Saying ‘I DO’ in the great outdoors!
This spring we teamed up with our local registry office, Cheshire East who conduct all of our legal ceremonies here at Hilltop. In their most recent e-magazine, we spoke all about outdoor ceremonies.
This includes what you can expect from an outdoor wedding ceremony within our specular gardens surrounded the beautiful Cheshire countryside, our top tips for couples when venue hunting, what to consider when planning an outdoor ceremony and how we plan for the typical British weather!
Q&A
Tell us about Hilltop Country House and what makes it so special for an outdoor ceremony?
Hilltop Country House is a stunning wedding venue situated in 15 acres of breathtaking Cheshire countryside. Exclusively yours for your special day discover a 17-century country house, marquee, fabulous indoor and outdoor bars and even their very own nightclub. All surrounded by manicured lawns, flowers for all seasons and woodland. They are also award-winning for their dedicated and caring service to all Hilltop couples.
We have four civil ceremony areas, two of which are outdoors. Both are absolutely breathtaking as you’re surrounded by the beautiful Cheshire countryside, multi-coloured flowers for all seasons and with a backdrop of our greenery filled country house. We are tucked away and at the top of a hill so it’s super peaceful and quiet.
What outdoor ceremony spaces are there at Hilltop Country House?
The Terrace
The terrace is a gorgeous setting, your guests sit on the paved stone in front of the country house which is perfect if we’ve had some rain on the morning or days prior to your wedding. You can use the garden as your aisle, so instead of walking through your guests, you can have a grand entrance through the lawn and flowers. This is very unique.
The Top Lawn
With flower beds that line the aisle and a greenery arch that frames the couple’s marriage, the top lawn is stunning. Here, you can have the aisle walking through your guests if you’d prefer, and a white carpet really complements this spot. Yourselves and your guests are really amongst the beautiful and colourful flowers here.
Outdoor ceremony spaces are high up on couples wish lists when they are venue shopping – what are your top tips for a couple when choosing a venue?
If an outdoor garden ceremony is what you want then look no further, Hilltop Country House is the perfect venue for this. Ensure that your venue has a back up plan if the weather isn’t kind. Our team is on hand up to half an hour before your ceremony to move them chairs where needed according to the weather. And if it’s been a wet morning but dry for your ceremony, the terrace is perfect as it is a hard surface. It’s always good to find out if the venue has a full-time gardening team, we do! It gives you reassurance that the gardens will be immaculate for your ceremony. Get to know the venue staff, we are super experienced and organised so that whatever the weather, your wedding will run smoothly. We’d advise that you utilise the venues recommended suppliers, as these suppliers will have good relationship with your venue and will work together to create seamlessly for your perfect day.
The Great British Summer is somewhat temperamental – what happens on a rainy day?
At Hilltop, you can marry indoors in the ceremony room or marquee.
Ceremony room – within the 17th century country house, our ceremony room overlooks the terraced gardens with big wooden bay windows. The room is full of character and a gorgeous option for guests up 66.
The marquee – we simply move all of your laid wedding breakfast tables into the Hilltop boogie room, close the curtains and you’ve got a beautiful open space for your ceremony. With it’s white linings and hanging florals and greenery, the marquee overlooks our surrounding fields and let’s in loads of natural light.
What is your favourite thing about outdoor ceremonies?
Being surrounded by just the most incredible nature is our favourite thing! You really don’t need to dress our outdoor ceremony areas as you’re amongst an abundant of different flowers and greenery. We love seeing all of the guests faces as they come to sit down for the ceremony, they are all so surprised to see how stunning it is. We also love seeing all of the photographers photos come back, reminiscing on those special ceremonies.
Link to magazine – Your Ceremony Magazine Spring 2025 – Your Ceremony