An amazing Outdoor Wedding in the heart of the lake district
By CAROLINE LANGHAM
Outdoor Weddings
Whether you consider yourself the outdoorsy type or not, you can’t help but love the view from this beautiful small Lake District outdoor wedding ceremony. Choosing the perfect wedding venue for you is probably the most significant decision you make (after the “Yes, I will” decision of course!)
If you love the lakes, enjoy walking the fells, wild swimming, mountain biking or prefer gentle strolls along the lake shores; we think that our small and intimate wedding venue has a lot to offer.
Small Lake District outdoor wedding venue
Perfect in size for smaller, more intimate weddings. Cote How is centrally located in the heart of the Lakes and surrounded by natural, unspoilt beauty from every angle. For an outdoor wedding, you have a choice of three licensed ceremony options. The barn, the barn terrace or the barn gazebo. Plus there is always the back-up pf the house ceremony rooms should mother nature force our hand!
Laura and Peter's Small Outdoor Wedding
But don’t take our word for it, take a look at this gorgeous and beautifully coordinated wedding from May when Laura and Peter opted for an elegant outdoor wedding amidst Wordsworth’s romantic landscape; with the mountains standing proud as witnesses!
The Bike-Themed Wedding Weekend
Laura and Peter checked in with us on Friday afternoon for the weekend accompanied by their A team of helpers. We spent time in the barn together, carefully unpacking all of their bike-themed wedding trinkets to add to the barn decor to personalise their wedding.
Look at these tasty treats – Home-baked by Laura and her sister the day before!
A Groom's Best Friend
The groomsmen were ready early and enjoyed some time relaxing in the garden with Meg, Laura and Peter’s lovely Labrador as they waited for their guests to arrive.
The guests enjoyed some refreshing Pimms and a selection of cold beers on the house terrace while the registrars got settled in, and interviews performed.
Wedding Ceremony Time
When it was time to go, the guests were ushered down to the barn outdoor ceremony space as Laura, and her maids got ready to make their grand entrance to the ever-popular Bruno Mars and “Marry Me”.
The ceremony went without a hitch and was beautifully captured here by Jenna. I love this black and white photograph from inside the barn.
Did You Know...
The current rules on marriages state that you have to be married in a licensed room, and that room must be a fixed structure with a roof and a footing! For our outdoor weddings, the couple stand beneath the eaves of the barn while their guests can enjoy the glorious sunshine and stunning views outside!
“You may kiss your bride” and the happy couple lead their guests back up the hill and on to the drinks reception on the house terrace. A favourite highlight for me too, the official part of the day had done without a hitch and everyone begins to relax a little, and enjoy the moment!
The Drinks Reception
Everyone was buzzing with excitement and there was a frenzy of hugs and kisses for the happy couple. The guests all enjoyed a tasty selection of delicious freshly prepared canapes, and a celebratory glass of fizz to congratulate the happy couple.
Plenty of time for photographs in the grounds and by the lakeshore followed as the guests enjoyed the lovely setting.
Time Out by the Lake
Jenna took Laura and Peter down to the lakeshore for some precious time together while she captured these beautiful shots.
The bench one is one of my favourites too, we pass this spot every day on our morning walks at the moment!
The Wedding Breakfast
Now it was time for those all-important speeches. Some heartfelt words from the bridegroom and his two best men before the cutting of the beautiful cake of cheeses!
The wedding breakfast was a delicious two courses served to the table along with a choice of wines tea and coffee.
The Evening Reception
The evening reception was hosted by the fabulous live singer Alex Birtwell who frequents Cote how often, bringing his flair for fun and great live music. Alex had a hard time dragging the guests back into the barn from the gloriously sunny barn terrace… So he reverted to singing outside and kicked the evening off with the first dance alfresco as the sunset over Rydal Water – It was an idyllic moment and the perfect end to a perfect wedding.
Laura and Peter opted for our Weekend Wedding package with a few additional extras. Read more about our weekend weddings here.
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Most of these photographs are by the very talented Jenna carpenter. One or two by Caroline on her phone!
Photography by Jenna Carpenter
Entertainment by Alex Birtwell
Dried flowers by Laura herself
if you have enjoyed this blog, that’s great, I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
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