Situated along the beautiful Jurassic coast, on the Isle of Portland, is one of Dorset’s top wedding venues Pennsylvania Castle. Catering for both indoor and outdoor weddings, with idyllic gardens, stunning sea views and a fairy tale castle, the Penn provides the most wonderful setting perfect for an intimate and bespoke wedding.
The Penn’s Twilight Weddings offer the perfect atmosphere for a winter celebration. Having an outside ceremony later in the afternoon in the autumn or winter means that you get the full effect of the fairy lights in the trees, candles lining the aisle and the autumnal colours in the gardens.
Couples often line the terrace with large oil lamps or the steps to the gardens with lanterns, you can never have too many candles at a winter wedding. There is no reason why an outside ceremony in the winter can’t be every bit as beautiful as in the height of the summer.
When choosing a menu for a winter wedding, little and often works really well. In the colder months, we all know what happens after a big comforting meal - everyone feels like they can’t move and they need a sit down, but some hot canapes followed by some smaller portions of your favourite winter warmers keeps things sociable and everyone well-fed. Few things bring more joy than a little bowl of bangers & mash or a delicious fish pie when it’s cold outside but the dancefloor is calling! Hot chocolate stalls later in the evening also go down well, with a splash of your favourite liqueur of course.
The darker nights create a really atmospheric back drop for different kinds of evening entertainment. The Penn have had fire dancers on the lawn, light shows, photos projected onto the side of the Castle, sparkler sends offs – anything based around light works really well.
As always it’s the small touches that people really remember. At The Penn we always have plenty of blankets for guests sat outside during winter ceremonies. Brightly coloured and white umbrellas can also look great for photos outside when it’s raining. With the beach just a stone’s throw from the castle, wellies are always on hand for people to kick off their shoes and head down to the beach. Fire pits are another wonderful touch on those colder nights, they seem to draw people to them. Especially with some comfy seating too, this offers another area for guests to enjoy the gardens. Topped off with a big bowl of marshmallows ready to toast and devour.
Choosing Pennsylvania castle for your winter wedding is not only about its stunning location perched on top of a cliff on the Jurassic coast, surrounded by crashing seas and twinkling stars. But about the incredible attention to detail and special touches that are second nature to the experienced team.
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