What a wonderful occasion a wedding is! The union of two people who love each other very much, a day of feasting and merrymaking, the chance to get your glad rags on and let your hair down. Devon, with its beautiful scenery, is naturally a popular location for weddings, but for those who don’t live nearby, finding the perfect wedding accommodation isn’t always easy, especially if there’s a large group of you. Until now.
There are so many glorious venues to get married in Devon, from the cutest country churches to castles, stately homes and rustic barns. There’s also a vast choice of guest accommodation – B&Bs, hotels, caravan sites and self-catering cottages. If there’s a large group of you travelling down to Devon for a wedding, an easy option is to book a big holiday cottage and make more of your stay; that way you’ve got more freedom to eat and get ready, and it makes more of the occasion if you’re sharing the excitement. Plus, you get a little holiday too, which is always a good thing. You might even need more than one cottage so you’ll need to be very well organised and book them on the same site if you can.
Take a look at our quick round up of places where larger groups can stay, places that make it all hassle free, where you can enjoy the facilities and a relaxing short break. These are also ideal if your party includes the happy couple; naturally they’ll have the best bedroom, you can hire pamperers to get you wedding-ready, caterers to cook you the tastiest wedding breakfast and even entertainment.
Just a few miles from Bampton and Tiverton and 45 minutes from Exeter, Kennard Hall is set in large grounds with sweeping views over the Exe Valley. This grand Victorian house sleeps 20 in 10 bedrooms, there’s an elegant pastel pink drawing room and classic style dining room, a movie room, bar, games room, and outside on the terrace, a pool and hot tub.
If the bride is in your party, this is a dream – heaps of space to get ready and for a cheeky toast to settle any nerves, and so many opportunities for photo shoots – the bedrooms, the bathrooms, the terrace, the grounds and a stunning historic staircase - imagine coming down in your wedding dress! What a shot for Insta and the wedding album!
This purpose-built holiday house is a superb backdrop to more modern weddings – just wait till you see the views from the terrace! On and on they roll over miles and miles of spectacular countryside, absolutely breathtaking at sunset. 10 bedrooms sleep up to 12, there’s a swim spa and Scandi style BBQ lodge, a pizza oven, and for younger folk, a brilliant play area.
A minute’s drive away is Dreamdays sleeping 13 with a pool, hot tub, sauna and games room, and Hillydays sleeping 10 with an outdoor pool, hot tub and BBQ lodge. Just a few miles away are Haydays with snooze space for 14, an indoor pool and hot tub, games room and BBQ lodge, and Big Thatch, a gorgeous country cottage with room for 12. On site are 3 high-end shepherd’s huts that each sleep 2 and have their own private hot tubs. Cullompton is 15 minutes away and Exeter, 35.
Tucked away in the winding lanes just a 5 minute drive from Honiton, Whispering Thatch is the epitome of an English country cottage, full of rustic character, thatched and so pretty. It sleeps 14 in 6 bedrooms and has a hot tub in the large garden. The 15 acre grounds are an idyllic setting for wedding pics, rolling down to the little River Luv and sun dappled woodlands, with far reaching views over The Otter Valley and the Blackdown Hills.
On the same site is Meadows Drift, sleeping 16, with a hot tub and games room, and Siskins Nook, a cosy little cottage for 4. Exeter and the Devon coast are within 30 minutes drive.
5 minutes from the peaceful town of Bampton, Berry House is a gorgeous Georgian house that stands on a hillside overlooking the Batherm Valley. This is so wonderfully country house, full of charm and character, with 8 bedrooms to sleep 16, an indoor saltwater pool, 2 games rooms, and a cinema room/yoga studio. Tiverton is 11 miles, within 15 minutes is Exmoor National Park.
Just a short drive from the timeless coastal villages of Beer and Branscombe, Hares Barton is a striking rustic-modern reinvention of a former dairy and hay barn. It sleeps 22, has a big games room, a spa hall with a pool and hot tub, and a barrel sauna. The location is so peaceful, with an outlook over an unspoilt valley to the rolling hills of East Devon. Colyton is less than 3 miles away, Lyme Regis 11 and Exeter, 23.
Harcombes is hidden away on a private estate in the breathtakingly beautiful East Devon National Landscape. Set over 3 floors this whopper of a barn conversion combines country character with colourful and eclectic interiors. 10 ensuite bedrooms sleep 20, a huge open plan living space allows for fun and games, and a huge terrace means you can relax outdoors and take in unspoilt views over the valley.
Onsite there’s a pool and games room, 2 more holiday houses sleeping 6 and an annexe for 2. Each cottage has exclusive use slots for the pool, if you book all 3 properties, it’s all yours for the whole of your stay. Honiton and Sidmouth, on the coast, can both be reached in 15 minutes, Exeter is 40 minutes away.