Yey, you’re engaged and starting to plan your wedding! But how do you find the dream wedding venue for you?
Here in the North West of England we are lucky to be surrounded by an amazing array of dream wedding venues across Cheshire, Lancashire and even up to the Lake District.
From rustic barns and historical farm houses to traditional country homes. What about a classic English Manor House and Estate? Or maybe you’re after something more intimate?
In the North West we really are spoilt for choice!
So, what is the PERFECT wedding venue for you?
Is it all about the first impression as you drive up their sweeping driveway?
Is it the ‘feeling’ you get as you walk through the front door?
Is it all about the amazing food and drink you’ll be served?
Or how you’re left feeling after the venue planning team get you excited about your wedding day?
After over 15 years of filming weddings all over the UK I certainly have some favourites, some even tick all those ‘dream wedding’ boxes. Here’s a list of some of my ‘all-rounders’ from the North West.
Dream Wedding Venues In The North West
The Best North West Wedding Venues
After filming weddings for YEARS (I started in 2010) it’s safe to say I have a few ‘favourites’ when it comes to wedding venues in the North West of England.
For me, it’s not just about how amazing a venue looks in my camera or how many photo and video opportunities there are. It’s also about the wedding team on the day and how they help ensure you AND your wedding guests feel looked after. Oh and the food, let’s not forget great food being important!
What Makes The Perfect Wedding Venue?
From a warm welcome, to how the staff treat everyone on the day, to the little details and lets not forget the food…that always scores bonus points for me if the food is amazing!
Picking the perfect wedding venue for your big day is more than how it looks.
So below are a few of my all time favourite wedding venues that really do help create a wonderful experience time and time again. Wedding venues across Lancashire, Liverpool, the Wirral, Cheshire and The Lakes, I hope one of them proves to be ‘the one’ for you…
Best Lancashire Wedding Venues
Lancashire boasts some of the best wedding venues in the UK and I’m proud to say it’s now where I call home as a wedding videographer!
We are lucky to have so many it really is tricky to pick only a handful of favourites to help with your wedding planning. But, I feel confident recommending all of these after having the pleasure of working there and knowing my couples had an amazing experience too…
Wyresdale Park – Forest Of Bowland, Nr Preston
Wyresdale Park near Preston in Lancashire is a former farm and historical house in the heart of the Forest of Bowland surrounded by miles of Lancashire countryside. The views as your wander around the grounds are STUNNING.
The traditional barns and Lancashire scenery make the most picturesque setting for your wedding photos and video too.
Despite allowing for 140 wedding guests it still keeps that intimate feel in the barns for your wedding ceremony and reception too. Complete with roaring fire if you get married in the winter or cooler British weather.
The staff will work tirelessly to ensure you and your guests have the best day and they have a wonderful network of local wedding suppliers that they love and trust too.
You can see a stunning Wyresdale Park wedding and highlights video HERE.
AND, they’re great on Instagram too if you like your wedding inspiration from that source!
Perfect for: Relaxed Weddings, any season. Lots of on site accomodation options.
Guest Numbers: 140 day guests. 180 evening.
Ashfield House – Standish, Wigan
Another wonderfully local wedding venue to me, just over the M6 in Standish near Wigan.
Ashfield House is all about welcoming you in to their venue and helping make it feel like your home for the day.
They’re a family run wedding venue and pride themselves on helping you create the perfect wedding. Whether that’s simple and classic or you have a few creative ideas on your Pinterest board, they are the perfect team to help!
If you love the idea of an exclusive use Lancashire venue with an incredible team then I encourage you to take a look around the award winning Ashfield House to see and ‘feel’ it for yourself.
I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest AND a supplier at Ashfield House and it’s always a wonderful experience!
Perfect for: Exclusive Hire and A Personal Service. More intimate feel, even for a big wedding!
Guest Numbers: 120 Daytime guests. 220 Evening Guests.
West Tower – Aughton
West Tower in Aughton is another one of my local wedding venues, it’s literally down the road past Ormskirk! It has always been popular with couples all over the North West and they are true experts in helping you have the dream wedding.
