Thinking about getting married in the woods or the forest? Before you fall for the beautiful photographs online, there are a few things worth knowing about. Forest wedding venues can be wildly different. From a simple patch of woodland where you organise everything yourself to venues with accommodation, amenities, wedding planning support and trusted local suppliers, there’s a vast variety. We’ve seen it all at The Woods at Oakley, so we’re sharing the questions we think every couple should ask themselves, and their venues, before choosing their dreamy forest wedding setting.
Finding the Right Forest Wedding Venue for You
So, you’ve decided you want to get married in the woods. Excellent choice (although of course we might be biased). Now comes the slightly harder part: finding the right one.
At The Woods at Oakley, we’ve heard and seen a lot over the years from various wedding venues across Wiltshire and the country. Essentially, there’s a very diverse selection of woodland and forest venues out there. And it won’t take you long to figure it out yourself.
Simply search for forest wedding venues in google, or pop woodland weddings into ChatGPT and you’ll find everything from a completely untouched acre of thick forest with nothing but trees and woodland creatures, to beautifully organised venues surrounded by trees, where almost every detail has already been thought through. Neither is necessarily right or wrong. The important thing is knowing which kind of venue you’re looking for.
A woodland that comes with more
At The Woods at Oakley, you get the freedom of a woodland wedding without having to organise everything yourself. Alongside the woodland, we have an outdoor kitchen, fridges, toilets, bell tents and Airbnb accommodation, plus a wedding support service if you’d like a helping hand.
We’ve seen all kinds of weddings here, so we know what makes a woodland wedding work beautifully! Read on to learn from our experience and discover what to look for when choosing your own woodland setting.
What to know before booking a forest wedding venue
So the big question to ask before you get too carried away with the possibilities is: what actually comes with your woodland or forest
Here are the questions we think you should ask not only your venue, but also yourselves before diving into a planning process and figuring out later that you got a little caught up in the magic of mother nature!
1. How much help do you get with your woodland wedding?
Let’s start super simple. One of the first things to figure out amongst yourselves is how much help you want for your wedding; not just on the day itself but during the planning process. In fact, as a woodland venue, this is something we get asked about the most.
Some woodland wedding venues are more of a blank canvas, where you’re responsible for organising everything yourself (we’re talking everything from where to dispose of rubbish, where to pitch tents, how to inform suppliers about where they need to go on the day and whether caterers will have everything they need to cook a great meal). Meanwhile, other venues offer support throughout the planning process and on the wedding day itself (handy if you want to sit back and relax a bit more on the day).
So, when visiting a venue, find out whether you’ll have a dedicated contact and help with setup and timings, and you’ll be well on your way to a critical first decision.
2. What amenities are found on site in the woods?
From our experience hosting weddings here, the facilities and amenities are the deal breakers for our couples. A beautiful woodland setting is one thing, but you’ll also want to know what practical facilities come with the venue. Because let’s face it, if there aren’t any toilets nearby you’ve got a major problem to solve.
Ask about things like tables and chairs, toilets, electricity, lighting, heating, parking, Wi-Fi, bar facilities and spaces for getting ready. It’s absolutely worth understanding exactly what the venue provides before you start planning the rest of your wedding around things that might not be there for you on the day!
3. Is there accommodation in the forest or woods?
If you’re getting married somewhere surrounded by woodland or countryside, accommodation can make things much easier. Guests drive in from afar and there’s not much in the way of public transport.
So it’s worth checking with your potential forest wedding venue whether there is somewhere for you and your guests to stay on site, how many people it can accommodate and whether you can stay the night before or after the wedding. Otherwise, you’ll need to know if there’s somewhere nearby which can solve the same problem. That can work just as well, too!
Discover our wedding brochure here.
4. What’s the wet-weather plan (other than the canopy of trees!)?
As beautiful as an outdoor wedding can be in the UK, it’s important to know what happens if the weather doesn’t cooperate. It’s a possibility, and it shouldn’t put you off booking, but you should be prepared for the worst case scenario!
At a potential venue, find out what the backup plan is for your ceremony and reception, whether there are covered or indoor spaces, and how easy it is for guests to move around if the ground is wet. Perhaps the venue has some wet weather help in place. A good woodland venue should have a plan that means you don’t have to spend your wedding day (or the weeks before it) worrying about the weather.
For example, at The Woods at Oakley, we offer umbrellas for guests, a canopy for your ceremony and for your reception, the entire thing can fit under a stretch canvas. So, when our potential couples ask us about our wet weather plan, we’re ready to answer and reassure them that wet weather can’t hurt their plans!
5. How private is the forest venue?
One of the biggest attractions of a woodland wedding is the feeling of being surrounded by nature and away from everything else. But some forests and woodlands double up as public spaces, so you might bump into hikers or people having a picnic nearby.
