Outdoor Wedding Venues Manchester

Outdoor Wedding Venues Manchester

So there may not be many outdoor wedding venues Manchester (hit me up if you know of any!), but there are LOTS of gems nearby. With the Cheshire countryside and the Peak District right on our doorstep, you don’t have travel far from Manchester to find a stunning venue if you want to get married outdoors.

During my decade as a Manchester wedding photographer, I’ve been fortunate enough to photograph many outdoor wedding ceremonies and receptions. I always find these ceremonies really special. There’s something about being in the great outdoors for a ceremony that makes the occasion feel uplifting and relaxed. If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, you might also want to check out my guide to DIY wedding venues in Cheshire for more inspiration!

Outdoor Wedding Ceremonies

In recent years, wedding venues have got behind the idea of outdoor wedding ceremonies in a big way. As long as there’s space, you’ll find many venues will be willing to accommodate your wish to be married outdoors, but not everywhere will be able to offer you a legally binding ceremony.

In England and Wales, a legal wedding must take place under a permanent structure. This means you must choose a venue with a licensed outdoor pagoda/bandstand etc or say your official vows and sign the register inside the venue.

However, don’t let this legal stuff put you off… if you’re set on getting married outside you could always do legal bit another day and opt for a celebrant for your ceremony. This allows you to customise your wedding vows and make the ceremony more personal to you. It also means you can hold your ceremony exactly where you’d like it to be.

Without further ado, here’s my guide to six stunning outdoor wedding venues within striking distance of Manchester!

 

Stock Farm Wedding Barn

Stock Farm wedding barn photographs from Courtney & Stephen’s outdoor wedding ceremony in Cheshire.

This bespoke wedding barn venue is located near Altrincham in Cheshire. It’s only a 30 minute drive away from Manchester city centre and is close to Manchester airport too. The pretty countryside setting is ideal for an outdoor wedding; think rolling corn fields and blue skies overhead when you tie the knot.

At Stock Farm, wedding ceremonies take place on the lawn which is a sizeable spot for large guest numbers. What’s great about Stock Farm is that’s it’s licensed for legal ceremonies, you’ll just need to pop inside the house at the end of your public ceremony to do the legal bit.

Stock Farm Wedding Barn is also pet-friendly and offers a lot of outdoor reception choices, thanks to the vast grounds. You can hold your wedding breakfast inside the large barn, a marquee or a tipi. Or perhaps even have a picnic with street food vans rocking up to serve you, how cool would that be?

 

Hilltop BarnHilltop Barn wedding photography  from Coleen & Sam’s outdoor wedding in Cheshire.

This is another barn wedding venue, this time located in Stockport. It’s a special countryside gem close to Manchester, nestled in the stunning Peak District countryside near Lyme Park. In fact, it’s so close to Manchester it boasts fantastic views over the city which you can enjoy with your guests.

Hilltop Barn has a quiet and enclosed lawn that’s set apart for wedding ceremonies. It doesn’t have a permanent outdoor structure, so ceremonies here need to be conducted by a celebrant of your choice. This gives you the freedom to structure your ceremony however you would like. Colleen & Sam chose Karen Hewitt as the celebrant for their wedding.

For your reception, Hilltop Barn offers a cool rustic setting that’s perfect for a relaxed and informal day. Plus, there’s camping space outdoors for your guests to stay over, bonus!

 

Penney Fields

Penny Fields wedding photography from Katie & Andy’s tipi wedding in Cheshire.

I’ve mentioned Penney Fields in one of my guides before and I guess I love this place for its simplicity! Penney Fields is a completely DIY wedding venue. Put simply, it’s a field for hire in the Cheshire countryside. Everything else you choose for your wedding there is up to you!

Penney Fields lends itself to outdoor ceremonies thanks to the vast open space available. You can choose your own celebrant and customise your ceremony however you would like, with absolutely no restriction on how many guests you can invite. Katie & Andy chose Louise at The Ceremony Company, who put together a lovely handfasting wedding ceremony for them.

If you love the idea of a festival wedding and you want somewhere close to Manchester, I don’t think you’ll find somewhere more fitting than Penney Fields!

 

Thornsett Fields Farm

Thornsett Fields Farm wedding photography from Mel & Adam’s outdoor wedding

This farm wedding venue in the Peak District is a little further from the other venues, but well worth it if you want to be wed in the open countryside. Nestled in the rolling hills of the Peaks, Thornsett Farm is a DIY wedding venue set on a working farm. Think tractors, hay bales and friendly sheep!

The ceremonies here take place outside the barn on the lawn, with views over the hills (and sheep baa-ing in the background!) Like Katie & Andy, Mel & Adam also chose Louise from The Ceremony Company as their celebrant, as this venue isn’t licensed for official ceremonies. Nevertheless, Thornsett Fields Farm is a pretty place to tie the knot and the rustic barn is bang on for an informal wedding reception.

 

Manley Mere

Manley Mere wedding photographs from Becky & John’s licensed outdoor wedding

This is the furthest venue away from Manchester in this guide, but well worth considering as it’s within an hours drive and is licensed for legal weddings outside. Manley Mere’s setting is pretty cool too. It’s right next to a huge lake which hosts water sports and adventure trails. It’s a perfect wedding venue if you’re a sporty or outdoorsy couple.

The ceremonies at Manley Mere are held outside in the gardens under the pagoda. It’s a quiet spot with lots of trees and flowers, plus a little bridge to walk over to make your grand entrance! You can have your reception in the marquee and you and your guests can enjoy the views of the lake during the day.

 

Outdoor Wedding Venues Near Manchester

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to Outdoor wedding venues Manchester! I hope to add more venues to my list as I go along. If you would like to have me along to photograph your outdoor wedding, I would love to hear from you. Please fill out my contact form and I will get back to you as soon as possible.