Getting Married in Surrey

Surrey has one of the warmest and driest climates in England, partly because the North Downs shelter it from the rain. June and September are reliable for outdoor ceremonies. Venues are booked well into the shoulder months, and the gardens are at their best in April and October as well.

Recommended wedding months

May, June and September

Peak season is July and August, and the shoulder months are April and October.

Country House Estate. A listed country house in private grounds, hired exclusively for the wedding weekend with accommodation, catering facilities and established suppliers. Surrey has a high concentration of listed country houses inside the M25, with historic interiors, terraced gardens and private lakes.

Surrey Hills Manor. Smaller manor houses and historic farmhouses on the North Downs ridge and in the Tillingbourne and Mole valleys. The Surrey Hills designation protects the surrounding landscape, so the views are unlikely to change.

Walled Garden Venue. The restored walled kitchen gardens of historic Surrey estates, used for outdoor ceremonies and dinners in the open air. High brick walls and a sheltered south-facing enclosure suit the Surrey climate, and some operate separately from the main house and are hired with a tithe barn or converted stable block for the reception.

Riverside and Lake Estate. Properties on the Thames, the Mole and private ornamental lakes. Several Surrey estates have lakes made in the eighteenth-century landscape garden period, so a couple can arrive by boat, marry on the shore and hold the reception in the house beside it.

Historic Castle and House. Farnham Castle, Loseley Park near Guildford and Hatchlands Park in East Clandon are historic properties open for weddings. Loseley Park, a sixteenth-century house used as a family home and event venue, has Elizabethan architecture, a working farm and a walled garden.

Surrey's main roads, the M25, A3 and A23, carry heavy commuter traffic, and Friday evening journeys from London in summer can be slow. Guests are often advised to take the train to Guildford or Reigate and a pre-arranged car from the station.

London Waterloo (SWR). The main London terminal for Surrey, with regular South Western Railway services to Guildford, Farnham, Dorking and Reigate. Waterloo also has direct services from Southampton, Bournemouth and Exeter, which suits guests from the south and south-west.

London Heathrow (LHR). The nearest major international airport to the county, reached by road via the M25 and A3. Car and taxi transfers to Surrey venues are well established, and it is the main arrival point for international guests.

London Gatwick (LGW). Reached by the M23 and A25, with strong European and North American routes. It is the most convenient airport for venues in the Reigate and Redhill corridor.

Surrey has spa hotels and manor house country hotels, including several in the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Resort and spa hotels. Large Victorian houses on big estates near Bagshot and Chertsey, with spas, golf courses and lakes, are hired for whole wedding weekends and suit groups that need both a venue and rooms on site.

Country house hotels near Heathrow. An Elizabethan manor house at Egham, built as a hunting lodge, combines period architecture and formal gardens with rooms, close to Heathrow, which suits guests arriving by air.

Surrey's food scene benefits from London's nearness while keeping a farming character in the North Downs and Surrey Hills, with a strong gastropub tradition.

North Downs gastropubs. The Surrey Hills have good gastropubs and inn dining rooms that source from local farms and serve modern British menus. They are used for rehearsal dinners and post-wedding lunches.

North Downs vineyard estate. A large vineyard estate on the North Downs above Dorking makes still and sparkling English wines. Tours and tastings are available, and the estate lies close to venues in the Mole Valley and the Guildford corridor.

The M25 varies. The M25 is one of the busiest motorways in Europe, and journey times vary a lot with the day and time. Friday afternoon traffic between Junctions 10 and 15 can add a long delay. A mid-morning departure is more reliable for guests driving from London on the day.

Surrey Hills restrictions. Several Surrey venues sit in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where planning rules limit external lighting and amplified music. Outdoor evening events there need to follow dark-sky and noise conditions, so licensing terms are worth confirming when comparing venues.

Guildford as a base. Guildford has the widest choice of hotels and restaurants in the county and direct trains to London Waterloo. It suits guests who prefer to stay in a town rather than at the venue.

UK nationals do not need a visa to travel within the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is not in the Schengen Area, so its entry rules are separate from the EU's. Entry rules depend on the passport held. The current rules are on gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

The legal marriage and the celebration are separate. Ask your venue or planner what the town hall requires for the place where you plan to marry.