Looking for a vineyard wedding venue in Berkshire? Here’s what to consider before you book.

If you’re looking for a wedding venue in Berkshire that’s a little different from the usual hotel or converted barn, vineyards offer something genuinely unique. They combine countryside views, working wine production, outdoor photography and ceremony spaces and wine made just metres from where you’ll celebrate.

In this guide you’ll discover:

• Why vineyards make unique wedding venues
• Barn weddings vs vineyard weddings
• What questions to ask
• Costs to think about
• Seasonal differences
• Photography ideas
• Whether a vineyard wedding is right for you

So let’s get into it and get you on the path to your perfect day.

Why vineyards make unique wedding venues

The main consideration when booking a wedding is what works best for you? We’re all different, and have unique tastes and styles. The one thing that ties most of us together, however, is that we all want a beautiful and memorable space to tie the knot.

The good news is, Berkshire is home to an abundance of stunning venues to choose from, but what makes a vineyard so unique? 

Most venues come with gardens and grounds, and some even boast beautiful views full of green. With a vineyard, you’re surrounded by fields bursting with vines, which make incredible spots for stunning wedding photography.

Outdoor Vineyard Wedding Ceremony

Not only that, you have the chance to impress your guests with a menu of wines, grown, made and bottled just metres from your ceremony and/or reception. 

As one of the UK’s oldest vineyards, dating back to 1979, Stanlake Park Wine Estate will always be somewhere special that you can return to to celebrate anniversaries.

Barn weddings vs vineyard weddings

If you’re choosing between a barn wedding and a vineyard wedding, the good news is that you don’t have to compromise on character. Both offer a relaxed, countryside feel that’s very different from a traditional hotel wedding. 

A barn wedding focuses on the venue itself. Think exposed beams, rustic interiors and a cosy atmosphere that works beautifully in every season. They’re often a blank canvas, allowing couples to put their own stamp on the space through styling, flowers and décor. Often you’ll have gardens or a courtyard for photography and drinks receptions.

A vineyard wedding offers many of those same qualities, but with the added experience of being surrounded by working vines and wine production. Instead of simply looking out over fields or gardens, your backdrop changes with the seasons as the vineyard grows, from bright green spring shoots to golden autumn leaves. It also creates opportunities that no other venue can offer, which is stunning photographs among the rows of grapevines.

The good news is that if you still can’t decide, then Stanlake Park once again has you covered. Not only do we have 130 acres of vines, but our gorgeous Vineyard Barn, with its exposed beams and original features, alongside the sun trap courtyard is where you’ll celebrate in style. It has a fully fitted bar, stocked with local craft beers and of course, Stanlake Park Wine.

Choose a barn wedding if you want:

• A classic rustic setting.
• A venue that’s a blank canvas for your own styling.
• A warm, cosy atmosphere throughout the year.

Choose a vineyard wedding if you want:

• Everything you love about a barn wedding, with the added beauty of a working vineyard.
• Memorable outdoor spaces for your ceremony, drinks reception and photographs.
• Estate-grown wines that become part of your celebration.
• A venue that feels genuinely different from the traditional countryside wedding.

The Vineyard Barn wedding venue at Stanlake Park Wine Estate

What questions to ask?

When it comes to your dream wedding, you only get one chance. The really important bit is you, the couple, and your friends and family gathered to celebrate with you. With the right venue, in the right surroundings, it’s a day you’ll remember forever and have photographs and videos to look back on for years to come.

More often than not, it’s a gut feeling, and you’ll know right away if a venue is right for you. But to make sure the day goes exactly as you want, we’ve put together a handy guide of 25 questions to ask when researching and viewing wedding venues. You can find that here.

Costs to think about

Let’s address the elephant in the room. We all know weddings can be expensive. But what price can you put on the most amazing day of your life, memories that last a lifetime, and the chance to have everyone you love in one room, celebrating you, all at once?

But we still need to budget, so there’s a lot to consider when it comes to costs and making it work for you.

When comparing wedding venues, don’t just look at the hire fee. A lower headline price can sometimes end up costing more once you’ve added everything else in.

Blank canvas venues often require you to hire furniture, lighting, tableware and décor, as well as coordinate multiple suppliers and manage the logistics yourself. That flexibility is perfect for some couples, but it can also add both cost and time. For example, you might have to bring in an external catering team (which can require pop up marquees for kitchen space) and a bar. Not to mention that, unless you hire them, there are no staff for things like clearing away, helping with service, or packing everything away once the celebrations are over.

Preferred suppliers wedding fayre at Stanlake Park Wine Estate

More established venues often include much of this as part of the experience. At Stanlake Park, for example, you’re not starting with an empty room. The restored barn, working vineyard, gardens and estate-produced wines already create the atmosphere, while an experienced team helps everything run smoothly.

