Langley Castle has long been known as one of the North East’s premier wedding venues, but it is now offering something completely different to couples wishing to tie the knot in Northumberland – unique tipi weddings.
When a tipi wedding is staged at this Northumberland wedding venue, celebrations are set against the backdrop of a medieval English castle hotel – something that few other wedding locations can boast.
Added to that, we are a Northumberland castle hotel that believes it can lay claim to being the most authentic, fortified 14 century hotel in England.
In our tranquil location, near Haydon Bridge in Northumberland, our stunning tipi is beautifully dressed for any occasion, from weddings to Christening parties and anniversary celebrations. However, what make it truly special is that our wedding planner, Katie, tested the concept of a tipi wedding for her very own wedding here, before we offered the option to other couples.
Tipi wedding trial at our Northumberland castle
Katie says: “Langley Castle has been at the forefront of the North East wedding scene for decades and was the first venue to stage non-Church weddings in the area. It has a certain kudos amongst castle wedding venues, so it was important to check whether something like a tipi could work within its ancient medieval setting.
“I literally took the plunge when marrying here and introduced the first tipi to this amazing venue. It worked phenomenally well, juxtaposing medieval with modern and the traditional English with the relaxed, native American, tipi mood. For this reason, we vowed to install a permanent tipi and allow other brides to have the phenomenal experience I enjoyed.”
Other elements can also be added to the Langley Castle tipi wedding, with alpacas being a hugely popular choice and something increasingly seen at weddings in the historic grounds.
Private hire tipi functions in Northumberland
When not in use for weddings, the tipi can be hired for any other private function and can be themed to suit the need of any event planner. Langley Castle is also using it for its own ticketed events, staging a variety of different themed ‘happenings’ over the course of the months.
Executive general manager, Margaret Livingstone-Evans, says, “Langley Castle is the best example of a medieval castle hotel you could wish to find but we have to evolve with the times and add new elements to our wedding offering. The tipi is the latest example of that, but we have many more options for brides and grooms, from Game of Thrones-style weddings to marquee weddings and woodland weddings.”
Northumberland woodland weddings
The woodland wedding area at Langley Castle was created during lockdown and is a sustainably-focused wedding option, enabling brides to stage some, or all, of their wedding in the grounds, with guests seated on benches formed from fallen trees from the Langley Castle woodlands. The wood chip on the ground is also from this source and the decorations have an empathy with the surroundings and the world of nature all around.
“In our woodland wedding area, we have a wedding option for those for whom green credentials are important and for whom nature is a joy,” says Margaret Livingstone-Evans. “It is fair we have something for almost any bride and groom, whether they want traditional, contemporary, outdoor or full-on celebratory, with roundabouts, fireworks and rock bands. Whatever the request, we will try to meet it.”
More information about all of Langley Castle’s wedding options can be found at www.langleycastle.co.uk or by calling 01434 688888.