Ten Romantic Locations for a Barn Wedding
Surrounded by endless beautiful countryside and with nothing but nature to disturb you on your special day, you just can’t beat a romantic barn wedding. Soaring rafters, high ceilings and plenty of outdoor space – the basic architecture of a barn guarantees a fun-filled day for you and your guests. While the beautiful scenery promises a backdrop for unforgettable wedding snaps.
Enjoy reception drinks and games in the pretty garden or orchard, before heading inside and tucking into a dinner of delicious fresh local fare, washed down with plenty of wine. When night falls, enjoy a romantic candlelit first dance on the stone-flagged floor, taking a moment to step outside for a breath of fresh air afterwards and admire the glittering stars in the dark velvet night sky. With no neighbours around and no one to disturb, you and your guests can celebrate to your heart’s content.
Magnificent oak beams wreathed with flowers, exposed stone walls twinkling with fairy lights and pretty white-clothed tables groaning with food and drink – your barn is your blank canvas and your wedding can be as chic or as rustic as you like. The barns themselves can be pretty varied too. Opt for a stunning listed barn, with plenty of original quirks, or instead choose a more modern setting, featuring wall to ceiling glass windows and minimalist decor. Whatever style you choose for your barn wedding, one thing’s for sure: it’ll be every bit as romantic as you dreamed it would.
1. The Cotswolds
Best for: Rustic romance
When we think of romantic locations, the Cotswolds somehow always ends up top of the list. There’s something about this area’s gently rolling hills, enchanting woodlands and honey-hued stone villages which can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Plus, the region’s ideal location makes it easily accessible for guests coming from London, Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham and Sheffield.
And what better setting for your big day? Transport your guests to bucolic bliss with a beautiful barn wedding in the midst of the Cotswold countryside. After you’ve said your vows and done the toasts, tuck into a spectacular feast under the ancient oak beams and exposed stone walls, the cosy barn ringing with the sound of laughter and general merriment.
2. Norfolk
Best for: The very best of both countryside and coast
The lush meadows, pristine beaches and sea green salt marshes which make up Norfolk’s landscape are certainly a beautiful backdrop for celebrating your nuptials. What’s more, due to the region’s ideal location and diverse landscape, you and your guests can enjoy the very best of both the coast and the countryside during your wedding weekend.
Dance the night away under the rustic oak beams and cosy twinkling lights of your dreamy Norfolk barn. Surrounded by swathes of countryside, there’s no chance of you waking up the neighbours. Come morning, the newlyweds and wedding party can all blow the cobwebs away with a breezy walk along one of Norfolk’s beautiful beaches, followed by a hearty, hangover-curing brunch.
3. Cornwall
Best for: Nautical nuptials
Home to over 400 miles of stunning coastline, the county of Cornwall is an ideal option for a splendid seaside wedding. Located on England’s rugged southwestern tip, flanked on either side by the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel, you and your guests will fall in love with the exquisite scenery and boundless hospitality for which this part of England is renowned.
Host your reception drinks on a white sandy beach, surrounded by sparkling azure ocean and rugged, windswept cliffs. Come afternoon, retire to your cosy barn on the clifftops, enjoying a wedding breakfast of fresh seafood alongside stunning panoramic views of the coast and skies beyond. When the sunset begins to paint the sky with glorious shades of gold, coral, apricot and ruby, it’s time to assemble the troops for an incredible group wedding picture.
4. The Scottish Highlands
Best for: A shindig to remember
If ruggedly majestic mountains, gold-dappled glens and lochs shaded in mist fire your imagination, then look no further: the wild, windswept beauty of the Scottish Highlands is the perfect wedding setting for you.
Gather up your kith and kin, strap on your kilt, perfect your Ceilidh dance moves and stock the barn’s bar with lots of local whiskies – the Scotts certainly know how to have a proper knees-up. What’s more, Scottish marriage law actually allows you to get hitched wherever you like – indoors, outdoors, wherever! Meaning all you have to do is say where.
