Winter weddings offer perfect opportunities to indulge yourselves by choosing a unique and inviting venue. Your winter wedding ceremony will be held indoors leaving you free to plan the whole day accordingly, ensuring your wedding day can flow effortlessly from the ceremony to the reception.
As a celebrant, the weddings I have done during the autumn and winter months have all been intimate, decorative, and magical. Â In this blog I am happy to share six of my perfect venues for the winter, in the Southwest of England, all of which offer something especially appealing to a wedding ceremony.
From the luxurious Christmas decorations and lights at Rhinefield House hotel in the New Forest to the trendy, quirky art deco theatre at the Marine in Lyme Regis or the country house vibes and stylish relaxation at the Ash Barton estate in Devon there is a winter venue to suit all tastes and budgets. Why not even consider a local pub or destination pub to hold your wedding ceremony? Nearly all of them have a private space or room and the party can carry on easily in the bar and restaurant afterwards.
The Marine Theatre Lyme Regis Dorset – a perfect venue for a winter wedding ceremony
https://www.marinetheatre.com/dorset-wedding-venue/
Photo credit  https://katherinenewmanphotography.com/
A venue where you can bring your own style, ambiance, decorations, pets! An original art deco theatre overlooking the swooping Lyme Bay, with views of the sea for miles and miles. A quirky, trendy bar and an auditorium to dance the night away in. The Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis Dorset is the ultimate venue to stand out in style putting your own unique mark on your wedding day.
With a whole theatre at your disposal for the day and evening, you can have your wedding ceremony on the stage, in the foyer, the auditorium or the bar.  What’s more the amazing team working there will be able to offer advice on lighting and sound, helping you create the ideal environment for your ceremony.
And oh, just think of the sound of the waves crashing outside as you dance the night away!
The Guildhall Lyme Regis Dorset a wedding ceremony surrounded by history
Photo credit the fabulous Nick http://www.wildweddings.co.uk/Â
https://www.lymeregistowncouncil.gov.uk/guildhall
The Guildhall in Lyme Regis, Dorset is a historic listed building overlooking the sea in the heart of the town.  A well-known and much-loved local building for weddings, it’s totally British seaside wooden panelling and pews offer a super ambiance for an intimate wedding ceremony.
As the building is owned by the local council it has been historically used by registrars from Dorset council. However, it is available to be hired for any wedding ceremony and is one hundred percent perfect for a celebrant wedding. Especially as the hire period gives you time to have the unique and personable ceremony you deserve, which only a celebrant can offer.
And when you come out of the ceremony, there are loads of fabulous restaurants, pubs, and hotels to choose from all within walking distance in Lyme Regis.
Rhienefield House New Forest for the perfect Christmas wedding ceremony
https://www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/rhinefieldhouse
Nestled in the heart of the New Forest, this luxurious Country house hotel offers the most beautiful setting for an autumn or winter wedding. Â The Victorian building is perfectly situated to offer a complete inclusive wedding package, with intimate dining spaces or lavish banqueting.
Yet what makes Rhinefield so desirable for your winter wedding is the ceremony space where a ten-foot Christmas Tree redolent with lights and decorations sits proudly against the floor to ceiling, stained glass window at the end of the aisle.
Just as magical is the grand staircase leading into the wedding ceremony space, perfect for photos and a grand entrance. Truly the location if you are looking for a winter venue out of a film set!
Have your perfect local pub for your wedding ceremony
An economic, trendy (yet also traditional) place to have your wedding day is at a fabulous local pub. This option is perfect for a micro wedding with many pubs offering private rooms for dining or even hire of the whole space. Popular for a while now in cities, this trend is now being seen as a perfect idea for country pubs in the southwest of England, who frequently have amazing and varied locations and décor to suit all tastes.
With a celebrant, you can have your wedding ceremony in the pub as well, creating a myriad of opportunities for your wedding venue to be the most original and atmospheric winter wedding.
Coombe Lodge, Blagdon, Somerset
An impressive Victorian building with the most stylish of early 20th Century interiors, Coombe Lodge is an unforgettable wedding venue and picture perfect for a winter wedding. With panoramic views of the Quantocks and within a close distances drive from Bristol or London, if you are looking for an awe-inspiring winter wedding venue with pizazz than Coombe is for you.
The ceremony can be held in the wood panelled lounge and gallery or if you prefer in the main spectacular entrance hall near the grand piano. Wherever you have your ceremony it will enhance the day and start your celebrations in style.
Photo credit the wonderful Laura https://www.freeformimages.co.uk/
Destination weddings do not have to be outside of the UK and the southwest has an abundance of perfect wedding venues, many of which are wonderful for winter weddings. The Ash Baron estate in North Devon is a superlative country house venue, set in over twenty acres of wonderful grounds with an abundance of options for a wedding. During the autumn and winter months the estate is transformed as the seasons change and the old evocative buildings evoke the colours and atmosphere of the seasons.
A candlelit wedding ceremony can be held anywhere, either in the barn, the old chapel, or the main house and with options for a large or small wedding party you can truly personalise where you want this to take place. You can even wrap up and have it outside under the oak tree, dusk would be idyllic, or inside gathered around a roaring log fire.
However, you choose to celebrate your wedding at Ash Barton, the ceremony will most definitely be a highlight of your day, whatever the season.
Photo of Juliette by the sea celebrant at a winter wedding ceremony at Rheinfeild House https://www.juliettebytheseacelebrant.co.uk/contact/
When you are considering having a winter wedding and start looking at venues, do consider how perfect a celebrant wedding ceremony would be there and how much joy and pleasure it will add to your day.
Most venues who offer winter weddings are licensed to have a registrar officiate your ceremony. However, this is not your only option, and you should be informed about your choices. If you have always dreamed of a personal wedding ceremony, then no matter what the season or where you can still have a celebrant. I, for one cannot wait to return to all of the above venues this winter.
