Rose Castle is the perfect blank canvas to create your dream wedding and is exclusively yours for as long as you like.
Whether you want a magnificent two-day party, an intimate ceremony with afternoon tea, or anything in between, we’ll help you to celebrate with your family and friends in your own unique style.
6 beautifully restored reception rooms, a Chapel, and 60 acres of grounds offer plenty of space to celebrate in the way that you wish. And with spectacular views, manicured gardens, intimate nooks, and elegant interiors, the opportunities for incredible photographs are almost endless.
As your personal wedding planner, we’ll work with you to make your dreams a reality. Revel in the possibilities, not the practicalities, and we’ll delight in the challenge of how to make your ideas happen.
Celebrate with your family and friends in your own unique style.
Say ‘I do’ in the splendour of the Chapel, in one of our elegant reception rooms, or in the profound intimacy of the walled Pettinger’s Garden.
The Chapel, on the first floor of the castle, is a light and airy space flooded with colour from the handmade stained glass windows and gleaming with low-hanging lights and chandeliers, polished wood and gilt. Make your way to the altar accompanied by music from the grand piano or recorded music of your choice, and take your vows beneath the beautiful Victorian stain glass windows. We can seat 80 guests in traditional pews and chairs. An extra 20 can be accommodated for larger ceremonies.
The State Drawing Room is a stunning setting to hold larger civil ceremonies. This exquisite space is warm and welcoming with its 19th century hand-painted Chinoiserie wall coverings and large bay windows, framed with shutters, providing wonderful pastoral views of the main lawn, the gardens, the fields and tree-lined river beyond. There’s space to seat up to 70 guests.
For smaller ceremonies, the Bishops Study offers a warm and intimate setting. This book-lined room with its open fire, subtle lighting and windows overlooking the main lawn has space for up to 30 guests.
Or perhaps you’d prefer to get married outside. The walled enclave of the beautiful Pettinger’s Garden, with views of Helvelyn in the distance, is perfect for civil ceremonies. Seating can be arranged for up to 50 guests.
Say ‘I do’ in the splendour of the Chapel, in one of our elegant reception rooms, or in the profound intimacy of the walled Pettinger’s Garden.
After you’ve said your vows, sweep down the grand staircase and out onto the Bishop’s Lawn under a rainbow of confetti to greet your guests. You’re married!
Whilst you are off having your photographs taken with the Lake District fells in the background, your guests will be enjoying a cocktail or champagne on the Bishop’s Lawn or in the magnificent State Dining Room. Keep your guests entertained with a game of croquet or cricket on the lawn or invite them to relax in the opulent surroundings of the State Drawing Room. This is the time for your guests to explore. The castle and grounds are all yours.
When it comes time for the wedding breakfast, the choice is again, all yours.
Feast on a banquet in the elegant State Dining Room with its stone fireplaces and views overlooking the beautiful grounds. There’s seating for up to 68 in a range of layouts:
Alternatively, if it’s a sunny day you can eat out on the Bishop’s Lawn. Tables can be set up outside in a style of your choosing.
For much larger gatherings, we can offer a wide range of marquees, pavilions and teepees. A reception in one of these spaces gives you much more flexibility in terms of the number of guests, type of entertainment, and even the view your guests get to enjoy. Simply let us know how many guests you expect and we will provide you with a set of options.
From hot buffet to barbeque, three-course meal, tasting menu over five or six courses, to a full banquet, we’ve got you covered. Our brand new industrial kitchen is fully equipped to cover all kinds of options. We will provide you with sample menus and work with you to draw out the perfect wedding breakfast for your big day.
If you like, we can set up a bar and stock it with your choice of drinks. Your bar could be set up on the Bishop’s Lawn, the State Dining Room, or in the Peace Library away from the main hub. We have an extensive wine and beverage menu for you to choose from. Alternatively, you can bring in your own wine, but as a licensed venue, we will need to charge a fee for corkage.
Dance the night away in the State Dining Room. Play music through the Sonos speakers or invite a band to entertain your guests. There’s space for up to 100 people.
Or perhaps you want to relax in the magnificent State Drawing Room. Should you wish to have fireworks, this would be the perfect vantage point to enjoy them.