Hidden away in the Lancashire countryside just outside Ormskirk it really does feel like your own romantic wedding setting with a more modern, contemporary feel within the main ballroom.
With the option to get married outside in their wooden pagoda or inside their stunning ballroom you really can plan the dream wedding at the West Tower, whatever the weather!
Again this makes my list of dream wedding venues because not only is the venue stunning but the staff really look after you and ensure you have the most magical wedding day.
Perfect for: Modern, Classic weddings and vow renewals. Choice of Outdoor and Indoor Ceremonies. On site guest accomodation!
Guest Numbers: 145 Day time guests. 250 Evening Guests.
Browsholme Hall – Clitheroe
Browsholme Hall and Tithe Barn is another countryside gem in Clitheroe, Lancashire.
A privately owned Grade I listed building in the heart of the Forest of Bowland, this is about as picturesque as you can get for a wedding venue.
I’ve filmed small intimate weddings with only 20 guests, right through to a full house of over 100 wedding guests. Despite the huge space of the traditional stone barn, it’s a perfect setting for any size wedding.
With the option for an outdoor ceremony by the lily pond or an indoor ceremony inside the hall or barn, decisions can be made last minute on the day depending on the Lancashire weather!
Perfect for: Relaxed weddings. Choice of Outdoor and Indoor Ceremonies. On site guest accomodation in cottages and camping pods!
Guest Numbers: 130 Day time guests. 200 Evening Guests.
Mitton Hall – Clitheroe, Ribble Valley
Mitton Hall has impressed me so much over the years that I recommended it to my sister in law and she went on to choose it for her wedding venue!
It’s the perfect wedding venue if you’re after a setting that will tick all the boxes for your wedding day. Even with larger guest numbers on your wedding day you can still achieve an intimate feel within their elegant surroundings.
A stunning country house hotel with 18 guest rooms so you can enjoy the build up with your family and friends before and after the wedding too.
In the heart of the Ribble Valley it’s surrounded by beautiful countryside to really make the most of your wedding portraits with your photographer and videographer!
It’s so good I recommended it to my sister in law (you can see her winter wedding HERE). And here’s another stunning wedding from Mitton Hall too, click HERE.
Perfect for: Large, Romantic and Fun Weddings.
Guest numbers: 165 ceremony and seated reception. 250 Evening guests.
Eaves Hall – Clitheroe
Eaves Hall is an exclusive use country house venue in the Ribble Valley. It is the dream wedding venue for you if you’re after a really classic and magical setting for your wedding day.
When you arrived you’re welcomed by the stunning architecture that’s perfect for your big family group shots and a backdrop for your confetti shot!
Inside it’s the perfect full day wedding venue. With rooms and suites to get ready in, a pool room to relax in and even a ballroom for your evening party.
If the weather is nice the lawns are perfect for garden games and capturing some really natural wedding portraits as you walk around their beautiful gardens.
Here’s a very stylish and classic wedding day at Eaves Hall to inspire you too!
Perfect for: Classic Weddings. Full Day Wedding Celebrations.
Other Lancashire Wedding Venues To Consider
The Barn at Morleys Hall, Astley
Alberts Standish, nr Wigan
Best Cheshire Wedding Venues
Cheshire is renown for it’s stunning country estates and stylish wedding venues.
It even boasts an array of historical National Trust properties to hold your ceremony and/or your wedding reception as well as private country estates and more intimate country homes and townhouses.
If you’re looking to compare styles of venue, you have a larger guest list or love the idea of sweeping grounds for amazing wedding photos and video then Cheshire is the county for you!
Peckforton Castle – Tarpoley, Cheshire
Peckforton Castle is the setting you’ll love if you have dreams of a fairytale wedding.
Nestled away in woodland in the heart of Cheshire you are wowed as soon as you drive up to the majestic gateway.
Incredible architecture, elegant spaces and beautiful grounds make the perfect setting for a magical fairy-tale wedding in a castle!
The Great Hall has always proven most popular for a wedding ceremony with the wow factor.
It looks incredible with a white carpet entrance and lined with your chosen floral decor. The grand blossom trees always look impressive!
Perfect for: Fairytale Weddings With Wow Factor.