Ask whether you’ll have exclusive use of the venue and whether other guests, visitors or events could be taking place nearby. Having the woodland to yourselves can make the whole day feel much more personal and intimate, however if you don’t mind some passersby, that’s also fine!
6. How flexible is the outdoor space?
So you’ve got a forest or woodland. That’s great! But why can you actually do with the setting?
Every couple has a slightly different idea of their perfect wedding, so it’s worth finding out how much freedom you have to use the space. Can you have your ceremony there legally (is a good start)? Can guests enjoy drinks among the trees? Are you able to decorate the space and choose where different parts of the day take place? Are there any rules in place that might stop you from bringing to life your dream?
The more flexible the venue, the easier it is to create a wedding that feels like your own. But inflexible venues also have their benefits. For example, those venues which work with lots of weddings and which have a solid set-up can also provide tried and tested, trustworthy structures to your day.
7. Do they have connections with local suppliers?
Since you’re booking a venue outdoors, you might not have catering, furniture, flowers or entertainment, included (in fact, it’s likey that you don’t). So having connections with trusted local suppliers can make the planning process much easier, especially if you’re not from the immediate area in which your venue is located.
It’s super important then, to ask whether the venue has a list of recommended caterers, florists, photographers, entertainment, bars, caterers and other suppliers who potentially know the space well. A recommended supplier goes a long way and established relationships can save you time and give you confidence that everyone knows what they’re doing on the day.
Take a look at our Friends of the Woods brochure here.
8. What’s included in the forest venue (and what’s extra)?
It’s so important not just to look at the headline venue price and make a decision based not that, because extras truly add up. Find out exactly what’s included in each venue you visit and what you’ll need to arrange or pay for separately. It’s probably worth making some calculations for each, because what can seem cheap in the moment can add up when cutlery, glassware and chairs aren’t even included in the set-up.
Understanding the full picture from the beginning will make it much easier to plan your budget and stick to it!
9. What are the practicalities like in the woods?
As a venue that’s totally obsessed with the dream woodland aesthetic, we get how easy it is to get swept up in how beautiful a woodland venue looks. The wedding photography you see on our Instagram paints an enchanting picture, especially in the forest or woodland. But (sorry to ruin the mood) don’t forget about the practical details!
Think about parking, how guests will get around the venue, access for suppliers, distances between different areas and what the ground is like underfoot. These details might not be the most exciting part of choosing a venue, but they’ll make a big difference to how comfortable you, your guests and suppliers are on the day, plus how hard your planning process is.
10. What’s allowed in the forest setting?
At The Woods at Oakley, we have been blessed with some incredible weddings; from Indian marriages to Star Wars themes and much more. But it’s worth knowing a little about what’s possible before you start running ahead.
Choosing an outdoor venue like a woodland means you probably respect nature already, and don’t want to do anything to upset the balance of the environment. But every forest wedding venue will have its own rules about what you can and can’t do.
Find out what’s permitted when it comes to music, entertainment, candles, fires, decorations, outdoor activities and how late you can celebrate into the night. Knowing the restrictions upfront means you can make sure your plans work with the venue and your suppliers, rather than having to change them later.
11. Is the forest wedding venue accessible?
Accessibility is something that should be considered from the very beginning, particularly when you’re looking at a woodland setting. And we aren’t just talking about couples who have disabled guests or wheelchair users coming to the party. Think about whether elderly guests or anyone with limited mobility can comfortably access the ceremony, reception, toilets and other important areas. You might like to ask about parking, paths, night lighting, surfaces and accessible facilities so that everyone can enjoy the day as much as you!
12. Ultimately, does it actually feel like your perfect wedding venue?
Let’s get real! Don’t underestimate how a venue makes you feel. Although we’ve spoken a lot about practical things above, the feeling of your forest wedding venue should feel just right, and we truly believe that!
Photos can tell you what a place looks like, but visiting in person will tell you whether you can actually imagine getting married there. The right woodland setting should feel like more than just a beautiful backdrop, it should feel like the beginning of your wedding story.
What we offer at The Woods at Oakley
At The Woods at Oakley, we wanted to create a woodland wedding venue that gives you the freedom of a blank canvas without leaving you with a blank checklist. You can bring your own ideas, style the day your way and make the woodland completely your own, while still having all the things that make a wedding run smoothly. That includes an outdoor kitchen, fridges, proper toilets, bell tents and our Airbnb accommodation, so you and your guests can actually settle in and enjoy the woodland rather than simply visiting it for a few hours.
And if you’d like a little more help, our wedding support service is there when you need it. From helping you plan the practicalities to connecting you with our recommended local suppliers, we can take as much of the organising off your hands as you’d like. We know the woodland inside out, we know the suppliers who work well here and, most importantly, we know that no two weddings are the same. You get the freedom to create something completely yours, with a team behind you who can help make it happen.