With its honeyed stone villages, romantic manor houses, and rolling hills, Gloucestershire is one of the UK’s most enchanting counties for couples to say "I do." From the wooded valleys of the Forest of Dean to the hilltop hamlets of the county’s signature Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, The Cotswolds is a region dripping with romantic appeal.
Whether dreaming of a candlelit ceremony in a medieval castle, a bohemian barn wedding, or a weekend-long celebration at a glamorous private estate, more couples are choosing to leave the city behind in favour of countryside weddings. Gloucestershire’s reputation continues to grow as a wedding venue destination – not just for its scenery, but also for the high standard of food, styling, and hospitality on offer.
Elmore Court
A Grade II-listed country house with a soulfully restored party space known as The Gillyflower, Elmore Court offers a setting that balances heritage with innovation. The main house dates back to 1580 and still carries a quiet sense of its ancestral past, from oak-panelled drawing rooms to mullioned windows overlooking the Cotswold escarpment. Couples can host a civil ceremony inside the Hall itself or under the canopy of a cedar tree in the gardens, before moving the party into The Gillyflower for a reception.
Built from rammed earth and featuring a wildflower roof, The Gillyflower is acoustically tuned and entirely powered by renewables. It’s a space designed with music, dancing and revelry in mind, with a long glass wall opening onto the lawns and a handsome bar crafted from estate timber. On-site accommodation includes eleven historic bedrooms and a handful of luxury treehouses that offer a particularly enticing morning view. Sustainability is a core part of the estate values, and this manifests in everything from the seasonal menus to the biomass heating and rewilding efforts across the grounds.
Cowley Manor Experimental
A wedding at Cowley Manor offers stunning architecture for a romantic backdrop amid the magic of the Cotswolds. The lakeside ceremony spots and Grade II-listed mansion are backed by 55 acres of wild gardens and natural springs, originally the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland. The interiors, recently renovated in 2023, walk a fine line between modernist and mid-century, oozing warmth and sophistication with velvet banquettes, glossy lacquered tables, and custom glass chandeliers hung over patterned carpets.
Civil ceremonies can be held either indoors or on the lawns, with receptions hosted in the grand Garden Room or spread out across the house and grounds for a larger celebration. The in-house team are known for their creative approach to wedding planning, offering curated menus that blend British produce with continental dishes, and seasonal cocktails. With 36 rooms and suites, plus a full spa and outdoor pool, the venue easily doubles as a weekend wedding destination with plenty of room to house the happy couples’ nearest and dearest.
Cripps Barn
This 18th-century stone barn near Bibury is one of the most characterful and rustic venues in the Cotswolds, known for its roaring open fire, period oak beams, and beautiful candlelit dining. Cripps Barn sits in a clearing among ancient oaks and meadows, with the ceremony license extending to both the barn interior and a purpose-built wooden canopy out on the lawn for wedding days that sparkle in the summer sunshine. The grounds are full of wildflowers in summer and deep golden tones come autumn, giving couples the freedom to decorate with the seasons, or keep things minimal and let nature add its own touches.
Receptions make use of long wooden tables, antique chairs and a large glass-fronted extension that opens up to the garden. The in-house kitchen team operate a huge charcoal rotisserie and wood-fired oven, with feasting menus that include whole lamb, porchetta, or slow-cooked shoulder of beef served banquet-style. A converted shepherd’s hut and local cottages complete the accommodation options, and the barn's after-dark atmosphere is filled with fairy lights and fire pits, typical of a timeless romantic setting.
Sudeley Castle
For a setting steeped in English royal history, Sudeley Castle is hard to match. Once the home of Katherine Parr, former wife of Henry VIII and visited by no fewer than four other Tudor monarchs, the castle retains its medieval fortifications and Elizabethan gardens, wrapped around a chapel where Katherine herself is buried. Weddings here feel like they danced off the pages of a fairytale. Couples can exchange vows in the 15th-century St Mary's Chapel or the library of the main house, then host receptions in the glass-fronted Banqueting Hall, which opens out to a private terrace and lawns.
The ten award-winning gardens shift through the seasons, offering lavender-lined paths and rose-trellised arches in high summer. Ceremonies held in the grounds often make use of the ruined tithe barn as a dramatic backdrop, its stone walls thick with ivy and light pouring in through what was once a roof. The castle’s long gallery is available for more intimate dinners, while larger receptions can accommodate over 100 guests with ease. The estate also offers a handful of beautifully restored cottages within walking distance of the castle, perfect for bridal parties or family stays.
Blackfriars Priory
Located in the heart of Gloucester’s historic quarter, Blackfriars Priory is an unexpected medieval gem with a flexible layout and deeply atmospheric interiors. The priory was founded in 1239 and retains its cloisters, private courtyard, and original timber roof in the North Range. Licensed for civil ceremonies, the site includes a huge main refectory hall with a hammer-beam ceiling, ideal for large receptions, as well as smaller rooms and breakouts for more intimate gatherings or drinks.
What sets Blackfriars apart is its stark, almost monastic aura. Exposed stonework, ancient doorways, and long leaded windows catch the late afternoon light in remarkable ways. As a dry hire venue, couples can bring in caterers, florists, stylists, and entertainers to tailor the space entirely to suit their needs. For those wanting to hold a wedding with serious visual impact and flexibility without constraint, it’s one of Gloucestershire’s most distinctive hidden treasures.
Barnsley House
This exquisite Palladian manor sits within one of the most iconic gardens in the Cotswolds, originally designed by legendary horticulturist Rosemary Verey. Barnsley House feels less like a wedding venue and more like a private, enchanted estate, complete with manicured lawns, topiary avenues, and soft stone terraces that glow peachy-pink in the afternoon sun. Inside, the house has a warm, relaxed elegance, with velvet sofas, pale flagstone floors, and muted tones that let the garden views take centre stage from every room.
Weddings here typically spill between the house, the gardens, and the Potager restaurant, with many couples opting for an outdoor ceremony followed by a refined reception dinner in the restaurant or marquee. The venue excels at small-to-medium-sized weddings, with a maximum of 100 guests and 18 individually designed bedrooms available. Food is a strong point, driven by the kitchen garden and locally sourced suppliers, and there’s even an on-site spa tucked behind the main house, ideal for pre-wedding treatments or post-party wind-downs.