5. Warwickshire
Best for: Star-crossed lovers
Head to Shakespeare’s home county for some true wedding romance. Bursting with lovely countryside, pretty stone villages, local history and, of course, beautiful barn venues, all your guests are sure to wax lyrical about your Warwickshire wedding for years to come.
What’s more, the central location of the West Midlands (it’s in the name), means it will be easy for invitees to reach, no matter where in the country they’re coming from. A certain way to ensure you’re surrounded by all your nearest and dearest on your special day.
6. Essex
Best for: Leaving the city behind
Just a stone’s throw away from London, Essex is the ideal destination for city dwellers searching for a rustic barn wedding. Home to endless exquisite vistas, from the estuary of River Thames and the coastline of North Sea to the charming countryside further inland, you’ll be spoilt for choice by the scenery in Essex.
Host a reception everyone will remember, under the sweeping ceilings and rustic beams of a beautiful countryside barn. Surrounded by countryside stretching out in all directions, you’ve found your own matrimonial paradise, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
7. Oxfordshire
Best for: A charming celebration
Characterised by verdant valleys, sleepy stone villages and ancient ruins, the countryside of Oxfordshire is the perfect place to tie the knot. Stun guests with a picture-perfect ceremony in an ancient stone church, before heading to a barn in the countryside for the party.
Tuck into a delicious wedding feast under the magnificent flower-strewn rafters and twinkling fairy lights of the barn. The pop of the champagne corks and laughter from the wedding speeches reverberating off the stone walls, filling the room with the happy sounds of celebration. Later on, you’ll be happy to cool off from the exertions of the dance floor out in the fresh air, under a canopy of twinkling stars.
8. The Lake District
Best for: Romantic souls
A long-time favourite with the Romantic poets, we couldn’t think of a better spot for a bucolic barn wedding than the Lake District. Say your vows amidst the world-famous views, the rolling hills, enchanting forests and majestic lakes as your witnesses. Afterwards, the vivid shades of the fells, a riot of velvet green, burnt ochre and slate grey, will provide the perfect backdrop for breathtaking wedding pictures.
Breathtaking at any time of year, the Lake District is an even more spectacular location for an autumn wedding when the whole area comes alive in a rush of red, yellow, orange and gold. Set amidst all these spectacular colours, your beautiful barn venue will look like something out of the pages of a fairy tale. Welcome to your happily ever after.
9. Snowdonia
Best for: Nature lovers and outdoor addicts
Getting hitched amidst the towering peaks, gentle valleys and pristine beaches of Snowdonia, the second largest national park in England and Wales, has to be every nature lover’s dream. Nestled amidst the spectacular scenery, your cosy wedding barn is a picturesque haven, set against the beauty and majesty of the Great Outdoors. The perfect setting for breathtaking wedding photos.
What’s more, you’ll have more than enough excuses to make a full weekend, or longer, out of your big day in Snowdonia. With a diverse array of landscapes and activities in the park, you’ll be able to plan a range of activities to get you and your guests out exploring the local area together. Whether hiking, cycling, kayaking, horse riding or white water rafting, this is sure to be a wedding weekend your guests won’t forget in a hurry.
10. The Yorkshire Dales
Best for: A reet good day
Head ‘up North’ for a wedding to remember. Abounding in purple heather-clad moorland, emerald green hills and rugged golden fells, the Yorkshire Dales is home to some of the country’s most vivid landscapes and friendliest folk, as well as delicious fresh produce and plenty of local gin distilleries. What better place for a good, old fashioned celebration?
Practically bursting with idyllic barns and handsome country halls, you’ll also have plenty of options to choose from when it comes to venues in Yorkshire. The rustic beams and bare stone walls of the barns acting as a blank page for you to add your own personal touch to your wedding.
From minimalist decor and simple white-clothed tables to glittering fairy lights and flowers cascading down from the beams, your Yorkshire barn wedding can be everything you’ve ever dreamed of and more. What’s more, the backdrop of pastoral countryside and sleepy stone villages ensures your wedding photos will be just as beautiful as the event itself.
Many thanks to Snaptrip for this article.
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