The Wedding Atlas · United Kingdom · Gloucestershire
Getting Married in Gloucestershire
Cheltenham, the Cotswold limestone and the Forest of Dean. Gloucestershire holds the western Cotswolds and extends beyond them. Cheltenham, a Regency spa town at the county's centre, gives the area hotels, restaurants and a direct rail link from London Paddington.
Part of the Gloucestershire destination guide.
- Best months
- May, June, July, August and September
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Gloucestershire on the map
Choose an area to see the venues we list there. Every name is a plain link to its listing.
Gloucestershire
The 10 venues we list in Gloucestershire. Tap a pin to open a venue.
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Our selection
Where we would start
Three of the 10 Gloucestershire venues we list, chosen by our editors to show the range.
Clearwell Castle
Clearwell Castle is a Grade II* listed Georgian Gothic Revival castle in the Forest of Dean, taken for one wedding a day, with fifteen bedrooms for the wedding party.
Ellenborough Park
Ellenborough Park is a country house in the Cotswold Hills, set in 90 acres, licensed for civil ceremonies in its gallery and its Gazebo.
Elmore Court
Elmore Court is a historic country house near Gloucester, held by the Guise family since 1262, with an eco-built events hall, sixteen bedrooms and exclusive use of the estate.
People who work here
The owners, wedding directors, planners, photographers and chefs behind weddings in Gloucestershire.
Jane RiddellWedding planner, Planned for Perfection
ZhannaLive event artist and illustrator, AYA Illustration
Emma-Jane LewisLead photographer and owner, Emma-Jane Photography
Abigail LucyFounder, creative director, planner and designer, Abigail Lucy Luxury Weddings
Charlotte EliseFounder and planner, Charlotte Elise Weddings & Events
Adrian NealPhotographer, The Studio Without Walls
Hannah PerryFounder, Conifer Events
Helen EriksenOwner and Creative Director, Helen Eriksen Wedding & Event Design
DenisCo-founder, Denee Motion
Melinda GillFounder, wedding planner and designer, Luxus Events
Gaetano Di GiacomoFounder, wedding videographer and photographer, Gaetano Di Giacomo Media Production
Fizz and Groove DJDJ and founder, Fizz and Groove
Victoria WalkerDirector, Linda Abrahams & Co
Stuart WoodWedding photographer, Stuart Wood Photography
Josephine ParkhillFounder and designer, Josephine Scott London
Tessa WilliamsFounder, creative director and lead planner, A Touch of Nevaeh
Aimee DunneFounder, Aimee Dunne
Bruce RussellFounder and event planner, Bruce Russell Events
MelanieLead planner, Cranberry Blue
Dale AlexanderFounder and Creative Director, Dale Alexander Events
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
RulaFounder and event planner, Rula Parties
Julia DowlingFounder and Managing Director, Snapdragon | London
A Wedding in Gloucestershire
Cheltenham, the Cotswold limestone and the Forest of Dean
The county's wedding geography has three zones. The Gloucestershire Cotswolds, from Chipping Campden south to Northleach, are among the best-known rural venues in England. The vale between the Cotswolds escarpment and the Severn is flatter and quieter. The Forest of Dean to the west is an ancient forest with a different kind of venue.
Cheltenham works as a base for a wedding weekend, with Regency terraces, a racecourse, festivals and independent restaurants. Many couples marrying in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds house their guests there, a short drive from most estate venues.
Choosing a setting
Country house or castle
Photo: Ellenborough Park Country house
6 venues we list, including Ellenborough Park, Elmore Court and Briery Hill House.
Photo: Clearwell CastleThe season
Weather for outdoor weddings
Generally favourable for outdoor celebrations from May to September. Always plan a covered 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.
May to September are all good months for outdoor celebrations in Gloucestershire, as across the Cotswolds. April and October are cooler with shorter days, and indoor settings work well in every season. The Severn vale is warmer and wetter than the hill villages.
Sunset is around 9.30pm in mid June and 7.24pm 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 6.15pm in mid October and about 4.49pm at the end of the month, after the clocks go back. In mid December it is about 3.58pm.
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 Gloucestershire Cotswolds villages are not served directly by rail. Moreton-in-Marsh on the Cotswold Line is the closest station to the northern Cotswolds, and a car or taxi covers the last stretch. For most couples, arrival by Cheltenham and a road transfer is simpler, with private coaches for larger groups.
