One of the perks of marrying someone from Scotland is that we’re in the UK frequently, and I never get tired of traveling through England. The balance of quaint countryside and bustling metropolitan cities is totally perfect and offers something for every kind of traveler. Elopements here are as infinitely different and beautiful as the country itself.
One of my favorite spots for elopements in England is the Cotswolds, which are just south of London and will give you that picture-perfect countryside getaway with ivy-covered brick B&Bs, beautiful towns along rivers and lakes, and lush gardens to walk through.
I have plenty more hidden gems and favorite nooks for you in the list below! I’ve spent many years finding the best of the best, so enjoy all of my research without the time investment!
Need something even faster? I have an elopement location database with 800+ spots from all over the world with your name on it! You can use the filters to get to the heart of what you want so that you can stop searching and start planning.
London, England
For a great mix of greenery, history, and the arts, you can always elope in London! What makes this city so vibrant and unique is not only its interesting architecture and cobblestone streets, but also the super wide variety of landscapes you can get here. From the gardens of Hyde Park, to the stone walls of the Tower of London, to the quirky charm of the Carnaby Street arts district, there is truly something for everyone here. Winter can bring a near constant drizzle, so if you want to avoid that, visit in the nicer months of May-August when the weather is mild but dry.
Best for: River, City
Best months to get married here: May to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Boat, Sailboat
Cornwall, England
Cornwall is a mix of surf-town energy, sea-carved cliffs, and winding coastal paths that make you feel like you’ve walked into a storybook. You’ve got fishing villages with pastel harbors, craggy coves you can only reach on foot, and beaches made for barefoot vows. If you’re into seafood, art galleries, or braving a dip in the sea, you’ll love it here. It’s also well off the tourist radar for Americans, so you’ll enjoy some of that off-the-beaten-path energy. For elopements, head to the far west where it gets wilder – Porthcurno, Kynance Cove, or up on the cliffs near Tintagel.
Best for: Beach, Coast, City
Best months to get married here: May to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Kayaking, Canoeing, SUP
Lake Windermere, England
Lake Windermere is the longest natural lake in England and a postcard-perfect spot for a lakefront elopement. The vibe is soft hills, mirror-like water, and old stone boathouses dotted around the shore. You can take a rowboat out to find a quiet corner, or hop on a classic steamer to take in the views from the water. There are tons of charming villages nearby like Bowness and Ambleside, so it’s easy to pair a low-key ceremony with a proper pub dinner after.
Best for: Forest, Lakes
Best months to get married here: May to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Kayaking, Canoeing, SUP, Sailboat
Seven Sisters, England
The chalk cliffs of Seven Sisters are dramatic – bright white faces rising straight up from the sea, with rolling green hills right behind them. You can walk the cliff path and find an epic elopement spot with no one else around, or head down to the pebble beach for that wild, windswept coastal feel. Bring a thermos of tea, a wool blanket, and settle in to watch the tide roll in after your vows. Just keep an eye on the wind – it can pick up seemingly out of nowhere!
Best for: Beach, Coast
Best months to get married here: May to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Dartmoor National Park, England
Dartmoor is raw, rugged, and full of character. One minute you’re scrambling up a granite tor with sweeping views, the next you’re winding through mossy woodlands or crossing open moor where wild ponies graze. There’s something incredibly peaceful about eloping out here, away from the noise, with just the wind and maybe a sheep or two as witnesses. It’s got that “out in the middle of nowhere” feel without being too far from cosy pubs or a proper Devon cream tea.
Best for: Hills, Forest, Moors, Pubs and wild Ponies
Best months to get married here: May to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Peak District National Park, England
The Peak District is windswept England at its most lovable: wind-battered ridgelines, green dales with stone cottages, and footpaths that lead to views that make you audibly gasp. It’s easy to find an elopement spot here that feels tucked away: Mam Tor at sunrise, a quiet corner of the Derwent Valley, or even just a sheep field with no one else around. Lucky for you, there are loads of welcoming villages nearby where you can celebrate with a proper meal and pint after. There’s nothing flashy here – just solid countryside, huge skies, and space to breathe.
Best for: Mountains, Moors and Villages
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
The Broads National Park, England
The Norfolk Broads are totally different from the UK’s typical national parks, because here it’s all about water: slow-moving rivers, reed-fringed lakes, and winding channels that you can explore by boat. If you like the idea of mooring up on your own little island or saying your vows on deck as swans float past, this one’s a winner. The area is flat and peaceful, with big skies, windmills, and nature everywhere. Rent a little cruiser for the day or stay overnight on a boat! It’s so romantic in that “no one knows where we are” kind of way.
Best for: Canals, Lakes, Rivers
Best months to get married here: May to September
My favorite activities to do here: Narrow boating
Exmoor National Park, England
Exmoor feels like a secret. It’s never as crowded as it deserves to be, which means you’ll have those heather-covered hills and wooded valleys mostly to yourselves. You can hike up to a moody viewpoint, find a waterfall tucked deep in a forest, or head to the coast for wild Atlantic energy. There’s a mix of drama and gentleness here that works so well for an elopement. The tiny villages have the kind of old-school charm that makes you want to stay forever, and if you stick around after dark, this is one of the best stargazing spots in the UK. You’ve been warned!
Best for: Coast, Moors, Forest, Waterfalls
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
Dry stone walls. Wind-whipped moors. Sheep, obviously. But also: underground caves, waterfalls pouring into limestone gorges, and one of the best pub-to-pub hiking networks in the country. The Dales are perfect if you want a wedding day that doesn’t feel curated – just you, the hills, and maybe a picnic packed with Wensleydale cheese. Malham Cove is a heavy-hitter, but spots like Swaledale or the Howgills give you big drama with way fewer people. You can hike, bike, or just amble to the pub in your walking boots. The perfect outdoorsy wedding!
