We all know that Jane Austen wrote some of literature’s most enduring love stories, and we’d argue part of their appeal lies in the settings where they take place. There’s just something about a grand English country house and its almost absurdly well-manicured gardens that makes you understand why Elizabeth Bennet had a change of heart about Mr. Darcy. Which, when you think about it, makes them pretty perfect places to get married.
Fortunately, you needn’t be a character in an Austen novel to get married somewhere that looks straight out of one. Across the English countryside and beyond, there are historic estates and centuries-old manor houses where you can have your very own Austen-inspired wedding. There are even a few hotels that look like they belong in another century (in the best possible way). So, whether you’ve read every Austen novel twice or simply have a soft spot for the 2005 film (understandable), here are 15 wedding venues that we think Austen herself would have approved of.
Cliveden House
A wedding venue with the royal seal of approval? Cliveden House certainly has that covered. Meghan Markle famously spent the night before her wedding to Prince Harry at this beautiful country estate in Berkshire, just 45 minutes from London. Today, it's a five-star luxury hotel with 47 bedrooms, surrounded by acres of gardens and parkland overlooking the Thames. And if you're planning a larger wedding, you can even hire the entire property for the weekend, giving you and your guests the run of the place. As for the wedding itself, there's an oak-panelled Great Hall, an 18th-century French dining room, and beautiful formal gardens to work with. Not a bad place to spend your wedding weekend, if you ask us.
Heckfield Place
Heckfield Place is one of those country house hotels you've probably heard quite a bit about, and for good reason. Set in Hampshire, the county where Jane Austen was born and spent much of her life, this five-star Georgian property has a much more relaxed approach to luxury than some of the grander estates on our list. Inside, you'll find beautifully considered interiors and candlelit rooms, while much of the food served at the hotel comes straight from its own biodynamic farm. The estate has 45 bedrooms across the main house and surrounding cottages, and couples can arrange a full buyout for their wedding. There's a glasshouse tucked into the walled garden for ceremonies, along with the old stables for celebrations afterwards. And since Heckfield is also home to a very good spa, we'd strongly recommend leaving a little time in the schedule to enjoy it.
Chatsworth House
Now, this one is particularly exciting for Pride and Prejudice fans. Chatsworth House isn't just the sort of place you'd imagine Mr. Darcy living; it actually played Pemberley in the 2005 film, and Austen herself mentions the estate in the novel. And if you've seen the film, you'll know that the house is every bit as impressive in real life. Set in the Peak District, Chatsworth is one of England's grandest country estates, with an enormous golden-stone façade and gardens that seem to go on forever. For weddings, couples can exchange vows in the Painted Hall, beneath its incredible ceiling frescoes and at the foot of a sweeping staircase. Afterwards, celebrations can move to the historic Stables, where the Carriage House provides space for dinner and dancing. And of course, you'll have those famous gardens for your wedding photographs. Elizabeth Bennet would surely approve.
Belcombe Court
Now, if the gardens are one of your favourite things about a Jane Austen setting, you'll want to see Belcombe Court. This privately owned Georgian manor house sits just outside Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, not far from Bath, and was designed by John Wood the Elder, the architect responsible for some of Bath's most famous Georgian buildings. But it's the gardens that really have our attention. Hidden among the greenery are a little rotunda, a ruined temple, and even a shell grotto, all of which feel like something you might stumble across during a particularly romantic afternoon walk. There's also a summer house with a wisteria-lined aisle for ceremonies, while an 18th-century barn can host the party afterwards. The estate only opens for a small number of private weddings each year, which makes getting married here feel a little like being let in on a very good secret.
Ballyfin Demesne
If you've ever wanted to know what it feels like to have an entire Regency-era mansion to yourself, Ballyfin Demesne in Ireland might be the closest you'll get. Set on 614 acres at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, this beautiful country house has just 15 bedrooms and hosts weddings exclusively on a private-hire basis. Which means the mansion, its gardens, and the rather impressive team of staff are all yours for the occasion. Inside, it's all gilded interiors and antique furnishings, with a grand ballroom and a Michelin-starred dining experience to look forward to. But one of our favorite features is the Turner Conservatory, an elaborate 19th-century glasshouse that connects directly to the main house. There's even a 28-acre lake where you can take a wooden rowboat out for wedding photographs, which feels like a perfectly reasonable thing to do when you have an Irish estate to yourself for the weekend.
Lucknam Park
Now, we know Bridgerton isn't Jane Austen, but there's certainly some overlap in the appeal. And Lucknam Park, just outside Bath, looks like it could quite comfortably belong in either world. The five-star country house hotel sits at the end of a mile-long avenue of beech and lime trees, which is a pretty wonderful way to make an entrance to your wedding weekend. The honey-coloured Palladian mansion is now part of Accor's Emblems Collection, with a spa, equestrian centre, and Michelin-starred restaurant, so there's plenty to keep guests occupied between celebrations. For a smaller wedding, we particularly love the idea of exchanging vows in the hotel's walled garden, surrounded by roses and lavender. But if you're planning something a little bigger, the property has 42 bedrooms and suites, with the possibility of taking over the entire hotel for the weekend. You can even plant a tree on the estate to mark the occasion, which is a sweet little tradition that we love.
Beaverbrook
Not every Jane Austen-inspired wedding venue has to look like it's been preserved exactly as it was 200 years ago. Case in point: Beaverbrook, a luxury country house hotel in the Surrey Hills that feels a little more like a fashionable private members' club than a traditional stately home. The estate was once the home of newspaper magnate Lord Beaverbrook, who regularly entertained Winston Churchill, but these days it's known just as much for its interiors by Susie Atkinson and its excellent restaurants. It's also surprisingly close to London, making it a great option if you want a countryside wedding without asking everyone to travel too far. The hotel hosts only a handful of weddings each year, all on an exclusive-use basis, so you and your guests can have the place to yourselves. And if you fancy extending your stay in the city, there's also a sister Beaverbrook hotel in London.
