The Wedding Atlas · United Kingdom · Cornwall
Getting Married in Cornwall
Atlantic cliffs, sub-tropical gardens and a long coast in the far west. Cornwall is England's most westerly county, and its coastline of granite cliffs, cove beaches and clear water is the reason many couples choose it. Its wedding venues include coastal manors and estates, harbour buildings, converted chapels and valley gardens.
Part of the Cornwall destination guide.
- Best months
- June
Find your area
Cornwall on the map
Choose an area to see the venues we list there. Every name is a plain link to its listing.
Cornwall
The 3 venues we list in Cornwall. Tap a pin to open a venue.
Have a guest count or a number of nights in mind? .
Our selection
Where we would start
Three of the 3 Cornwall venues we list, chosen by our editors to show the range.
Fowey Hall
Fowey Hall is a white Victorian mansion of 1899 above the Fowey estuary in Cornwall, taken for exclusive-use weddings with 36 rooms and suites, an indoor pool and a spa.
Hotel Tresanton
Hotel Tresanton is a seaside hotel in St Mawes designed by Olga Polizzi, with a cinema and bar lounge licensed for ceremonies, sea-view terraces, a restaurant over the water and 30 bedrooms, for weddings of two to 70 guests.
Pentillie Castle
Pentillie Castle is a privately owned castle on an estate above the River Tamar, hired for one wedding at a time, with eleven bedrooms, reception rooms for 60 and a marquee lawn for larger parties.
People who work here
The owners, wedding directors, planners, photographers and chefs behind weddings in Cornwall.
ZhannaLive event artist and illustrator, AYA Illustration
Tessa WilliamsFounder, creative director and lead planner, A Touch of Nevaeh
Aimee DunneFounder, Aimee Dunne
Fizz and Groove DJDJ and founder, Fizz and Groove
DenisCo-founder, Denee Motion
Gaetano Di GiacomoFounder, wedding videographer and photographer, Gaetano Di Giacomo Media Production
Bruce RussellFounder and event planner, Bruce Russell Events
Stuart WoodWedding photographer, Stuart Wood Photography
MelanieLead planner, Cranberry Blue
Dale AlexanderFounder and Creative Director, Dale Alexander Events
Adrian NealPhotographer, The Studio Without Walls
Josephine ParkhillFounder and designer, Josephine Scott London
Charlotte Ricard-QuesadaFounder and Creative Director, La Fête Bespoke Event Planning
Gustav FoucheHairstylist and Style Director, Gustav Fouche
Maria JordanLead singer, HARD CANDi Showband
Jacqueline KennedyFounder and event planner, Jacqueline Kennedy Luxury Weddings and Events Limited
Tracey FirmanFounder, Lusso Events
Naureen KhanFounder and wedding planner, Naureen Khan Events
Mark NiemierkoFounder, Niemierko
Roberta BurcheriFounder, Roberta Burcheri Events
Abigail LucyFounder, creative director, planner and designer, Abigail Lucy Luxury Weddings
Charlotte EliseFounder and planner, Charlotte Elise Weddings & Events
Hannah PerryFounder, Conifer Events
Helen EriksenOwner and Creative Director, Helen Eriksen Wedding & Event Design
Melinda GillFounder, wedding planner and designer, Luxus Events
Jane RiddellWedding planner, Planned for Perfection
Victoria WalkerDirector, Linda Abrahams & Co
RulaFounder and event planner, Rula Parties
Julia DowlingFounder and Managing Director, Snapdragon | London
Tracy LavinFounder and Designer, Tracy Lavin Events
A Wedding in Cornwall
Atlantic cliffs, sub-tropical gardens and a long coast in the far west
Two things set Cornwall apart from the rest of the South West. The Gulf Stream allows sub-tropical gardens to grow, notably on the Fal Estuary, where Glendurgan and Trebah are hired for private events. And Cornwall has a Celtic identity of its own, which gives the county its character.
Cornwall is a long way from London by road or rail, so guests commit to the journey and usually stay for the weekend. The county has the coastal walking, food and accommodation to fill one.
Choosing a setting
Choosing a wedding setting in Cornwall
Coastal Manor and Estate
Country houses and estate farms on the cliff-top or with private coastal access. The best have their own coves, boathouses and cliff-walk ceremony spots. Several Roseland and Lizard Peninsula estates are hired exclusively through specialist agents.
Sub-Tropical Garden
The Gulf Stream lets Cornwall grow tree ferns, bananas, gunnera and palms that would not survive a winter elsewhere in Britain. The valley gardens of the Fal Estuary run down through layered planting to private beaches, and give a garden ceremony setting unlike most others in the United Kingdom.
Harbour and Quayside Venue
Converted warehouses, chandleries and harbourmaster buildings in Fowey, Falmouth, Padstow and Newlyn, with stone walls, timber beams and views of working quays. They suit an evening reception after a cliff-top ceremony.
Converted Chapel
Cornwall has many converted Methodist chapels, a result of the county's nonconformist history. The better conversions keep the chapel architecture, with galleries, lancet windows and stone facades, inside a contemporary event interior. Some are licensed for ceremonies in their own right.
Farmhouse and Meadow Estate
Cliff-top and valley farms converted into licensed venues, with meadow ceremony settings and Atlantic views from high ground. They are working land with granite outbuildings, and suit couples who want the setting of an actual farm.
Photo: Hotel TresantonThe season
Weather for outdoor weddings
June is the most settled month for outdoor celebrations, but the Atlantic makes the weather changeable all year, so plan a sheltered or indoor option.
