_Beautiful country houses for sale that can be converted into wedding venues

Whether running a country home as a wedding business on a seasonal or full-time basis, the key must-haves that universally top matrimonial checklists should be on prospective buyers' radars.

Important features of any country wedding venue, grand or boutique, fall under photogenic (preferably historic) interiors, on-site or nearby guest accommodation, convenient location and the 'wow factor'.

Bringing a property up to par so that it meets the high expectations of soon-to-be-married couples may require significant remodelling and a grant of approval if planning to hold civil marriages and civil partnerships.

Searching for the ideal country home to convert into a wedding venue? The venues below comprise of country estates already operating as wedding businesses, exceptional stately homes ripe for conversion and bijou country houses currently on the market through Knight Frank. 

Ten bedroom Georgian mansion with deer park, chapel and lake

A magnificent family residence and commercial opportunity, Bridwell Park is Grade I Listed, meticulously restored Georgian Mansion overlooking a lake, within its own ring-fenced listed deer park.

Befitting grand entrances, the main house is approached via wrought gains and a long parkland drive. Set within circa. 119 acres of glorious parkland, the mansion is one of Devon's most magnificent homes and would make a wonderful wedding business should new owners take on the exciting task. 

Approximately 1,211.6 sq m makes up the main house which offers 10 bedrooms, a beautiful elliptical hall with decorative ceiling and plasterwork, a breathtaking dining and drawing room, cinema room, wine cellar and conservatory. 

Further accommodation, which can be developed, includes a Grade II listed stable block for guest lodgings. Behind the stable block are two former flats that have been newly refurbished and converted to provide ancillary accommodation to the main house. Each now provides four bedrooms, two with en-suite shower rooms.

There is planning permission to create further living space above the four-bedroom entrance lodge.

To the north of the main house is the orangery, formerly housing an indoor swimming pool, which the owners have converted into a large entertaining space, with catering and bar facilities. The old indoor pool remains but has been built over and covered.

Bridwell Park is sold with a Grade II* listed non-consecrated building understood to have been built in 1792. Fully restored, the building now provides excellent entertainment space space with high vaulted timber ceiling, large fireplace and staircase to galleried balcony.

Set among romantic castles and rolling countryside, the estate's location is an attractive one, with the popular Devonshire town of Tiverton a short distance away. 

For guests partial to travelling in luxury or brides/grooms wanting make a memorable entrance, the property conveniently has a helicopter landing pad. 

Thirty two bedroom castle for sale in Ackergill, Highland, Scotland

Sitting in a remote coastal setting, this historic Scottish castle is sold as a business with various uses such as operating as a hotel and a corporate, wedding or entertainment venue. 

The original Ackergill Tower is believed to date from 1475 and over the centuries has been steeped in an interesting history. It was significantly extended in the mid-19th century by Scottish architect David Bryce and restored in the 1980s.

The current owners purchased Ackergill Tower in 2009 and over the years have improved and renovated the property, including the development of additional accommodation in the adjacent former stables and the creation of a top tier conference/ function facility for up to 200 guests. 

In addition to the uniqueness of the property itself and its breathtaking location, Ackergill Tower can offer real flexibility of use. It can operate as either a traditional country house hotel business, an exclusive use wedding / party venue or a corporate launch and/or conference venue. Some of the properties can be used for self-catering accommodation whilst the main tower remains as the ‘core’ hotel business. 

The property is not short of unique selling points; sold with its own pub - the Smugglers' Inn, Europe's largest tree house and various outhouses and cottages that provide high-end accommodation for a large number of guests. 

Ground and gardens includes a Victorian walled garden, woodlands, formal lawns, private gardens and the oval park.

Ackergill Tower is remote but easily accessible - Wick Airport is within three miles from Ackergill Tower, which, via either Aberdeen or Edinburgh, provides flight links to London and other airports. Alternatively there is a scenic drive from Inverness airport or there is a railway station at Wick.

