Thinking about getting married in a castle? Let’s talk about the bit nobody likes talking about first: money.
Because one of the first questions couples ask when they start looking at wedding venues is also one of the hardest to answer:
How much does a castle wedding actually cost?
The short answer is: it depends enormously on the kind of wedding you want.
A castle wedding doesn’t necessarily mean a huge guest list, three days of celebrations and a wedding budget that makes your eyes water. In fact, at Augill Castle in Cumbria, you can get married with just the two of you, celebrate with your closest ten guests, invite up to 40 people for a full castle wedding day, or take over the castle for an exclusive two-night celebration.
And, importantly, we publish our prices.
So, if you’re wondering whether a castle wedding is within reach, here’s a completely transparent look at what a wedding at Augill Castle currently costs.
First things first: what does a castle wedding cost at Augill Castle?
Our 2026 wedding packages range from £980 for an elopement for two to £9,600 for two nights of exclusive castle hire for up to 20 adults.
In between, we have smaller wedding packages designed around couples who want a proper celebration without necessarily wanting a huge traditional wedding.
Here’s how it breaks down.
How Much Does a Wedding for Two at a Castle Cost?
£980 – yes, you really can get married in a castle for under £1,000.
Our Just The Two Of Us elopement package is designed for couples who want the wedding to be about them rather than organising a huge day around everyone else.
For £980 including VAT, the package includes:
- Two nights in our Gatehouse Suite
- Breakfast
- Afternoon Tea for two with Prosecco on arrival
- Breakfast in bed on your wedding morning
- Your civil ceremony in the Drawing Room
- Two witnesses provided by us
- A bottle of Nyetimber to toast your marriage
- A three-course dinner on your wedding day
- Late checkout until noon
- A wedding co-ordinator to help with the planning
The legal paperwork and registrar arrangements are your responsibility, but once that’s sorted, you can arrive, stay, get married and enjoy the whole thing.
And if you’d like to bring a few more people into your castle escape, additional bedrooms are available when we’re able to accommodate them, from £220 per double room.
So, for couples searching for an elopement in Cumbria, a small castle wedding in the UK or simply a wedding that doesn’t require a year of planning and a guest list of 150, this can be a surprisingly achievable option.
What does a Small Castle Wedding Cost?
Maybe it’s not just the two of you. Maybe you wish to bring up to 12 people.
Maybe your essential wedding guest list is your parents, siblings, best friends and the people who have genuinely been part of your story.
That’s where our Mini Wedding Package comes in.
For £2,500 including VAT, you can invite up to 10 guests, plus the two of you, for an intimate wedding at Augill Castle.
That includes:
- Two nights in the Gatehouse Suite for the couple
- Breakfast
- Afternoon Tea for two with Prosecco on arrival
- Breakfast in bed on your wedding morning
- Civil ceremony in the Music Room
- Canapés and a glass of fizz after the ceremony
- Private use of the Drawing Room for your wedding breakfast and evening celebration
- Three-course dinner with house wine
- Two bottles of Nyetimber
- Late checkout until noon
- Wedding co-ordinator
Additional guest bedrooms, when available, start from £220 per night.
So if you’ve been searching for a small wedding venue in Cumbria or wondering whether you can have a beautiful castle wedding without inviting everyone you’ve ever met, this is where things start to get interesting.
How Much Does a Castle Wedding for 40 Guests Cost?
Perhaps you want more people around the table, a castle wedding for up to 4?
Our Maxi Wedding Package is designed for up to 40 guests – that’s 38 guests plus the two of you – and gives you exclusive use of the castle and grounds for your wedding celebration from 3pm until midnight.
The price is:
£2,080 venue hire + £125 per person, including VAT.
For 40 people, that works out at:
£7,080 in total.
And that includes:
- Exclusive non-residential use of the castle and grounds
- Your civil ceremony in the Music Room
- Canapés
- A glass of fizz after the ceremony
- Three-course dinner
- House wine
- A glass of fizz for the toast
- Dedicated wedding co-ordinator
If you’d like to stay overnight, rooms are available when we can accommodate them, from £220 per night.
This is an interesting option for couples who want a genuine castle wedding reception in Cumbria, but don’t necessarily need the expense of taking over the castle for an entire weekend.
How Much Does Exclusive Castle Wedding Hire Cost?
