Planning a wedding is an exceedingly fun thing to do, if a little nerve-wracking. After all, you are making plans for what will shape up to be one of the best days of your life – and you have, more or less, complete control over the whole thing!

There are a great many components that make up a good wedding day, and the people you invite are undoubtedly the most important aspect – but this doesn’t make the other stuff, administrative or otherwise, any less important. Indeed, if you have your heart set on something, particularly fairytales, the location for your wedding and reception becomes especially paramount. This is where the wonders of God’s own country come to life…

For a fairytale wedding to remember, one of the best places to turn is Yorkshire. This is because Yorkshire’s rural locales are nothing short of sublime, and the great many incredible castles they hide are all incredible places to marry Mr, Mrs, or Mx Right. But which castles should you be putting forward for your wedding day shortlist?

Bolton Castle 

First, we have Bolton Castle. This edificial thing is located on the outskirts of the North Yorkshire Dales National Park, in Leyburn – halfway between Nidderdale and Barnard Castle. Bolton Castle is Grade I listed, and a monument to Yorkshire’s great and storied history (having once been a prison for Mary Queen of Scots!). This beautiful castle is also an ideal wedding destination, wearing the luxuries of its 600 years with pride.

Ripley Castle

Ripley Castle is another extremely beautiful location in North Yorkshire, this time a little older (having been built in the 1300s). It is a little closer to urban civilization, being a mere 12 minutes from nearby Harrogate by road; it is well connected by bus routes, too, making it eminently easy for your guests to arrive by train. Ripley Castle is a major tourist draw for its incredible ice creams alone, but its provincial majesty is pitch-perfect for a rural fairytale wedding of your dreams. 

Skipton Castle

Getting even older now, we come to Skipton Castle – a near-millennium-old edifice that stands astride the high street of the town which took its name in the 19th century. This is a local venue through and through, being inextricably linked to the town and its people; this would be an ideal place for something smaller-scale that doesn’t skimp on the magic.

Hazlewood Castle

On the eastern side of Leeds lies an oft-overlooked swathe of beautiful countryside, containing some stunning towns and villages that ooze provincial comfort. Tadcaster is one such town, with a pedigree of its thanks to its rich brewing history. In its orbit, you’ll find Hazlewood Castle, a countryside retreat to die for that has everything a wedding party could need. Its grounds are nothing short of stunning, too, making this place an amazing place for a summer wedding.

Allerton Castle 

The last Yorkshire castle on our list is another Harrogate-ward place, this time in the parish of Knaresborough. Knaresborough is a beautiful backdrop for a wedding by itself, with its viaduct and river-hugging domiciles reminiscent of high fantasy. A little out from this incredible enclave, though, is a Grade-I listed 19th-century gothic beauty of a castle: Allerton Castle. This is about as grand as it gets, with room for over a hundred guests in one of the most astounding halls you will ever see.

Whichever castle you choose, though, you can be assured that your wedding will be much more than just a success; it will be a fairy tale!