Seven bedroom house for sale in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire

Prospective couples can say 'I do' in this historic family home set in an elevated position with uninterrupted views across the spectacular Cotswolds countryside.

Location-wise, the property comes up trumps with the chocolate-box Cotswolds village of Stow-on-the-Wold with its many accommodation and dining options a short distance away.

Edging towards a boutique-style wedding offering for, say, weekend hire, the house accommodates seven bedrooms and a breathtaking drawing and dining room which would provide a stunning to backdrop to a reception and wedding breakfast. 

New owners that wish to develop or expand the business, planning permission has been granted for a significant garage block, an entertainment barn and a two-bedroom cottage to the rear replacing the existing structure.

The property stands in approximately 16.7 acres of lawned gardens and a paddock. Within the grounds is an astro turf tennis court and an indoor/outdoor swimming pool complex with changing rooms and barbecue area. 

Six bedroom house for sale in Elms Cross, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire

It's always a nice day for a Wiltshire wedding in Granby house - a six-bedroom, early 20th Century grand country house moments from the market town of Bradford-on-Avon.

Photo opportunities lend themselves to the property's dramatic approach via stone pillared gates and a sweeping gravel driveway that leads up to the main house and 11 acres of glorious gardens and grounds. 

Approximately 10,168 sq ft of living and entertainment space in the main house offers a more intimate setting for bijou weddings. A cavernous drawing room offers spectacular views over the grounds and would make a fantastic space for a wedding reception. An equally impressive dining room is a good sized space for a formal wedding breakfast.

If hired out for a weekend, guests would find plenty to occupy themselves; there is a cinema room and gym in the main house and a swimming pool in one of the outbuildings. 

Leading off the rear courtyard is Granby Cottage, a two-bedroom, self-contained cottage suitable for important guests. 

The house sits in picturesque gardens and grounds encompassing specimen trees, wisteria walkways, established flower beds and ornamental fish ponds.

The historic market town of Bradford-on-Avon is about one mile and offers a comprehensive range of amenities. Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is about 8 miles away providing  convenient transport links. 

15 bedroom house for sale in Dollar, Kinross-shire, Scotland

This outstanding 15 bedroom Victorian country house bears all the hallmarks of the idyllic country wedding venue.

Sited a short distance from the pretty town of Dollar, the property sits at the foot of the southern edge of the softly rolling Ochil Hills in Clackmannanshire.

Around 27 acres of glorious grounds set the scene for beautiful wedding photos, to the backdrop of the Ochil Hills and breathtaking Scottish countryside.

Internally, the house is well configured for formal receptions and entertainment areas with an impressive ballroom (and adjunct bar area) and wonderfully ornate dining room serving as the focal point for evening festivities. A stone-pillared loggia can be accessed via the ballroom, providing outdoor entertainment or relaxing space during warmer weather.

There is little chance of the betrothed not arriving at the chapel on time as, handily, it sits on the ground floor of the house.  

From the main reception hall a grand stairway leads up to a galleried landing on the first floor which houses nine principal bedrooms, on the second floor there are six further bedrooms.

Three self-contained apartments with flexible accommodation arrangements provide an additional seven bedrooms. Collectively, there is ample accommodation space for wedding guests/family. Dollar is a short taxi ride away and has a number of hotel and bed and breakfast options for larger weddings. 

Gleneagles is (15 miles) to the north through Glen Devon, has extensive sports and leisure facilities including a riding school and its famous golf courses.

The property is accessible to all the major cities of central Scotland (Stirling and Glasgow, to the west, Perth to the north, and Edinburgh to the south are all within 35 miles). Stirling, 15 miles to the west, is the major town of Central Scotland. 

Eight bedroom house for sale in Stinchcombe, Dursley, Gloucestershire

Merited with being one of the most beautiful Georgian country houses in Gloucestershire, the storied, Grade II* listed Piers Court will make an exclusive and intimate wedding venue with very little improvements needed to so. 

