Quirky Cornwall and Devon wedding venues
There’s a good reason why our little corner of the world is so popular for weddings. Hell, no. There’s 100 reasons. We’ve got castles and mansions. We’ve got beaches and forests. The sea and the sky and the sand. The moors and remote windy cliffs. Below is a completely arbitrary selection of some quirky Cornwall and Devon wedding venues.
The only requisite for inclusion is that it has to be somewhere I enjoy shooting. Somewhere that holds enough interest to invite repeat visits without getting bored. Oh, and it has to be somewhere that I’ve actually BEEN to. There are others that beg for inclusion like Prussia Cove and Pentillie Castle but I’ve yet to shoot at either of those. There are some gems I haven’t included because maybe I only covered the ceremony. Or maybe just the reception.
I imagine that this list will be quite organic and that I’ll update it from time to time as new places appear and old ones close so it might be worth bookmarking and coming back in the future.
So here we go, then 15 of my fave quirky Cornwall and Devon wedding venues
Beach wedding venues in Devon and Cornwall
Lusty Glaze.
I mean, it has to be, hasn’t it? It’s literally right on the bally beach. It’s very own private beach. Lusty Glaze is nestled in a cove in Newquay on the north coast of Cornwall.
Accomodation? Baby, you had me at ‘yurt’. Yes. Glamping on the beach. There’s also the Beach Cottage and the Chalet.
The Top Deck ceremony space can seat a surprising 120 guests and for the evening there’s room for those 120 to dine and for 250 to dance the night away. Or paddle in the sea. Whatever floats their proverbial boats.
Polhawn Fort
Because who in their right minds WOULDN’T want to get married in a Napoleonic Fort? Ceremonies can be either inside or outside in the pagoda overlooking the south Cornwall seas. There’s a private beach – naturally – perfect for photos, large well-kept gardens (with cannons) and a lovely roof terrace with festoon lights. There’s accomodation for 24 people across 8 rooms and Polhawn Fort can seat 120 guests.
See more of Katie and Rory’s Polhawn Fort wedding
Country house weddings in Devon and Cornwall
Huntsham Court.
Total top totty of a wedding venue. I love every inch of it. I love the gardens. I love the library. I love the fact it has a turret bedroom. I love the kitchen (#you’llalwaysfindmeinthekitchenatparties). A Baronial country house, Hunstsham Court in Devon is an exclusive hire venue with 40 rooms that can sleep up to 92 people. And they’re beautiful rooms. There’s scope for weddings with 10 – 130 guests and the ceremony can be inside or out.
See more of Chris and Mark’s Huntsham Court wedding
Pencarrow House
Pencarrow House in Cornwall is another grade II listed building – this time Georgian. It holds both indoor and outdoor marriage licences and can offer weddings for 50-200. It also offers glamping with breakfast hampers and has a bespoke marquee for the evening shenanigans. Chuck in a cocktail tent and entertainment for the children and you’re good to jolly well go.
Colehayes Park.
Another Dartmoor venue, Colehayes is available as an exclusive use house for DIY weddings. It is a grade II Listed manor house and has 5 different spaces for the ceremony – both inside and out – and can fit 250 of your guests with space for 75 over night plus a camping field.
Click here to see a wedding at Colehayes Park
Hayne Devon
Dating back to the 17th Century, Hayne Devon is a beautifully restored grade II listed farmstead in the rolling Devon hills. Accomodation includes yurts, bunk cabins, bell tents, a shepherd’s hut and, of course, the Long Barn. You can get married inside or out and there’s a room dedicated to the important business of dancing. It has a disco ball. I rest my case. Oh, and flowers. So very many flowers. It’s a tiny pocket of Devon magic, really.
Click here to see a wedding at Hayne Devon
Quirky Cornwall and Devon wedding venues
River Cottage
River Cottage in Devon has become absolutely iconic, and for good reason. A wedding venue set on an organic farm with world class food. I mean, what’s not to love? You can do the deed in the lovely gardens or in the Threshing Barn, amongst other places. There are three bedroooms should you wish to stay the night. They offer two packages – the Piglet is for small, intimate weddings and the Whole Hog for weddings with 30-100 friends and family. As an ex-chef, one of the reasons I love this place is that guests can go and play (so to speak) in the kitchens. A love of food is the bedrock of a River Cottage wedding. Add in the welly wanging and – well – you’ve got everything covered. They even make your cake for you.
Click here to see a River Cottage wedding
Ocean Kave
Get married in a cave. Because why not? Ocean Kave sits on a hill on the north coast of Devon near the town of Westward ho! (fun fact – Westward Ho! is the only town in the UK with an exclamation mark in its name. Everyday is, indeed, a school day). It has a fab number of cottages to rent which makes it super convenient. With amazing sea views it can host weddings for 2-30 people either in the man-made cave or outside overlooking the sea.
