Weddings at River Cottage

At Wilde Lodge, our late licence runs until 1am. We ask that music is turned down from midnight out of respect for the local area — but the bar stays open and the night carries on. At Glasbury River Cottage there is no formal music licence, so we ask that it stays to chilled background music throughout. Both venues have neighbours and wildlife nearby and we like to keep things friendly on that front.

Yes — both venues are well set up for guests travelling from further afield. Wilde Lodge is around two hours from Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, and around two and a half hours from London. The lodge itself sleeps 16–20, and bell tents and camping in the grounds mean the whole group can stay on site in summer. For guests who prefer a hotel, Knighton is less than a mile away and we provide a full list of local accommodation on your personal hub page. Glasbury River Cottage is near Hay-on-Wye — ten minutes by car — with a range of local B&Bs and hotels nearby, and Glasbury village is a ten-minute walk along the riverbank.

It’s one of the most common concerns we hear and we take it seriously. The hire price covers the venue and everything in it — there are no per-head charges, no minimum bar spends and no hidden extras. The add-ons — catering, drinks, bell tents — are exactly that: optional. You choose what you want and pay for what you use. We’re always transparent about costs from the first conversation, and we’ll send you a full breakdown before you commit to anything. Most couples find the total spend compares very favourably with more traditional venues once you factor in what’s included.

We don’t do packages at either venue — but Glasbury River Cottage is genuinely one of the most beautiful elopement venues in Wales. The River Wye, the Black Mountains, a vine-covered greenhouse and a hay barn with valley views — it’s intimate, private and completely yours. Most couples arrange a short legal ceremony nearby and use the cottage for the celebration itself. Wedding licence pending for 2027. Get in touch and we’ll talk you through how other couples have approached it.

Once you’ve booked you’ll get access to our detailed planning guide — a step-by-step workflow that works backwards from your wedding date to the day you book, covering everything you need to do and when, with links to suppliers, advice and resources along the way. We’ve been running weddings for nine years and we’re confident it covers everything. For anything it doesn’t, Jemma and Phoebe are always at the end of the phone. And if you do want a full wedding planner to take the reins completely, we have brilliant people we can introduce you to — but honestly, most couples find they don’t need one.

Glasbury works best for intimate celebrations — up to 30 guests in summer, with the greenhouse, hay barn and gardens as your celebration spaces and bell tents available for those who want to stay on site. In winter it’s a more focused gathering of up to 7 guests in the cottage. Every booking is bespoke — get in touch and we’ll help you figure out what works.

Yes — both venues have covered indoor and barn spaces for whatever the weather throws at you. At Wilde Lodge the Long Barn, Open Barn and Safari Tent provide excellent cover. At Glasbury the hay barn and greenhouse do the same. We’ve hosted plenty of celebrations in the rain and it always works out well.

Yes — BYO is welcome on the days either side of your main event. On your wedding day itself we’d encourage you to use the Wilde Bar Team, so there’s someone on site managing drinks and keeping things running smoothly.

Weekend hire runs Friday 10am to Monday 10am. Midweek hire runs Tuesday 10am to Thursday 10am. We can sometimes accommodate early check-in or late check-out — just ask.