Avington Park
Arriving at your wedding by rowing boat? Well, that's certainly one way to make an entrance. And at Avington Park, a privately owned Georgian estate just outside Winchester, it's actually an option. The house itself is gorgeous, with its grand façade overlooking acres of gardens and parkland, and even a few Highland cows wandering around the grounds. The estate is available for private weddings and events, with guest accommodation on the property if you're planning to make a few days of the celebrations. We're particularly fond of the orangery for a ceremony, although the wood-panelled library would be lovely for something more intimate. And for Austen fans, Winchester has its own significance: it's where the author spent her final days and is buried in the cathedral.
Thyme
If your idea of a country wedding involves something a little more intimate than a grand stately home, but just as chic, we think you'll love Thyme. Set in the ridiculously pretty Cotswolds village of Southrop, this boutique hotel is made up of beautifully restored farm buildings and cottages, with a restaurant, spa, and even a village pub. It's almost like having your own little English village for the wedding weekend. The 16th-century Tithe Barn is particularly lovely for ceremonies, with its old stone walls and exposed wooden beams, while the Ox Barn is made for long wedding dinners. There's also a village church right next door if you'd prefer a traditional service. And with the hotel's cosy bedrooms, excellent food, and spa all on your doorstep, we wouldn't blame you for staying a few extra days afterwards. You could practically have your honeymoon here, too.
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
You can't really write about Jane Austen-inspired wedding venues without including somewhere in Bath. Austen lived here for several years, and for fans of her novels, the city is practically a destination in its own right, having featured in both Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa occupies two of the Georgian townhouses that make up the city's famous Royal Crescent, that beautiful curved row of 18th-century homes you've almost certainly seen in photographs of Bath. Behind that historic façade is a seriously luxurious hotel, complete with elegant guest rooms, a fabulous restaurant, and a spa, so you won't be sacrificing any modern comforts for the Regency-era atmosphere. Couples can exchange vows in the hotel's private garden, full of roses and honeysuckle, then celebrate in one of its reception rooms or with a marquee on the lawn. And with much of Bath within walking distance, your guests can make a proper weekend of it.
Grantley Hall
If you're looking for a wedding venue where the hotel itself is half the attraction, Grantley Hall is worth knowing about. Just outside Ripon in North Yorkshire, this five-star hotel occupies an enormous country mansion, reached by a long driveway that gives you a pretty good first impression of what's to come. Inside, it's a little more glamorous than your typical English country house, with a Michelin-starred restaurant, a fabulous spa, and even a cocktail bar inspired by the Roaring Twenties. Weddings of around 150 guests can be hosted here, with ceremonies in the ornate Music Room or outdoors in the gardens. And speaking of the grounds, there's a river running through the estate and a listed Japanese garden, which gives your photographer quite a lot to work with. We'd definitely recommend making time for a few photographs before everyone heads inside for the party.
Cornwell Manor
Cornwell Manor is often described as one of the prettiest country houses in England, and looking at this honey-stone manor in the heart of the Cotswolds, it's easy to see why. Just outside Chipping Norton, the property is a private family home that's available for exclusive-use weddings during the summer, so you can have the whole place to yourselves for a few days. The gardens are a big part of the appeal, with stone steps leading past fountains and neatly clipped hedges towards the lake. If the weather cooperates, you can host drinks out on the lawns, while inside there's a powder-blue ballroom for the celebrations. There's even a little Norman church nearby if you'd prefer a traditional ceremony.
Boconnoc Estate
An 800-year-old church, a Georgian mansion, and an entire deer park? Boconnoc Estate certainly isn't short on things to impress your wedding guests. Tucked away near Lostwithiel in Cornwall, this privately owned estate is surrounded by acres of ancient parkland, and the whole property can be yours for a wedding weekend. Guests can stay in the main house and cottages, with the option of extending celebrations over one to three nights. We're particularly fond of the little church on the estate, which means you can have a traditional ceremony without anyone needing to arrange transport between venues. There's also a lovely old stable yard for a welcome party, while the mansion's reception rooms and gardens provide plenty of space for the wedding itself. And if you're planning a bigger celebration, you can host up to around 240 guests with a marquee on the lawns.
Hopetoun House
Just outside Edinburgh, Hopetoun House is one of Scotland's grand Georgian estates, and it's still home to the Hope family today. If you're a fan of the TV series Outlander, you might recognize it from the show. If not, you don't need to know much about the series to appreciate a place that looks like it was made for a period romance. Unlike some of the other venues on our list, this isn't a hotel, but a historic private residence that opens its doors for a limited number of weddings each year. The beautifully restored 18th-century Stables are a particularly lovely place for a ceremony, with a long aisle, original Georgian windows, and lantern lighting. There's also a ballroom for larger celebrations, along with grand reception rooms and state apartments. And since Edinburgh is so close, guests can stay in the city and make a weekend of it.
St Giles House
A grand English country house with a secret nightclub in the cellar? Now that's a wedding venue we can get behind. St Giles House in Dorset is a historic country estate that's available for exclusive-use wedding weekends. The house has been beautifully restored, with enormous windows, crystal chandeliers, and a library lined with thousands of old books and historic portraits. It's exactly the sort of place you'd expect to find in a period drama, although we suspect Jane Austen might have had a few questions about the nightclub downstairs. For ceremonies, there's a little shell grotto in the gardens, or the village church just outside the gates. Guests can stay in cottages on the estate, and once dinner is over, everyone can head down to the cellars for a proper party. We do love a wedding venue that takes the evening celebrations seriously.
