On the Exmoor coast
Weddings in Lynton, Lynmouth and on Exmoor
A spectacular setting with real logistics attached. Both halves are worth thinking about early.
People get married here because of the view, and the view is genuinely worth it: cliffs, moor and the Bristol Channel, with a light in late afternoon that does most of the work for the photographs. The things that catch couples out are all practical, and all solvable if raised early.
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The kinds of venue
Country hotels
The Victorian hotels on the Lynton clifftop and the country houses out on the moor are the mainstay - licensed for ceremonies, able to cater, and with rooms for at least part of the party. Their capacity is the thing to establish first, because it is usually smaller than couples expect.
Churches and village halls
The parish churches in both villages and across the moor are old, small and often beautifully sited. A church ceremony with a reception elsewhere is a common pattern here, and it means thinking about how everyone moves between the two on narrow roads.
Large private houses
Taking a big self-catering property for the weekend and building the day around it gives the most control and the most work. See large group accommodation.
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The real constraint: beds
Lynton and Lynmouth have a finite and fairly small number of rooms. A wedding of eighty people staying two nights will use a substantial share of both villages, and on a summer Saturday it competes with ordinary visitors who booked a year ago. Block-book early, spread guests deliberately across the villages and the moor rather than hoping, and give people written directions - see where to stay.
Because the villages are small, the guest list is limited by the number of beds rather than the size of the room. Working out where sixty people sleep, in how many properties and how far apart, is the first planning task rather than the last - and it is the reason most couples here block-book a village rather than a hotel.
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Getting everyone here
Do not route guests over Countisbury Hill or Porlock Hill in their wedding clothes. Both are around 1 in 4, and a coach or a nervous driver will not enjoy either. The A39 from Barnstaple is the approach to put on the invitation. The nearest railway station is Barnstaple, about forty minutes out, so build transfers into the plan - see getting here.
Parking is limited in both villages. If the reception is in Lynmouth, a shuttle is usually cheaper than the alternative.
The nearest railway station is an hour away by road and the last stretch of every approach is a hill, so the arrival logistics are worth planning as carefully as the day itself. A minibus for the guests who would rather not drive the moor road in the dark solves most of it, and it removes the parking problem from whichever village you have chosen.
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The weather
Plan the whole day indoors and treat anything outdoors as a bonus. This coast can produce a still golden evening and a horizontal squall in the same afternoon, and the moor above will be doing something different again - see checking conditions. Marquees need serious anchoring here; wind on exposed ground is steady rather than gusty, and it does not stop.
Late spring and early autumn give the best combination of light, temperature and availability. Midsummer is warmest and busiest; winter is dramatic, cheap and a genuine option if the party is small and the venue has a fire.
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Photographs
The obvious backdrops are the harbour and the Rhenish Tower, the Valley of the Rocks and the clifftop above Lynton. All three are public, all three are busy in season, and all three are best in the hour before sunset. Agree a plan with the photographer that survives rain, because sooner or later it will need to.
The light is the argument for marrying here. Late afternoon on the North Walk, the harbour at dusk with the tower lit, the Valley of the Rocks with the sun low across the towers - all of it is within a short drive of either village, and none of it needs a permit or a fee. The practical advice is to build twenty minutes into the schedule for a short move, because the best of it is not at the venue door.
Common questions
Can you get married in Lynton or Lynmouth?
Yes - the licensed country hotels in Lynton and out on the moor host ceremonies and receptions, and the parish churches in both villages are available for church weddings.
How many guests can stay in Lynton and Lynmouth?
Fewer than most couples expect. The two villages have a small, finite room stock, so block-book early and plan to spread guests across the villages and the surrounding moor.
How should wedding guests travel to Lynmouth?
Via the A39 from Barnstaple, not over Countisbury or Porlock hills - both are about 1 in 4. The nearest station is Barnstaple, around forty minutes away, so plan transfers.
When is the best time of year for a wedding here?
Late spring and early autumn, for the balance of light, temperature and availability. Whatever the season, plan the day indoors and treat the weather as a bonus.
