Planning a destination wedding in North Wales may involve flying in from overseas, or travelling here from another part of the UK. This part of the world works incredibly well for destination weddings, not least because it’s blessed with endless natural beauty and offers a warm welcome to visitors. If you’re considering travelling to North Wales for your wedding, you’re probably wondering where to begin finding your suppliers, how to choose a venue, and how the days might unfold. As a destination wedding celebrant based in the area, I’m here to help.
North Wales: The Perfect UK Destination Wedding Location
Whether you and your guests are coming from near or far, North Wales is one of the best spots in the UK to have your destination wedding for so many reasons.
It’s just an hour’s travel time from Liverpool or Manchester airports, where both regional and international flights come into. This makes it really easy to get to, which can mean more guests RSVP’ing ‘yes’!
The stunning location, of course. You’ll find white sandy beaches, mountains, rivers, forests and lakes; living landscapes that change throughout the year, and will gracefully act as backdrops for your wedding day
There is a huge range of North Wales wedding venues to choose from, whether you’re looking for a historic building, sprawling country estate, grand old castle, or a campsite on the shores of a lake (hyperlink to Llyn Gwynant blog)
So many things to do, concentrated into a relatively small area, makes North Wales compact and accessible, meaning your pre- and post-wedding celebrations can all happen in different places (if you want them to!) without too much travel time
The possibilities for outdoor ceremonies surrounded by the vast and beautiful nature of North Wales are practically endless, whether you’re considering a truly wild ceremony on a mountainside or want to marry at a wedding venue with an outdoor ceremony option
If you’re an adventure-loving, outdoorsy couple, you’ll love what North Wales has to offer. How about white water rafting or zip lining for the adrenaline junkies, or hiking and climbing for those who like to live life with a view - all of which can be enjoyed over the course of your destination wedding weekend (or week!)
The challenges of planning a destination wedding in North Wales
Some couples choose to have their destination wedding in North Wales because they have a prior connection to the place, perhaps a family link or fond memories, and others just love the idea of this dramatically gorgeous corner of the country. Either way, your local knowledge probably sits somewhere between none and limited, which can make even knowing where to begin challenging.
It’s not as easy to visit your venue, taste the menu or meet suppliers in person when you have a destination wedding, unless you factor in on-location planning trips. These can be a lovely way to stay connected to the planning progress throughout, if it’s doable for you from where you live.
There’s also always the question of how many of your guests will be able to travel for your wedding, which makes choosing your venue in the first place more difficult. You can also run into time zone and language barrier issues, which may make progress slower.
Even figuring out which suppliers to have on your wedding day team can be a challenge, since you’re probably not starting with a local network.
So, how do you find your suppliers in North Wales?
If you’re planning a destination wedding in North Wales, you’ll definitely need someone who connects you and the location in a physical sense. This might be a wedding planner, your venue, or one of your other suppliers such as your photographer (or celebrant!). Wedding venues often have recommended supplier lists which can set you off in the right direction, but these are not usually restrictive and you’re welcome to cast your net more widely to find the right fit.
Working with local suppliers in North Wales has a lot of benefits, including an intimate knowledge of the area and a network of other people to connect you to. It also means you have people on the ground throughout your planning journey. There is a huge amount of wedding industry talent in this part of the world, whether you’re looking for the perfect photographer to capture your destination beach elopement (hyperlink on word elopement) on the Llyn Peninsula, a celebrant who will make your ceremony completely personal (hyperlink to your weddings page), or a florist who will include a little flavour of home in your design.
That being said, some couples want to bring that little flavour of home with them to their destination wedding, and it’s not unheard of for photographers to be flown in because of pre-existing relationships or just style preferences. Ariane and Sam, whose wedding you’ll see shortly, brought their photographer over from Canada to their North Wales destination wedding as she’d previously done a lovely engagement shoot for them.
The most important thing is to find people who will help make your wedding feel like yours, and ensure the travel and expense are absolutely worth it for your loved ones. When I work with you on your bespoke wedding ceremony, there is no formula or set script we have to follow. I’ll write your ceremony entirely based on your story as a couple, borrowing from your lifestyles or cultures or anecdotes, and leaning as traditional or non-traditional as you’d like. If you have family members whose first language isn’t English, I’ll ensure they feel included too with translations or foreign language words peppered throughout - nobody is forgotten.
Explore all my favourite ways to involve your friends and family in your destination wedding ceremony.
Choosing a venue for your North Wales destination wedding
When looking for the perfect wedding venue for a destination wedding in North Wales, consider what you and your guests want and need from your time here. Bringing everyone together in one place is usually the goal, so looking for a venue that ticks all your boxes is important. Consider:
Is there accommodation on site or close by, and for how many people?
Can you easily access your venue from major transport hubs, taking into account guests flying in with long transit times?
Does what’s in the area work for your pre- and post-wedding plans?
Is the surrounding scenery what you’d envisioned for your wedding?
These things are all just as important as the style and price of your venue being right, because they’ll ultimately influence the atmosphere of your whole stay.
Consider extending the celebrations over at least a weekend or even a week, allowing yourselves and your loved ones time to settle into the Northern Welsh landscapes and really savour all they have to offer. Dashing around doesn’t allow you to soak up the best of this part of the world, so I recommend taking a break from your fast-paced lives to linger amid history, nature and folklore.
Soughton Hall: my celebrant’s pick for a North Wales destination wedding venue
If I could only choose one venue to recommend to couples coming to North Wales for a destination wedding, I’d pick Soughton Hall. It’s a venue that feels spectacular and opulent, but in a very familiar way with all the creature comforts you could want.
Bringing guests here from overseas or other parts of the UK is always a winning formula, and from the moment they arrive down the tree-lined driveway, your loved ones will feel like they’re in a film. There are 16 lovely bedrooms which offer modern decadence, giving your guests the ultimate experience of staying in a great country estate with an illustrious history, but absolutely bang up to date.
You’ll find fantastic, welcoming staff for your wedding, and a variety of different indoor and outdoor spaces to have your ceremony. Ariane and Sam’s wedding ceremony took place in the gardens beside the house.
Ariane & Sam’s destination wedding ceremony at Soughton Hall:
Sam’s father was born and raised nearby in North Wales, before moving to Canada. North Wales felt like the perfect place for them to celebrate their marriage, so they flew in their friends and family from Canada for the occasion. In the gardens, pastel florals lined the aisle down towards the ceremony area.
I led their ceremony which included personal vows, declarations and ‘I do’s, and even added in some words of welcome and congratulations in French for the bilingual guests. Before their wedding we agreed on the general structure of the ceremony and confirmed their vow wording, but the actual detail of their ceremony script was to be a surprise on their wedding day.
You always have the choice of how much control you’d like to have over your ceremony script, and you can choose to review every word or leave it totally up to me - or something in between. We’ll discuss everything, from what tone you’d like it to have (more serious, or very lighthearted), whether you’d like classic readings or want it to feel totally unique, and any little rituals you’d like to include such as handfasting, ring exchanges, vows and so on.
Whether you’re considering Soughton Hall for your destination wedding or seeking out a different kind of venue, as a licensed Humanist celebrant I’m happy to travel anywhere in North Wales to lead your one-of-a-kind ceremony. The first step is to come and say hello, and we’ll chat about how to make your day feel fun, relaxed and totally true to you.
Kate Rostance is a humanist wedding celebrant based in North Wales. She creates ceremonies that are relaxed and full of meaning - with a touch of humour and plenty of heart. She works across North Wales, including Snowdonia, Anglesey, Gwynedd, the Llyn Peninsula, Cheshire and beyond.