One of the property's biggest draws are the immaculate grounds and parkland, stretching to around 28 acres, which offer a great space for outdoor entertainment or the pitching of marquees in summer months; far reaching views out across the Welsh Hills offers a dramatic settings for photographs.

Internally, Piers Court is well laid out wit meticulously preserved 18th century period features brought to life, none more so than in the formal drawing room and library, through bold interior design. Clocking in at 8,396 sq ft, little remodelling is needed to make this a great entertainment space, with the option of, should new owners wish, full weekend/week hire. 

There is a master suite with a bay window offering south westerly views over the parkland. There are four further en-suite bedrooms on this floor. On the second floor are three double bedrooms and a bathroom, ideal guest accommodation. There is also an attic that offers potential to convert to further living space.

Close to the house is a Grade II listed building with five loose boxes and office space. The nearby mews building has garaging for five cars on the ground floor and a two bedroom apartment on the first floor.

Piers Court is set in a secluded but well-connected position near the pretty Cotswolds village of Stinchcombe. The nearest towns, all within 40 minutes by car, are Cirencester, Gloucester and Cheltenham which are easily accessed by train and motorway.

12 bedroom house for sale in Uley, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11

An impressive Cotswolds with huge potential to become a fantastic family home or part-time/full-time wedding business, Stouts Hill is a II* Georgian Gothic style country house currently operating as a time share club/resort. As such, it is currently arranged as eight reception rooms, nine apartments and five two-bedroom cottages.

For new owners, an exciting opportunity arises to alter layout and convert into a substantial country home.

Built of Cotswold stone with spectacular ornate Bath stone windows and medieval style battlements, the striking Gothic facade against the the bucolic idyll of the Cotswolds countryside certainly makes an impression and would make a fabulous backdrop to weddings or corporate events.  

Further accommodation can be found west of the main houses where there are five, two-bedroom cottages. 

To the rear of the house are a selection of outbuildings which house a sports hall with a badminton court, indoor swimming pool and games / snooker room. 

Sitting on the edge of the chocolate box village of Uley, Stouts Hill is surrounded by 22 acres of stunning parkland including two rose gardens and a three-acre fishing lake.

The historic market towns of Wotton under Edge and Dursley are a few miles away all within the Cotswold Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The property has excellent communications with links to major routes providing access to London, Bath, Bristol (International Airport), Cheltenham and the Midlands.

10 bedroom country house for sale in Almeley, Hereford

Georgian, Grade II listed Newport House is one of Herefordshire’s most important houses sitting in a secluded and peaceful location in 427 acres of land with the Wye Valley to the west and the beautiful Black Mountains in the distance.

This a unique opportunity for new owners to create a very special wedding/event business venture should they wish to open up the property.

Wonderfully restored by the current owners and team of skilled artisans, the house and estate has been returned to its 1718 glory, when it was re-built after the original, rambling Medieval country property was torn down. 

Internally, 1,739 sq m has been meticulously restored and revived, with many of the of ornate principal rooms - which include a fabulous drawing room, billiards room and music room, pieced back together and dressed to great effect.

Fabulous chandeliers, elaborate wallpaper, stone fireplaces, rare stained glass lanterns and a magnificent wooden staircase are just some of the features that make Newport House a very special country home; the property has potential to become one of the area's finest wedding venues.  

The listed gardens and grounds are a spectacular feature of Newport House with yew hedging and immaculate lawns leading down to the beautiful stream-fed 4 acre lake with pretty walks around.

There is significant further on-site accommodation for guests and include a Victorian stable block with four residential units and numbered farmhouses, cottages and outbuildings. 

The estate sits in a prime rural position about a mile from Herefordshire village of Almeley. The Cathedral City of Hereford, is just 15 miles to the south. Hereford provides train services into London Paddington from 2 hours 45 minutes.

Knight Frank are one of the leading specialists in the sale of country houses and estates across the UK. If you're searching for something specific, our teams will be delighted to help.