Then there’s the full Augill experience – from £9,600 for two nights of exclusive castle hire
Our Exclusively Yours wedding package is for couples who want the castle to themselves.
For £9,600 including VAT, you get two nights of exclusive use for up to 20 adults across our 10 bedrooms and suites, including breakfast on both days.
And this isn’t simply paying for a building and then having to organise everything else.
The package includes:
- Two nights’ exclusive use
- Accommodation for up to 20 adults
- Breakfast on both mornings
- Tea and scones on arrival
- Two-course supper on the first evening
- Breakfast in bed for the bride and attendants
- Civil ceremony in the Music Room
- Prosecco and canapés while photographs are taken
- Three-course wedding dinner with house wine
- Prosecco for the toast
- Late checkout until noon
- Wedding co-ordinator
You can also add an evening buffet from £15 per person.
And if your guest list is bigger than the 20 people staying at the castle, additional non-resident day guests can be added, from £95 per person, including canapés, Prosecco, dinner and wine.
Single midweek nights may also be available from £4,800.
So what does that mean in real terms?
Here’s the useful bit.
| Wedding style | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Elopement for two | £980 |
| Mini wedding – up to 12 guests | £2,500 |
| Maxi wedding – up to 40 guests | £2,080 + £125 per person |
| Maxi wedding – 40 people | £7,080 |
| Exclusive castle wedding – up to 20 staying guests | £9,600 |
| Additional day guests for exclusive hire | from £95 per person |
| Additional guest bedrooms | from £220 per night |
| Evening buffet | from £15 per person |
All of those prices include VAT.
And that is why we think it’s worth being honest about wedding costs.
Because “castle wedding” doesn’t automatically mean “£30,000 wedding”.
What Other Wedding Costs Do You Need to Budget For?
This is where couples need to look beyond the headline venue price.
A wedding venue package isn’t necessarily your entire wedding budget.
Depending on what you want, you may also need to budget for things such as:
- Wedding photography
- Flowers and bouquets
- Hair and make-up
- Wedding outfits
- Rings
- Cake
- Music or entertainment
- Additional drinks
- Decorations and styling
- Wedding stationery
- Transport
- Registrar and legal fees
- Additional accommodation
- Evening food or additional catering
Some couples will want all of these things. Others won’t.
And that’s actually one of the reasons we like weddings at Augill to be flexible.
You might want a photographer who follows you around the grounds all afternoon, a beautiful cake and flowers everywhere you look.
Or you might want to wear something you’ve had for years, bring your favourite people, drink Champagne, eat really good food and spend most of the day outside.
Neither is more of a wedding than the other.
How Much Does a Castle Wedding Cost Per Person?
The cost per person can tell a different story. It’s also worth looking at the numbers another way.
A £9,600 wedding can sound like a lot when you see the headline figure.
But that price includes two nights’ exclusive use of the castle, accommodation for up to 20 adults, breakfasts, supper, your ceremony, canapés, drinks, a three-course wedding dinner, wine, wedding co-ordination and more.
For 20 adults, that’s effectively £480 per person for two nights and the wedding experience, before you start adding the personal extras that make the day yours.
Meanwhile, our £2,500 Mini Wedding gives you a very different kind of celebration: your closest people, your ceremony, a private room, dinner, fizz, accommodation for the couple and two nights at the castle.
It’s not about choosing the “cheapest” wedding.
It’s about choosing the right wedding for you.
Can you really have a small wedding in a castle?
Absolutely.
And this is something we think gets missed when couples start searching for castle wedding venues.
You don’t need 100 guests.
You don’t need a huge wedding party.
You don’t need to spend three years planning it.
You don’t even need to bring 20 people.
You can come to Augill Castle, get married with just the two of you, have afternoon tea, stay for two nights, eat a lovely dinner, drink a bottle of Nyetimber and go home married.
Or bring ten of your favourite people.
Or 40.
Or take the whole castle for the weekend.
Your wedding doesn’t have to fit a template just because the building has turrets.
What makes an Augill Castle wedding different?
For us, it’s not really about putting a price on a “castle wedding”.
It’s about creating a wedding that feels like you.
Augill is a castle, but it is also a place where people can kick off their shoes, sit around the fire, wander through the gardens, have another drink, eat together and stay up talking.
That’s why our weddings tend to be smaller and more personal.
