had to worry about timings or details; everything was taken care of so we could just enjoy every moment.
We are so grateful to Victoria and the entire team for making our day perfect in every way. If you’re looking for a venue that combines a beautiful setting with an incredible team who truly care, we can’t recommend Stoke by Nayland highly enough.
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Your events

25 Apr
Open Door

Join us on Saturday 25th or Sunday 26th April for an exclusive chance to see our picturesque venue fully dressed by the incredible Layes Wedding Stylists.

Experience a personal one-to-one tour where you can wander through our stunning spaces, soak up the views, and chat with our friendly team about how we can help make your special day truly unforgettable.

This event is by appointment only - secure your spot today!

Date: From 25/04/2026 to 26/04/2026 Schedule all day
Place: Keepers Lane, Colchester, Essex
10 May
Open Door

Join us for our Hotel Wedding Open Day on Sunday 10th May from 11am - 2pm.

Enjoy canapés and a glass of fizz on arrival, explore our award-winning venue, meet a selection of hand-picked suppliers, and chat with our friendly team about your hopes and dreams for your big day.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Date: From 10/05/2026 to 10/05/2026 Schedule 11:00 - 14:00
Place: Keepers Lane, Colchester, Essex

Map

Keepers Lane CO6 4PZ Colchester (Essex)
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