Styal Lodge – Styal, Cheshire
A beautiful, contemporary blank canvas for your stylish DIY wedding.
Styal Lodge is the perfect space to create something elegant, modern and stripped back or to go all out with incredible floral installations.
A blank canvas to create the wedding of your dreams with large windows to fill the space with beautiful natural light (something us videographers and wedding photographers love).
You can see from Katy and Dean’s full day wedding at Styal Lodge that it’s a great space for a laid-back and relaxed wedding day. With beautiful gardens for your guests to mingle and even the opportunity to get whisked off to the lake on a golf buggy for some romantic couples portraits and photos/video.
Perfect for: Fun, DIY weddings. A blank canvas to get creative!
Guest Numbers: 150 seated guests
Merrydale Manor – Knutsford, Cheshire
Merrydale Manor is set in acres of beautiful countryside and rolling parkland in the heart of the Cheshire. With ‘Exclusive Use’ it means you and your guests have access to the whole estate for your wedding day!
This wedding venue is all about luxurious details and state of the art tech to help you enjoy their modern and stylish space. With plenty of photo opportunities inside, it doesn’t feel so bad if the rain stops you enjoying the lake and manicured gardens.
They also allows you to include your dogs in your wedding ceremony and for photos afterwards which is a huge plus point!
Perfect for: Luxury and stylish weddings. A modern venue with enclosed gardens. Dogs allowed in the ceremony room!
Guest Numbers: 200 seated guests. 220 Evening guests.
Oaktree of Peover – Knutsford, Cheshire
Tucked away near the town of Knutsford is the multi-award winning wedding venue called Oaktree of Peover.
An oak-framed timber building with lots of floor to ceiling glass makes for a beautiful and light wedding venue.
The outdoor space with terrace and lawns makes for the perfect Summer wedding spot where guests can enjoy drinks and canapes, relaxing in the Cheshire sun.
The food is always delightful here and my couples tell me they always feel looked after from the beginning!
Perfect for: Smaller, more relaxed weddings. Suits DIY and rustic styling.
Guest Numbers: 70 seated guests. 108 Evening guests.
Inglewood Manor – Ledsham, Cheshire
Inglewood Manor should be the Cheshire venue on everyone’s venue shortlist to see in person.
Full of history and charm, this countryside wedding venue fills you with excitement as soon as you turn in to the sweeping drive.
I love the warm welcome when you duck through the cosy front door.
A roaring fire in winter, sweeping staircase and cosy rooms it’s a wonderful space to enjoy an intimate wedding.
There as so many wonderful spaces around the gardens for beautiful photo and video moments, from hidden arches and rustic gates to sweeping lawns and red brick walls. It is so picturesque!
Perfect for: Small, Intimate Weddings
Nunsmere Hall – Tarpoley, Cheshire
‘English Countryside Romance’ is how Nunsmere Hall describe their venue vibes on their website and it’s so true!
Hidden away within Delemere Forest Nunsmere Hall Hotel this charming country house boasts beautiful gardens any time of the year.
So whether it’s a bright summer’s day, Autumnal chill or full on festive winter vibes this venue can be enjoyed throughout the seasons.
With cosy rooms for small, more intimate weddings or space to cater for larger celebrations with their garden marquee, they can help make your day special.
Perfect for: Romantic Weddings and Outdoor Portraits
Best Liverpool and Wirral Wedding Venues
Liverpool was the city that charmed me enough to stay up North despite growing up in Nottingham. It has a very special place in my heart and so weddings are always a treat in the city!
I also had the very great pleasure of getting married in the Wirral (at the Hillbark Hotel if you must know) so for this section I thought I’d share with you some of the very best venues around Liverpool and the Wirral. Whether it’s cool city vibes or a country home across the water, these are the very best…..
One Fine Day – Liverpool
One Fine Day is a modern city wedding venue tucked away down a cobbled side street in the business district of Liverpool.
It gives Peaky Blinders vibes as you make your way past the tall historical buildings surrounding it.
Once inside you’re greeted with a beautiful space for any size wedding. With its high ceilings and grand pillars the venue provides a naturally stylish back-drop to help create your own perfect day.