We’re not trying to turn your wedding into a production.
We want you to have the castle, the people you love, really good food, somewhere beautiful to sleep and enough time to actually enjoy being married.
So, How Much Should You Budget for a Castle Wedding?
If you’re looking at Augill Castle, the honest answer is:
From £980 for an elopement.
From £2,500 for an intimate wedding for up to 12.
From £7,080 for a 40-person castle wedding.
From £9,600 for two nights of exclusive castle hire for up to 20 adults.
Then you build the rest around the things that matter to you.
And perhaps that’s the most important thing to remember when you’re setting your wedding budget.
You don’t need to start with a number someone else tells you a wedding should cost.
Start with the people.
Then the place.
Then the things that will make you ridiculously happy on the day.
Everything else can follow.
Want to see what your castle wedding could look like?
You can explore all of our Augill Castle wedding packages, see what’s included and start planning your own celebration.
Because whether you’re looking for a castle elopement in Cumbria, a small wedding venue near the Lake District, an intimate wedding for your closest family or exclusive use of a castle for the whole celebration, we’d love to show you what’s possible.
And yes, we’ll talk about the money.
No mysterious “contact us for pricing” required.
Frequently Asked Questions About Castle Wedding Costs
How much does a castle wedding cost?
The cost of a castle wedding varies depending on the size and style of celebration. At Augill Castle in Cumbria, wedding packages start at £980 for an elopement for two, with larger celebrations available for up to 40 guests and exclusive castle hire from £9,600.
What is the cheapest way to get married in a castle?
One of the most affordable ways to have a castle wedding is to choose an elopement or very small wedding rather than exclusive hire for a large number of guests. At Augill Castle, our elopement package for two starts at £980 including VAT, with a ceremony, accommodation, dinner and other wedding essentials included.
How much does it cost to hire a castle for a wedding in the UK?
Castle wedding hire varies considerably depending on the venue, number of guests, length of stay and what is included. At Augill Castle, two nights of exclusive castle hire for up to 20 adults starts at £9,600 including VAT, with accommodation, meals, drinks, the ceremony and wedding co-ordination included.
Can you have a small wedding in a castle?
Absolutely. A castle wedding doesn’t have to mean a large guest list. Augill Castle offers intimate weddings and elopements for couples who want to celebrate with just their closest family and friends. Our smallest wedding package is designed for two people, while our Mini Wedding Package accommodates up to 12.
How much does a small castle wedding cost?
At Augill Castle, a small wedding for up to 12 people starts at £2,500 including VAT. This includes the couple’s accommodation, the ceremony, canapés, Prosecco, a three-course wedding dinner, house wine and wedding co-ordination.
How much does a castle wedding for 40 guests cost?
At Augill Castle, our Maxi Wedding Package is £2,080 for venue hire plus £125 per person. For 40 people, including the couple, this comes to £7,080 including VAT.
Does a castle wedding package include accommodation?
This depends on the wedding package. At Augill Castle, our exclusive-use package includes two nights’ accommodation for up to 20 adults across 10 bedrooms and suites, while our smaller packages include accommodation for the couple and additional bedrooms can be booked where available.
What is included in a castle wedding package?
What is included depends on the package you choose. Augill Castle wedding packages can include your civil ceremony, accommodation, breakfast, canapés, Prosecco, wedding dinner, wine, evening food and wedding co-ordination. Each package has different inclusions, so it’s worth checking the individual package details before comparing prices.
Are castle weddings expensive?
They can be, particularly if you choose exclusive use, a large guest list and a full weekend of celebrations. However, a castle wedding doesn’t automatically mean a huge wedding budget. At Augill Castle near the Lake District, couples can choose an elopement from £980 or a small wedding from £2,500, making a castle wedding possible at a range of budgets.
Do you have to have a large wedding to get married at a castle?
No. In fact, smaller castle weddings can be wonderfully personal. At Augill Castle, couples can elope with just the two of them, invite a handful of their favourite people or celebrate with up to 40 guests
Augill Castle is a unique castle wedding venue in The Eden Valley, Cumbria which sits near the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. The 19th-century castle provides the perfect backdrop for weddings of all sizes and styles.
With 13 luxurious bedrooms and suites, we can accommodate weddings for two, right up to exclusive hire of the whole castle!
