Tewkesbury sits where the River Severn and River Avon meet and has been described as having one of the best medieval townscapes in England. Around 30 of its historic alleyways still survive, alongside medieval cottages, Tudor houses and Georgian buildings.

And there are far more wedding venues in and around Tewkesbury than you might initially think.

You can marry in a 900-year-old Abbey, take over a Georgian manor for the weekend, have a large hotel wedding overlooking the countryside, celebrate beside the River Severn or choose something much smaller and more relaxed in the middle of town.

I'm Eleanor Dailey, a wedding photographer based in Tewkesbury, and I've been photographing people, places and life for more than 25 years.

So if you're wondering where to get married in Tewkesbury, here are some local venues worth knowing about.

Tewkesbury Park

If you're looking for a Tewkesbury wedding venue with countryside views but all the convenience of a hotel, Tewkesbury Park is an obvious place to start.

Sitting above the town on Lincoln Green Lane, Tewkesbury Park combines a historic manor-house setting with extensive grounds, hotel accommodation and large modern wedding spaces.

Its Cotswolds Suite, Berkeley Bar and Terrace can accommodate civil ceremonies for up to 130 guests, private dining for up to 130 and evening receptions for as many as 300 people. Smaller celebrations can also be accommodated within the historic part of the hotel.

From a photography point of view, one of its biggest advantages is simply space. You have lawns, mature trees, terraces, open countryside and big Gloucestershire skies. It means we can disappear for ten or fifteen minutes for photographs without you having to leave your wedding behind for an hour-long photoshoot.

Tewkesbury Park wedding website:
https://tewkesburypark.co.uk/celebrate/weddings/

Gupshill Manor

Gupshill Manor is a completely different sort of Tewkesbury wedding venue, and that's one of the reasons I like including it. Rather than a large wedding hotel, Gupshill is a traditional pub, restaurant and function venue just outside the centre of Tewkesbury on Gloucester Road.

Its separate function room can accommodate up to 150 guests, with a private dining room for up to 30 and the main dining room available for groups of up to 70. Gupshill specifically offers the venue for wedding receptions as well as other celebrations.

I think it could work particularly well for couples who want a Tewkesbury Abbey wedding followed by a relaxed reception nearby.

Gupshill Manor wedding and function website:
https://gupshillmanor.com/functions/

Hilton Puckrup Hall Hotel & Golf Club

Just north of Tewkesbury near Twyning, Puckrup Hall gives you the full country-hotel wedding experience.

It's surrounded by around 140 acres of Gloucestershire countryside and has 112 guest rooms, making it a particularly practical option if you have lots of friends and family travelling for the wedding.

One particularly interesting option is the Regency Manor House, which has 16 bedrooms, landscaped lawns and its own ballroom.

For larger weddings, the main Ballroom can accommodate up to 180 guests for a banquet, while the hotel has a range of other event spaces and wedding packages. So everyone can stay there. That can make a surprising difference to how relaxed a wedding feels.

Nobody is worrying about taxis halfway through the speeches, family can stay together and guests can simply wander upstairs at the end of the night.

Hilton Puckrup Hall wedding and events website:
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/bhxphhn-hilton-puckrup-hall-hotel-and-golf-club-tewkesbury/events/

Bredon Manor

If you're looking for something more private, Bredon Manor is one of the most interesting wedding venues close to Tewkesbury.

It's an early 18th-century Georgian manor house at Bredon, surrounded by gardens and overlooking the countryside near the River Avon.

Rather than simply hiring a room for a day, couples can take over the estate for an exclusive-use wedding weekend, including the manor house, grounds, barn and pool.

The barn can seat up to 80 guests, while larger weddings can use a marquee on the front lawn for up to 150.

There's also accommodation on site for up to 16 guests.

One of the loveliest details is St Giles' Church immediately next door.

Couples marrying there can walk directly from the church through a private gate into the gardens at Bredon Manor.

And because the estate is yours for the weekend, it has the potential to feel more like an enormous house party than a conventional hotel wedding.

Bredon Manor wedding website:
https://www.bredonmanor.com/weddings

Twyning Park

Another beautiful option north of Tewkesbury is Twyning Park.

