The traditional hotel ballroom wedding is making way for something more relaxed and way more personal. Instead of fixed schedules and formal rooms, couples are saying “yes” to outdoor spaces, longer celebrations, and casual settings. As a result, festival weddings are well and truly having their moment! As a woodland wedding venue in Wiltshire, we hear from many couples looking to create boho-style, festival weddings that give them the freedom to be totally unique. Does this sound like you? Here’s why the Woods at Oakley works just perfectly for your festival wedding dreams.

What Is a Festival Wedding?

If you’ve ever been to a big music festival, perhaps a cultural one or even just a food or drink festival, you’ll know that there’s a certain atmosphere you just can’t beat. People gather to celebrate, dance and meet new people; it’s a place where freedom and creativity thrive.

It’s therefore unsurprising that the festival theme has made its way into the world of weddings. After all, who doesn’t want a dose of that festival spirit at their big day?

Over the years, countless couples have enquired with us, asking whether we can host festival-style or boho weddings, and the answer is, yes!
In their eyes, a festival wedding is a relaxed, outdoor way of celebrating that takes its inspiration from the feel of a weekend festival rather than a traditional formal event. The day is usually spread across different moments and spaces, with music, food and guests wandering freely throughout. All in all, it focuses less on structure and more on atmosphere, giving people space to gather and connect.

Why Does The Woods at Oakley Work as a Festival Wedding Venue?

Our Wiltshire woodland venue, only 20 minutes from Salisbury, lends itself wonderfully to the festival-style wedding. With leafy canopies, woodland paths and green spaces in all directions, weddings here are born from a nature-rich blank canvas and backdrop ideal for boho vibes and festival merriment.

With a vision, some creativity and a little help from suppliers and talented friends, many couples achieve the festival wedding of their dreams here under the trees. Think fairy lights, fire pits, bunting, wildflowers, long tables, pizza vans, bars on wheels, lawn games, and you can begin to image what is possible here under the trees.

Our couples often talk about the strong connection to the surrounding environment that the venue offers, too. The Stonehenge Aquifer runs right beneath the woods here, adding some more quiet depth to the landscape that you can’t see, but can feel in the setting above.

wedding guests dance under a tipi with fairy lights

What Facilities Do We Offer For Your Festival Wedding?

A festival wedding at The Woods at Oakley is built to feel like a real outdoor celebration. Everything you need is already in place! The idea is simple; guests arrive into a bright woodland that functions a bit like a small festival site! You’ll find different areas for getting ready, relaxing, eating and staying overnight, all spread perfectly through the trees. Here’s what we offer:

  • Outdoor toilets (modern, accessible and well-maintained facilities designed for comfort throughout the day)
  • Glamping tents available for a full festival-style overnight stays
  • Outdoor showers for glamping guests
  • Fully functioning outdoor kitchen space for caterers
  • An industrial fridge for food prep and service
  • On-site parking for guests
  • The Nissen Hut, a main Airbnb-style property with two bedrooms, used for both getting ready and overnight stays, offering a more solid indoor space alongside the outdoor setting
  • Woodland swing and small natural features throughout the site perfect for your wedding photography
  • Other highlights: we have rescue animals onsite and a children’s playground to entertain small guests!

How Does Our Festival-Style Camping and Glamping Work for Wedding Guests?

One of the best parts of a festival wedding venue like ours, is that you don’t have to rush off at the end of the night! Instead, guests can stay on-site and make a proper weekend of it, with bell tents tucked into the Oak Grove right on the edge of the woodland and looking out over rolling countryside.

The tents sit hidden among the trees, and as evening sets in, soft pea lights are strung through the woodland to guide everyone back after the celebrations. Toilets and showers are right nearby so guests can freshen up in the morning while still feeling like they’re right in the middle of nature.

Breakfast can also be taken care of, with hampers delivered straight to your accommodation, whether that’s a bell tent or The Nissen Hut. Each one includes freshly baked pastries, muesli, milk, orange juice, butter, jam and marmalade, with vegan options available as well.

Learn more about our bell tents in our wedding brochure.

Wedding guests

How to Create a Festival-Style Wedding That Feels Effortless

A festival wedding at The Woods at Oakley works best when it feels natural to you as a couple. One of the best part is that you don’t need to over plan every moment like you might at a traditional wedding. Choose some festival or boho-style elements, bring them all together and you’re well on your way to creating the wedding of your festival dreams!

  • Use the bell tent accommodation so guests can stay on-site and turn the wedding into a full weekend
  • Keep decor chilled and natural with long tables, wildflowers, rugs, lanterns, bunting and soft lighting
  • Bring in live music; maybe an acoustic set during the ceremony, a roaming band during the afternoon or a DJ as the evening builds
  • Encourage festival-style dress codes and shoes so guests can move comfortably between spaces and feel part of the setting
  • Build in interactive moments like lawn games or fire pits so guests naturally move and mingle
  • Don’t opt for a formal sit down meal, but choose a couple of your favourite food vans (maybe that’s a pizza truck, a vegan salad bar and a fish and chip van) and allow people to choose at their own will
  • Explore more inspiration for relaxed outdoor celebrations in our guide to creative woodland wedding activities

Planning Your Festival Wedding at The Woods at Oakley

Ready to start planning your festival-style wedding at The Woods at Oakley? Come and visit us for a walk through the woodland and a chat about how your day could look in the space.

Contact us to book your viewing!