The team and the food make this venue one of my favourites in Liverpool City Centre and I can’t wait to come back already!
Perfect for: A stylish urban wedding in the city.
Guest Numbers: 160 seated day time guests. 300 evening guests.
Thornton Manor – Wirral
Thornton Manor is a venue that I have visited multiple times a year since I started in 2010 and I have experience why it’s one of the most popular wedding venues in the North West.
A luxury venue in the Wirral countryside it actually boasts a few on site venues to host your wedding day!
Thornton Manor itself is a stunning grade II listed Elizabethan house within a huge estate with landscaped gardens and cosy coridoors to get lost in.
Within the estate they also have a collection of wedding marquees. One of the most popular being the Lakeside Marquee. Nestled away from the main house you can rest assured it still feels like unique outdoor wedding.
Here’s two recent wedding films and blogs to inspire you and show you a little more of Thornton Manor and it’s Lakeside Marquee. Amy and Phil and Laura and Alex.
Perfect for: A Full Day Dream Wedding Experience.
The Venue, Royal Liver Building – Liverpool
The Venue within the iconic Royal Liver Buildings is a unique, contemporary space within the beautiful city of Liverpool.
The clean, white interior is the perfect blank canvas to either keep it modern with classic whites or go bold and fun with lots of colour. The choice is yours!
Views across the famous Liverpool waterfront and an iconic, urban setting for any outdoor photos and video makes this a memorable setting for your wedding.
This is the perfect alternative to the usual historical city centre venues with it’s more modern feel.
Check out Angharad and Tim’s fun wedding at The Venue so see how they used the space and added some splashes of colour to bring their personality in to their wedding styling!
Perfect for: A Modern, City Wedding.
The Racquet Club – Liverpool
In the heart of Liverpool the Racquet Club is a historic city centre wedding venue near the famous waterfront.
Once home to a Gentleman’s Club this wedding venue oozes old glamour with it’s high ceilings and historical details.
The main rooms can be opened out for larger weddings or kept intimate and allowing you different spaces for different parts of your wedding day which works well.
It’s location also means it’s great for taking a walk as a newly married couple and capturing some iconic Liverpool couple portraits with your wedding videographer and photographer.
Perfect for: Using Different Spaces For Your Wedding Day.
Titanic Hotel – Liverpool
I have to be honest. I’ve been a HUGE fan of this area of Liverpool for a while and I have a little obsession with the Tobacco Factory over the dock from the Titanic Hotel.
When this opened I couldn’t get enough of seeing all the incredibly stylish weddings in an historical, urban setting. With that World Heritage Site and Tobacco Factory as an iconic backdrop.
The renovated 1950’s Rum Warehouse over-looking the Tabacco Factory can accomodate 100-500 of your wedding guests in this incredible space. If you’re after something a little smaller they also have West Bay with views of the dock.
If we were getting married now this would be a serious contender for a more alternative wedding venue. Not only for the iconic space within the Liverpool Docks but also the whole wedding experience it could bring.
Can you imagine embracing the luxurious settings and enjoying a meal and spa with your family the day before and/or after your wedding day….?
Perfect for: Iconic Backdrop and Larger Weddings
Wedding Planning In The North West
It can be hard to know where to start when wedding planning so I hope this wedding blog helped you get excited to start your wedding venue search!
I know when we got married in 2009 we weren’t sure what would make our ‘dream wedding venue’ but we knew as soon as we arrived. I know you’ll get to enjoy that ‘wow’ feeling and goosebumps for yourself soon.
For more wedding inspiration then you can keep looking around my blog, or I’d encourage you to enjoy watching some ‘real weddings’ over on my wedding videography portfolio page.
Or you’re welcome to use my official Contact Me page to pick my wedding brain and get help with your planning. I’ve been filming weddings all over the UK since 2010 so have a lot of wedding knowledge and experience to share with any of my lovely couples, you only need to ask!
So, where next? Would you like to be inspired by some ‘real’, fun wedding videos over on my Portfolio page? Click above!
Maybe you’re now curious about wedding videography? My wedding pricing can be found here.