Twyning Park is a Grade II-listed country house overlooking the River Avon, with the oldest part of the house dating from the mid-17th century.

The house retains original features including oak panelling, sash windows, fireplaces and ornate staircases, while outside there are around five acres of grounds, including lawns, a rose garden, secret garden and river meadow.

For weddings, couples can create anything from a relatively intimate celebration to a much larger event, with marquee locations available beside the River Avon meadow or on the main lawn in front of the house.

Twyning Park wedding website:
https://www.twyningpark.com/

The Tudor House Hotel, Tewkesbury

For something completely different, there is The Tudor House Hotel right in the centre of Tewkesbury.

The timber-framed building dates from 1546 and sits directly on Tewkesbury High Street. Inside you'll find oak beams, leaded windows and characterful historic rooms, while outside there's a secret garden and the old town on the doorstep.

The Tudor House offers weddings and other private celebrations, with several different spaces available depending on the size of the gathering.

I think this could be particularly good for a smaller Tewkesbury wedding.

Tudor House Hotel weddings and events website:
https://tudorhousehotel.co.uk/wedding-events/

Lower Lode Inn

And then there is an option for couples who want almost the complete opposite of a traditional country-house wedding.

The Lower Lode Inn is at Forthampton, just outside Tewkesbury, directly on the banks of the River Severn.

It's a traditional pub dating back to the 15th century, with a riverside beer garden, five guest rooms and even a riverside campsite.

For weddings and celebrations, it has a separate licensed function hall overlooking the river with its own bar and live-music facilities. The venue specifically welcomes both wedding ceremonies and receptions.

Lower Lode Inn website:
https://www.lowerlodeinn.co.uk/

And Of Course — Tewkesbury Abbey

It would be impossible to talk about getting married in Tewkesbury without mentioning the Abbey.

The present Tewkesbury Abbey was consecrated in 1121, making it more than 900 years old, and its Norman tower still dominates the town.

It is a truly extraordinary place to hold a wedding ceremony.

I've written a separate guide explaining its history, who can get married at Tewkesbury Abbey, Church of England wedding requirements and what makes the Abbey so interesting photographically.

READ NEXT: Getting Married at Tewkesbury Abbey — A Local Wedding Photographer's Guide

Which Tewkesbury Wedding Venue Is Right for You?

What's particularly nice about the wedding venues around Tewkesbury is that they aren't all variations on the same idea.

If you want a large hotel wedding with countryside views and plenty of guest accommodation, have a look at Tewkesbury Park or Puckrup Hall.

If you're imagining an exclusive-use country-house wedding weekend, Bredon Manor or Twyning Park could be much closer to what you're looking for.

For a relaxed wedding reception after a church ceremony, Gupshill Manor gives you a less formal option.

For something small, historic and right in the heart of Tewkesbury, have a look at the Tudor House.

If your dream is riverside, informal and slightly unconventional, the Lower Lode is definitely worth knowing about.

And if you want history on an altogether different scale, there's always Tewkesbury Abbey.

There isn't really a "best" wedding venue.

It's about finding the place that feels most like the wedding you actually want to have.

Tewkesbury Wedding Photography

One advantage of choosing a wedding photographer who actually lives in Tewkesbury is that this isn't somewhere I simply arrive at with Google Maps open on the dashboard.

I know the town. I know the Abbey, the rivers, the medieval streets and alleyways.

I know where we can slip away for photographs without turning the middle of your wedding day into a photoshoot. And that's important to me.

My wedding photography is primarily natural, relaxed and documentary-led.

I want to photograph what really happens.

Because ultimately, your wedding photographs should be about your day — not about the photography.

Planning a Wedding in Tewkesbury?

I'm Eleanor Dailey, a Tewkesbury-based wedding photographer, with more than 25 years' experience behind the camera.

I photograph weddings throughout Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and the Cotswolds, as well as further afield.

So whether you're getting married at Tewkesbury Abbey, Tewkesbury Park, Gupshill Manor, Puckrup Hall, Bredon Manor, Twyning Park, Tudor House, Lower Lode or somewhere completely different, I'd love to hear what you're planning.

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