How typical weather and daylight suit an outdoor wedding celebration in each month. Every month can be wonderful for a wedding, especially indoors; this guide is about the weather you are likely to meet outdoors.
The word describes typical weather and daylight for an outdoor ceremony and photographs in that month. It says nothing about whether to marry then. Seasonal guidance is based on historical weather averages. Conditions vary by location and year, so couples planning outdoor celebrations should always consider an alternative indoor setting.
June is the most settled month for an outdoor ceremony in Cornwall. Wind and showers come off the Atlantic at any time, so choose a sheltered or covered space. Inland moorland is wetter than the coast.
Sunset is around 9.31pm in mid June and 7.32pm in mid September. October can be attractive for autumn celebrations, although earlier sunsets make ceremony and photography timings particularly important: the sun sets at about 6.27pm in mid October and about 5.02pm at the end of the month, after the clocks go back. In mid December it is about 4.15pm.
Weddings run all year, and 61% of marriages in England and Wales in 2023 took place between May and September (Office for National Statistics).
Getting there
How guests arrive
The A30 is the main road through Cornwall and slows in peak season, especially on summer Friday afternoons. Trains from London Paddington run to Penzance and stop at the main Cornish towns. Local taxis and pre-booked coaches cover the last leg to coastal and rural venues.
Newquay Cornwall (NQY). The only commercial airport in Cornwall, with direct services from London and other UK cities, and from some European cities in summer. It is nearest to venues around Newquay and Padstow.
Exeter (EXT). Just over the border in Devon, with connections to Amsterdam, Dublin and French cities. A practical option for guests heading to venues in eastern Cornwall.
Bristol (BRS). The largest South West airport, with the most international routes. It suits guests from Ireland, France and southern Europe, and is reached by the M5 and A30.
Where guests stay
Under one roof, or nearby
Wedding accommodation in Cornwall runs from cliff-top hotel estates to converted farmsteads and self-catering retreats in coves reached by footpath.
Castle and estate hotels
Large hotel estates above the coast sleep a wedding party across a main house, lodges and cottages, and can be hired in full for a weekend.
Clifftop and beach hotels
Hotels on Atlantic headlands, and hotels on a private cove near St Ives, give guests access to the beach from the grounds.
Photo: Pentillie CastleFood and drink
Eating and drinking in Cornwall
Cornwall has a strong regional food identity built on Atlantic seafood, Cornish pasties, clotted cream and a growing craft food and drink scene.
Seafood in Padstow
Padstow is the county's food town, with seafood restaurants, independent restaurants and fishmongers within a short walk of the harbour.
Cornish pasty
The Cornish pasty, crimped at the top and filled with beef skirt, potato, turnip and onion, has protected geographical status and must be made in Cornwall. It began as a working food of the tin-mining industry and is sold across the county.
Cornish clotted cream
Cornish clotted cream, made by heating full-fat milk slowly until a thick crust forms, also has protected status. Clotted cream teas with scones and jam are a common welcome at Cornish wedding venues.
Good to know
Before you book
Distance from London
Cornwall is a long drive or train journey from London. The A30 is the main road, and it slows on summer Friday afternoons and August bank holiday weekends. Some guests prefer the train from Paddington to Penzance to driving.
Narrow lanes
Many of the most attractive Cornish venues are reached by single-track lanes. Guests need an exact postcode and access instructions in advance, because some mapping applications send vehicles down routes that coaches cannot use. Coach access needs confirming with the venue before transport is planned.
Coastal weather
Cliff-top and coastal venues can be windier and cooler than inland, even in summer. An outdoor ceremony at an exposed venue needs a shelter or marquee plan, and guests need notice so they can dress for it.
Questions couples ask
Before you decide
How does Cornwall differ from Devon for a wedding?
Cornwall is further away and has a more dramatic coast, sub-tropical gardens and a Celtic identity of its own. Devon has gentler hills, easier roads and a broader range of venues. The choice depends on whether a couple want an accessible venue or a destination that rewards the journey.
Can the sub-tropical gardens be hired for a wedding?
Some can. Trebah and Glendurgan have hosted private events, and the gardens can be approached directly. Private estate gardens on the Roseland Peninsula are available through specialist event coordinators who work with the landowners. They are not run like conventional venues, so an early approach is needed.
How do guests travel from London?
A pre-arranged private coach from a London station, timed around the train, suits a London group. The Paddington to Penzance train is a long scenic journey that many guests enjoy. Guests who fly can use Newquay Airport in summer, or Exeter or Bristol with a car transfer at other times.
When is the best time of year for a Cornwall wedding?
June and September offer the best balance of warmth, long light and manageable visitor numbers, and May is often bright, with bluebells and cow parsley in flower. August is the busiest month, when the A30 is slow and accommodation is scarce. Cornwall's position on the Atlantic makes the weather changeable through the season.
What food and drink is typical of a Cornwall wedding?
Cornwall has a strong regional food identity built on Atlantic seafood, Cornish pasties, clotted cream and a growing craft food and drink scene. Padstow is the county's food town, with seafood restaurants, independent restaurants and fishmongers within a short walk of the harbour. Clotted cream teas with scones and jam are a common welcome at Cornish wedding venues.
Meet Aura
A planner who has read every venue in Cornwall
Tell Aura the setting, the season and the size of your day. She shortlists the venues and professionals that fit, and explains why.
More Wedding Destinations
CotswoldsLondonKentLake District
This guide draws on the venues' own published details, official sources and the knowledge of our editors. Entry and legal information can change, so confirm it with the authority that will marry you before you book.