For larger parties of up to 400 people, a marquee or pavilion out on the lawn offers the perfect setting. However you want to celebrate, the castle and grounds are all yours to use as you wish.
The lovingly restored bridal suite features a super king size bed, stone fireplace and bay windows overlooking your castle’s grounds. The en suite bathroom features a roll-top bath, walk-in shower and twin basins.
With a further 12 double en suite bedrooms and 2 single rooms each with private bathroom, there’s also space for up to 26 of your most treasured guests to stay. Each double room can be configured with super king size or twin beds. Lift access is available for the three first floor bedrooms.
You and your guests will wake the next day to a breakfast of your choice. Gather in the State Dining Room or dine outside on the Bishop’s Lawn or Pettinger’s Garden, while soaking up the beautiful surroundings.
Want to extend your stay?
Along with your closest family and friends, the castle could be yours from Friday through to Sunday, or Saturday through to Monday. It’s entirely up to you.
The night before your wedding, we can arrange a dinner in the State Dining Room or a barbecue on the grounds for you and your loved ones to spend some quality time ahead of the big day.
However you want to spend your time, we’ll help you make it a wedding like no other.
Host an outdoor cinema on the Bishop’s Lawn. Dine alfresco in the evening sun. Enjoy a game of cricket on the large open space below the mantle wall. We can bring in a yoga teacher to host a class out on the lawn, or a massage therapist for ultimate relaxation. We can even hire a hot tub for you to use during your stay.
Venture beyond the castle grounds and there’s more to discover right on the doorstep. Take a boat trip on Lake Windermere. Climb Scafell Pike. Whatever you want to do, we can make it happen.
We’ll arrange an initial planning meeting where we’ll work with you to draw out the things you want from your big day. The castle and grounds are a blank canvas.
You will get to meet with the head chef, the operations manager and various members of the team to bring everything together for your big day. The chef will be able to discuss menu requirements with you, show you sample menus for inspiration and offer a tasting session so you can get everything just right.
You will have one point of contact from the initial meeting all the way through to your big day, so you know you’re in capable hands. You will also have access to a private online space to check progress and send notes.
Our mission is to make the planning and build-up to your big day as stress-free as possible. We will do as little or as much as you ask us to. These are just some of the items we can help you with:
We will use our bespoke K.I T.E (Keeping It Exceptional) system to gather information from guests and suppliers so we can ensure a memorable experience for you and your guests.
Your guests will be sent a short survey where we will collect information including dietary requirements and travel arrangements. If we know your guests are travelling by train, for example, we can arrange for a car to collect them from the station. We can even send your invitations via K.I T.E and collate RSVPs so we have a real-time record of who will be attending.
We will take care of organising all these finer details so you can relax with the peace of mind that everything is in hand.
The same Rose Castle team working to bring your dream to life will be there on the big day to ensure everything runs like clockwork.
Rose Castle is typically charged at a 24 hour rate, arriving at 10am and leaving at 10am the following day. This includes exclusive hire of the venue and all bedrooms. If you wish to have the castle for two days or more, then we would simply charge you for each 24 hour period at the same rate.
Our 24 hour rate is £10,000 inc VAT. Please get in touch to enquire further.
Dogs are welcome at Rose Castle. This is your space, your time. If you want your four-legged friend to be part of your big day, we won’t stop you! We have three dog-friendly bedrooms.
There is disabled access to all ground floor and first floor areas of the castle, including the Chapel. There is one wheelchair accessible bedroom located on the first floor and accessible via lift. There is an adjoining single bedroom which can be used by a carer.
We also cater for other disabilities throughout the building, including visual fire alarms for any guests who are hard of hearing.
There is space for up to 40 cars within the castle grounds. Cars can be left overnight but must be collected by the time your period of exclusive hire ends.
We have a list of recommended suppliers, from florists to photographers and musicians, as well as nearby accommodation for your guests. We will share these with you during the planning meetings.
Live bands are more than welcome at Rose Castle. The best place for them to set up is at the far end of The State Dining Room.
Rose Castle is all yours to use as you wish for the duration of your exclusive hire. We are licensed until 1.30am and respectfully ask that no live music is played after this time.