Click here to see an Ocean Kave wedding
Ever After
It’s become a home from home. Plus it’s really not that far from my home. Ever After is between my house and my parents’ and I often bump into owner Nicola in the supermarket. Because that’s the rock n roll kinda lifestyle I lead. Tucked in a little valley on the edge of Dartmoor, it sits quietly next to the River Tavy. They offer everything from the tiniest of elopements to weddings for 120 people. There’s a choice of ceremony spaces, too, both inside and out. And a huge purpose built marquee with a bar and a cosy fireplace with blankets for chilly evenings. Expect to see flowers everywhere and curious metal fire globes along the river bank. There’s some on-site accomodation including a shepherd’s hut by the river.
Click here to see an Ever After wedding
Anran
Oo, it’s a little bit gorgeous is Anran in Devon. It’s mind-blowingly cool. The house itself is something of a style mecca for me. ALL OF THE DETAILS! And then there’s the fab glasshouse. The tin shed with all of the lights. It’s pretty much a photographer’s paradise.
The Glasshouse seats up to 180 people, The Hut up to 60. There are also outside areas like the Old Oak Meadow and the Lily Pond. There’s SERIOUS scope here. The Manor itself can be hired in its entirety and can sleep up to 16 across 8 rooms.
Click here to see an ANRAN wedding
Gorgeous wedding hotels in Devon and Cornwall
The Hotel Endsleigh
One of my ‘rules’ for this post was 100% no hotels. It was supposed to be about quirky, off-beat and otherwise brilliant places. Yet sometimes, let’s face it, hotels can be that, too. And so I make no apologies for including the beautiful Hotel Endsleigh.
Set on the edge of Dartmoor, it is available for exclusive use and has 19 rooms available for guests, and can seat up to 80 people for the wedding breakfast. There are a number of legal ceremony spaces available including the Parterre garden and the little Shell House and is as good for tiny elopements as it is a more grand affair.
Click here to see a Hotel Endsleigh elopement
The Harbour Hotel, Padstow
My commitment to 100% no hotels continues well. Oh, wait! Not so much. Because up next is the Harbour Hotel in Padstow on the north coast of Cornwall. It’s a 4 star Victorian boutique hotel and it’s very cool. Plus unusually urban for me. There are incredible beaches nearby plus oodles of townscapes to be used for portrait sessions. It’s, not terribly surprisingly, very boaty. Which suits me just fine. The Marine Room (see? BOATY) is legalised for weddings and can also seat 80 for the wedding breakfast. As it’s a hotel there are plenty of rooms for guests for the night. There are 58 bedrooms in total with – wait for it – COMPLIMENTARY GIN AND SHERRY (goes to get coat).
Elopement wedding venues
Underpine Woods.
This place pretty much does what it says on the tin. Underpine Woods is a pine forest in Cornwall near to the lovely town of Bude. It’s a fantastic blanks canvas for a DIY elopement or microwedding. You and your guests, the wind in the trees, babbling brooks and a composting loo. It’s great for an eco friendly wedding and for getting back to nature.
Click here for more images at Underpine Woods
Wild Tipi.
Less of a ‘where’ than a ‘who’. Wild Tipi supply – you’ve got it – wedding tipis. Based near Newquay in Cornwall, they can help you find the best places and (if needed) vendors for your day. Their tipis are fab for anything from the tiniest of elopements to huge events of 500. I’m going to lift some of their text from their website because Sam puts it all far better than I could
‘Hidden out of sight down narrow lanes, tucked behind native hedgerows, perched high up on coastal cliffs – these are the weddings people talk about. In beautiful settings surrounded by fields, natural golden sunlight and the sweet fragrance of wild flowers, we’ll create a magical atmosphere for your wedding day. Our UK-made, sustainably sourced wooden-frame canvas tipis can be configured to suit your needs; from small, intimate weddings to glorious festival celebrations of 500 or more… Our tipis can be put up virtually anywhere and taken down with little trace, opening the door to dream locations across Cornwall and the South West. A Wild Tipi wedding gives you total freedom over how you imagine your day. If you dream of a woodland wedding, feasting on the beach or gathering around the fire-pit surrounded by endless clifftop views, Wild Tipi can help you to plan your perfect day’.
Click here for more Wild Tipi images
The Brickhouse Vineyard.
Relatively new to the scene, the Brickhouse Vineyard in Devon is perfect for a smaller wedding. It can entertain up to 60 guests and offers a variety of options for 4-60 people. Plus – vineyard. It doesn’t have onsite accomodation for guests (though they do have a hideaway cottage for the bride and groom) but they can help arrange pretty much everything you might need from cake to transport