Best for: Moors, Caves, Waterfalls, Pubs
Best months to get married here: May to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
South Downs National Park, England
The South Downs have a softer kind of beauty that becomes all the more spellbinding when golden light shows up around sunset and makes everything feel calm and cinematic. It’s proper “walk hand-in-hand and stop for a picnic” country. But what really makes it shine for an elopement is plain and simple: access. You can hop a train from London and be deep in it in under two hours. Vineyards, coastal trails, market towns, and ancient woodlands are all packed into this one pocket of the southeast. It’s perfect if you’re short on time but want to sneak away for the weekend.
Best for: Coast, Cliffs, Forests and Towns
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
The New Forest National Park, England
This is the land of free-roaming ponies, sun-dappled trails, and giant oak trees that have seen more centuries than you’ve had birthdays. But the best thing about the New Forest is how easy it is to slow down here. No rushing between photo spots, no over-planning. Just quiet paths, lazy rivers, and ferny clearings that make the whole place feel enchanted, but without any effort. Want to cycle into your ceremony? You can. Want to camp out in the woods after? Also yes. It’s got that childhood storybook energy!
Best for: Forest and Rivers
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Puzzlewood, Forest of Dean, England
If you’re a fantasy lover or just someone who secretly wanted to live in a Tolkien novel, this one’s for you. Eloping at Puzzlewood feels less like a ceremony and more like a quest. It’s small – just a 14-acre patch of ancient woodland – but it packs a punch. Twisted trees, moss-covered rocks, secret tunnels and paths that wind through tangled undergrowth. You don’t need sweeping landscapes when the ground itself looks like it’s breathing. Just pick a corner that feels right and let the woods do the rest.
Best for: Forest
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Medieval Shambles, York, England
York’s Shambles are the real-world answer to Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley – only with more fudge shops. The main feature of this narrow medieval street in the heart of York is its timber-framed buildings that lean at odd angles and cobblestones that have been trodden for centuries. If you’re into the idea of getting married somewhere that feels full of stories (and maybe ghosts), this place delivers. Wander through before the shops open, sneak off for vows in a hidden courtyard, then head to a candlelit pub that’s older than most countries!
Best for: Medieval Streets
Best months to get married here: May to September and December/January
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Jurassic Coast, Dorset and Devon, England
There’s drama here. Of the good kind, not the cold feet kind! This 95-mile coastline is all rugged cliffs, sea arches, and layered rock that tells a 185-million-year-old story. Durdle Door gets the fame, but there are quieter spots, like the green clifftops near Ringstead Bay or the glowing fossil-strewn beaches of Charmouth, that are just as breathtaking without the foot traffic. Bring boots and a bottle of bubbly, hike until it feels right, and say your vows with waves crashing below. Oh, and post-ceremony, you can literally go fossil hunting. Name a better wedding favor than a 200-million-year-old ammonite?
Best for: Beaches and Coast
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
The Cotswolds, England
If you’re into the idea of eloping somewhere that feels like a postcard (but one that smells like fresh bread and old books) the Cotswolds might be calling your name. This region is all about golden-stone cottages, flower-choked lanes, and rolling hills so pastoral they look Photoshopped. You can duck into a tearoom after saying your vows, wander through antique shops that are barely holding it together, or rent a cozy pub for a laid-back, pint-fuelled celebration. It’s charming without being twee, and exactly what you have in mind when you imagine the English countryside.
Best for: Villages, Hills, Fields and Pubs
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England
There’s something wildly romantic about a place that disappears with the tide. Lindisfarne is only reachable by a causeway that floods twice a day, so your elopement here comes with built-in quiet and a sense of mystery. The ruins of Lindisfarne Priory set a dramatic tone, but there are gentler spots too: quiet dunes, windswept beaches, and a castle that looks like it’s growing out of the rock itself.
Best for: Beach, Coast and Island (twice a day)
Best months to get married here: June to August
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Camber Sands, England
Camber Sands is a bit of a wildcard. Tucked along the southeast coast, it’s one of the few places in England where you’ll actually find wide, open beaches with soft golden sand (yes, actual sand, not pebbles, unlike most other beaches in this part of the country). It’s got big dune energy, loads of sky, and a raw, windswept charm that makes it perfect for couples who want something relaxed but still striking without having to stray too far from London.
Best for: Beach, Coast, Sand Dunes
Best months to get married here: June to August
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
What makes England such a great place to elope is its combination of accessibility and opportunity. It’s relatively easy to navigate and has options for nearly everything, making it a great starting place for many couples! But if you want to make sure your dream spot is going to be ready at your favorite time of year or want to narrow down your options based on what activities you want to do, head over to my interactive elopement location map! There are over 800 elopement spots around the world in here that you can filter through so you can see exactly where in the world you can make your dreams come true.
If you’re ready to stop searching and start talking to an expert in how to turn your vaguest ideas into your real wedding day, reach out to me! I’ve photographed over 300+ elopements and have traveled to every continent, so I know exactly how to give you the experience of a lifetime, no matter where you want to go.
I’ll act as your on-call travel consultant, vendor database, permit pro, itinerary designer, activity manager, hype woman, seasoned photographer, and so much more. I’ve done this for over a decade, so at every turn, I’ll make sure that all of your needs are being met!
All you have to do is contact me to get started!