The cheapest venue isn’t always the best value. Think about what’s included, how much you’ll need to organise yourself, and whether you’d rather spend the months before your wedding planning every detail, or simply looking forward to the day.

Seasonal Differences

With rising costs and the ever increasing summer heat, winter weddings are becoming more popular, and you’ll often find seasonal pricing differences.

A good question to ask your venue (as covered in our 25 Questions to Ask Before Booking a Wedding Venue guide) is how the venue looks at different times of the year. Will that luscious green lawn still be as vibrant? Will the trees be bare? Is there a good spot for sunset photography? Will the venue feel very dark?

As a working vineyard, our venue changes throughout the year. In summer, our 130 acres of vines are full of leaves and ever-ripening bunches of grapes. It makes for some wonderfully vibrant photography.

The different seasons at Stanlake Park Wine Estate – Spring / Summer / Autumn / Winter weddings.

Winter brings its own charm, and the now bare vines still stand in their endless rows. That in itself provides some beautiful photography. The expansive grounds offer plenty of places to capture the last of the light, and the historic walled garden is full of character whatever the season or weather.

Both our Vineyard Barn and Coach House have glass walls running the full length of the buildings, so they’re also filled with natural light throughout the day.

Photography ideas

Here we get to one of the most exciting parts of your day, where you get to picture yourself in the surroundings you’re viewing.

A venue isn’t just somewhere you’ll have a ceremony and throw a party. It’s the backdrop to your next social media profile picture, the photographs hanging on your living room walls, and the memories you’ll look back on for years to come.

When viewing potential wedding venues, it’s important to ask the big questions and see things like ceremony spaces, reception spaces, table layouts and dance floors, but make sure you look beyond that as well.

Photo by Emily Collett Photography

One good thing to do is run a Google Images search for “your venue + wedding photography”. You’ll usually find blogs and galleries from photographers who’ve shot weddings there before.

Photographers vary in price, style and, let’s face it… ability. That photographer (or uncle with a nice camera) who charges £600 might seem like a bargain, but you can’t go back and shoot the day again. A good photographer charges a price that reflects their experience and knowledge. They’ll know where to go, when the light is best, and how to help you feel comfortable in front of the camera.

A good venue will have lots of wonderful hidden spots for great photography, whatever the season and whatever the weather.

Whether a vineyard wedding is right for you

So, after all that, the question is… is a vineyard wedding right for you? Only you can answer that, but we think it just might be.

You don’t have to be a wine nerd, or even like wine at all, to enjoy a wedding at a vineyard. As long as you’re into stylish and original farmhouse barns, acres of beautiful scenery, and somewhere that feels a little different, then a vineyard wedding could be exactly what you’re looking for.

To learn more about weddings at Stanlake Park, click here to book a showround.

FAQ

Can you get married in a vineyard?

Yes of course! You can do your legal ceremonies right here, either in our Coach House, a gorgeous, grade-II listed, eighteenth century barn that seats up to 90 guests, in the Vineyard Barn, with space for up to 150 seated guests, or weather permitting outside in either the courtyard, or next to the vineyard itself. 

Are vineyard weddings expensive?

Not necessarily! Like any wedding venue, prices vary depending on the time of year, day of the week and what’s included. While a vineyard wedding might seem like a luxury option, many vineyards include beautiful surroundings, established gardens, characterful buildings and experienced staff as part of the package. When you compare the total cost against a blank canvas venue, the difference is often much smaller than you might expect.

Can you have a winter vineyard wedding?

Yes absolutely! Whilst the vines themselves are dormant, vineyards are still a beautiful surrounding, whatever the season. Vineyards like Stanlake Park Wine Estate have been there since 1979, with many of the buildings on site dating back many centuries, meaning that even in winter it’s a stunning setting for a wedding.

Are vineyard weddings weather dependent?

Not at all. Some of the best photos from vineyards end up being those in the rain, when the couple embraces the weather and heads out with some umbrellas. 

How far is Stanlake Park from Reading?

Stanlake Park Wine Estate is one of the easiest vineyards to access in the UK, due to its close proximity to Twyford station, which is on both the Elizabeth Line and National Rail. Twyford station is about 6 minutes from Reading, and 30 minutes from London.

Can guests stay overnight?

Guests can stay overnight at Stanlake Park Wine Estate and there are two options for accommodation. The North Lodge is a romantic cottage situated adjacent to a vineyard, which sleeps 2 people. The South Lodge has expansive countryside views and sleeps up to 8 people. 

Can we use our own suppliers?

Stanlake Park has an approved list of preferred suppliers, which we highly recommend due to their experience and knowledge of weddings at the estate. However, if there are other 3rd party vendors that you would like to use, just mention it to your wedding coordinator.