A Lake District Wedding: Planning Your Perfect Day

The Lake District is without doubt one of the loveliest settings for a wedding – amazing views, a history of romance, sumptuous food, and an ideal location for a follow on honeymoon. Here’s our guide to the perfect Lake District Wedding:

Inside or Out?
The weather isn’t always as kind as it might be on your big day, but that’s not a problem if you’ve chosen the right venue. Look for a Lake District Wedding venue with space and character inside as well as out; then you can be confident your wedding photos will be gorgeous whatever the weather.

Flexibility and freedom.
Ask the hotel if you can choose the timings for the day, many Lake District wedding venues offer exclusive use to wedding parties so you can have the kitchen staff at your beck and call throughout the day. It also means that all of your family and friends are right there with you throughout the celebration.

Pre-wedding accommodation options.
If you’re getting married in the Lake District you may well be away from home, but that doesn’t mean you have to see your groom the night before – ask your hotel wedding planner for a girls’ room and a boys’ room the night before and they can arrange a seamless move to the wedding suite the next day. It’s a nice tradition to follow and part of the excitement.

Rooms to suit all of your wedding party.
Look for a Lake District Hotel that offers different sorts of accommodation if most of your party is travelling: garden rooms with patios for those who may want to take some quiet time during the celebrations, family friendly suites with cots or inter connecting options, twin rooms, standard doubles, and - of course - a bit of luxury with a deluxe room for the happy couple!

Friendly and professional wedding staff.
You want to be sure you are in safe hands so talk to the staff about their role in the day. Will you have someone to see you through all of the planning too – to help with flowers, car hire, cakes and photographers for instance? A hotel with good connections to a range of local wedding professionals means less worry for you.

Ceremony options.
Be sure to check whether the hotel has a license for just one room or the choice of a few. A Conservatory Room bathed in light and views over the Lake District landscape, or a Garden Room with an intimate feel for a smaller party may well be more your style than an interior room. Look around to make sure you’ll be saying your vows in exactly the right setting.

Wedding breakfast or gala dinner?
The food on offer in the Lake District is second to none, with a vast array of local and seasonal produce fresh from the fields, farms and food specialists. Spend some time talking to the wedding planners and the chefs about the style of food you’d most like to enjoy. From there they will be able to advise on the wines to serve and just the right balance of dishes.

Break with the norm.
If you would rather enjoy more time with family and friends, chatting and laughing through every moment of the day, consider a hotel where there’s no such thing as an ‘evening reception’. No DJ, no pressure for everyone to dance, and no need to rush your food to fit it all in. Just the ability to relax, laugh and enjoy yourselves in a relaxed atmosphere with music of your choice playing in the background and setting the tone. The four star Appleby Manor Country House Hotel offers just that.

Extra facilities.
Of course the ceremony and the celebrations are just part of the Lake District experience. Why not extend your stay and enjoy your hotel’s leisure facilities, local walks and outdoor activities, and the range of romantic and historic sites to visit that are right on your doorstep. It’s the perfect location for a follow on honeymoon – or just an extended weekend to relax and wind down before you travel.