London Paddington (GWR). Direct Great Western Railway trains to Cheltenham Spa. Cheltenham station is a short road journey from most Cotswolds venues, and this is the main rail connection for London guests.
Birmingham New Street (CrossCountry). CrossCountry trains reach Cheltenham from Birmingham, which suits guests from the Midlands and the north, and from Birmingham Airport.
Bristol Airport (BRS). Reached by the M5, with direct flights from many UK and European airports. It suits guests from the south and south-west, and from Ireland, France and southern Europe.
Where guests stay
Under one roof, or nearby
Wedding accommodation in Gloucestershire centres on country house hotels and spa hotels in the southern Cotswolds, with Gloucester and Cheltenham giving town hotels for larger guest groups.
Country house spa hotels
Victorian and Georgian manors in the Cotswold valleys run as country house hotels, some with spas in the old walled garden outbuildings.
Village manor hotels
Seventeenth-century manors in villages such as Lower Slaughter sit in the centre of the village, beside the stream, in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Cheltenham town hotels
Cheltenham has a wide choice of hotels, from converted breweries to boutique hotels in Georgian terraces. They suit large wedding groups that need more rooms than rural venues have.
Photo: Elmore CourtFood and drink
Eating and drinking in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire's food draws on the dairy tradition of the Vale of Berkeley, the Severn Vale orchards and water meadows, and the restaurants in and around Cheltenham.
Stinking Bishop and Vale of Berkeley cheese. The Vale of Berkeley is a cheese-making district. Stinking Bishop, a washed-rind cheese made near Gloucester, is well known and often appears on Gloucestershire wedding cheese boards.
Gloucester Old Spot pork
The Gloucester Old Spot is a rare-breed pig from the Severn Vale, traditionally fed on windfall apples and whey in the orchards and water meadows. Its pork and charcuterie are sold by farm butchers in the county.
Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival
The festival, held in May, shows producers from across Gloucestershire and the wider Cotswolds, and is a way to meet local suppliers while planning.
Good to know
Before you book
Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport is the most useful regional airport for Gloucestershire and has direct flights from Dublin, Amsterdam and many European cities. Guests from outside the UK can use Heathrow, with a longer road or rail journey.
Sudeley Castle
Sudeley Castle near Winchcombe in the northern Cotswolds has the tomb of Catherine Parr in its chapel and gardens, and is open in the season. It is used as a wedding ceremony venue, and suits guests who arrive the day before.
From The 5 Star Edit
Stories from Gloucestershire
Visits, real weddings and planning notes from our editors.
Questions couples ask
Before you decide
How does a Gloucestershire wedding differ from using the Cotswolds guide?
The Cotswolds guide covers the whole limestone belt, from Gloucestershire into Oxfordshire and Worcestershire. The Gloucestershire guide adds Cheltenham as a base, Berkeley Castle and the Severn Vale estates as alternatives to the hill villages, and the Forest of Dean. For venues in Chipping Campden or Stow, the two guides overlap.
Does Cheltenham work as a base for wedding guests?
Yes. The Regency town centre has independent restaurants and boutique hotels in Montpellier and around Suffolk Road. Cheltenham is a short drive from most Gloucestershire Cotswolds venues, which makes it a practical base.
What kind of wedding setting is the Forest of Dean?
The Forest of Dean is ancient woodland of oak, beech and conifer, managed as a royal forest since the Norman period. It is not a mainstream wedding setting, and the number of venues is small, so early research and direct contact with properties is needed.
When is the best time of year for a Gloucestershire wedding?
The Gloucestershire Cotswolds follow the pattern of the wider Cotswolds, with meadow flowers and long days in May and June and golden light in September. Cheltenham holds festivals and race meetings through the year, and hotels fill and prices rise around them, so dates need checking when planning guest accommodation.
How do guests get to a Gloucestershire wedding?
The Gloucestershire Cotswolds villages are not served directly by rail. For most couples, arrival by Cheltenham and a road transfer is simpler, with private coaches for larger groups. Direct Great Western Railway trains run from London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa, a short road journey from most Cotswolds venues.
Meet Aura
A planner who has read every venue in Gloucestershire
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
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.