Congratulations on your engagement, now let the fun of wedding planning and finding a tipi wedding venue begin! Choosing a wedding venue is one of the most exciting parts when planning a wedding, it sets the scene and tone for your whole wedding. It’s also a little overwhelming and can feel like a very difficult task at first. If you are considering a tipi wedding in the North East or Yorkshire then this post should help you get started. I have photographed over 100 tipi weddings over the past 10 years and I have seen it all. If you are looking for barns, marquees or stately homes then take a look at my Best North East Wedding Venues post or my Top 10 Wedding Venues in Yorkshire post.

If you fancy an outdoorsy, festival style wedding then tipi venues are a great choice. You can enjoy the great outdoors (without fear of our British weather dampening the fun!), and can decorate it however you like – think fairy lights, hay bales and fire pits. Tipis offer a warm and inviting atmosphere for your celebrations and stand out amongst more classic and traditional wedding venues. Tipi are one of my favourite places to photograph and I love nothing more than a festival tipi wedding. You can see a few of my wedding blog posts below to see real wedding examples.

You can choose from dedicated venues which offer semi permanent or permanent tipi installations or hire a tipi for any space you already have, for example in your back garden if you’d rather. This works well for anyone with fields available or you could approach local farmers or anyone with enough land. Here’s my top venues and hire companies across the North East and Yorkshire for you to have a look at.

Want to jump to a certain venue or supplier? Simply click on the title below, or just read the whole article to discover some of the best Tipi / Marquee venues across North Yorkshire & the North East. If you have any questions about planning a tipi wedding or you are looking for a wedding photographer with experience in tipi weddings please get in touch here.

• Alexander Weddings & Events
• Low Osgoodby Grange
• Horseshoe Farm
• Skipbridge Farm
• Jervaulx Abbey
• Bradbury Glade
• New Close Farm
• Vallum Farm
• Kielder Waterside
• Camp Katur
• Garden Weddings Tipi Hire
• Inspired Event Structures
• Wills Marquees
• Original Marquees

Lake Henry – Alexander Weddings & Events North Yorkshire

The Venue

Alexander Weddings & Events at Lake Henry is a beautiful tipi venue made up of four permanent tipis on the bank of Lake Henry in East Cowton, North Yorkshire. It is nestled amongst 10 acres of North Yorkshire countryside and feels private and tranquil with amazing views. The Tipis themselves sit on solid wood flooring which extends out to the front terrace area before the lake. The outdoor ceremony space also has a solid wood walkway and aisle with benches either side. This is perfect for any footwear options. The wedding village offers amazing space to stay over and socialise with all your guests and offers breakfast plus evening catering options for the night before your wedding.  

Being so spacious it can host up to 160 seated guests within the tipi. You can choose your own suppliers, or use their recommended ones, so your day can be exactly how you imagine. Ice cream van anyone? I have photographed many weddings at Lake Henry and each one has been unique and amazing. Like this weekend long festival wedding.

What’s Included:

• Use of the venue from 9am the day before the wedding until midday the day after.
• Exclusive use of the grounds including woodlands and lakes
• Exclusive use of the Wedding Village – guests (up to 80) can stay on site in fully furnished pods with all home comforts, including a central fire pit to continue the party! The Bridal Suite and 2 complementary pods are included in the price of venue hire. This space is amazing for socialising before and after the wedding and I have seen people playing rounders, cricket, drinking, having a BBQ and just relaxing for the entire weekend. They also offer a number of en-suite pods.
• Fully licensed bar, dance floor area and performance stage
• Tables and seating for up to 160 guests, outdoor seating on external decking and choice of lighting
• Essentials such as security, smart toilet block, catering tent, ample parking.

Check out a recent wedding I photographed at Alexander Weddings

Find out more about Alexander Weddings.

Low Osgoodby Grange

The Venue

A tipi venue located in Thirsk, North Yorkshire with a gorgeous lakeside location. A rural venue in the Hambleton hills offering many DIY wedding options. The venue offers a woodland ceremony space and a field for a tipi with the venue able to offer recommendations for every supplier including catering and a bell tent company for on site accommodation. They also offer on site B&B options if a fancy tent isn’t your thing. They have recently added wooden walkways between the parking, tipis and ceremony spaces and a more permanent tipi setup from Totem Tipi.

What’s Included:

• Woodland ceremony space to hold your ceremony amongst the trees
• Large open field next to the lake for your tipi and plenty of space for outdoor games
• Fire pit for the evening to chill out / toast marshmallows
• Plenty of parking, toilets, bell tent accommodation and a B&B on site

Check out this wedding I photographed at Low Osgoodby Grange

Find out more about Low Osgoodby Grange here

Horseshoe Farm Weddings

The Venue

Located in the Vale of York between York and Wetherby, this beautiful former farm makes use of the farmhouse, stables and cattle sheds to give a quirky, idyllic farm setting. The adjoining wedding parlour has been restored for couples to their first night of matrimonial bliss in rural luxury.

You can choose from either a tipi, yurt or sail cloth marquee to host the main event. The double tipi accommodates up to 80 seated day guests and 100 evening guests, the yurt and marquee both can have 50 seated day guests and 70 evening guests.

What’s Included:

• Exclusive use of the venue, including a 12m stretch tent for use as a bar or ceremony area
• Fully stocked and staffed Stable Bar and outdoor Paddock Bar
• Fire pit, fairy lights seating and dance floor, including sound system in courtyard and paddock area
• Wedding Annexe accommodation for the bride and groom
• Various packages so you can choose your own catering or use their suppliers – we’re talking Mexican street food, pizza vans or locally sourced Yorkshire bistro food, or more formal catering if you’d prefer.

Find out more about Horeshoe Farm Weddings.

Skipbridge Farm Country Weddings

The Venue

Set just outside Green Hammerton, York, this venue offers a beautiful farm setting with amazing views for weddings with 50-200 guests. The tipi or marquee is hired separately so you can choose what style and size you prefer! The venue can put you in touch with suppliers for a DIY wedding and offer their own tipi options as well.

Skipbridge Farm gives true farm vibes and is the perfect backdrop for relaxed rustic weddings.

What’s Included:

• Use of the venue with bespoke evening entertainment, fireball and straw bales
• Use of the bar “The Rolling Barrel” and the “Grain Silo” – a bespoke whisky rum and gin bar
• The couple can stay in the Shepherds hut or “mini moon” tent, guests can also stay onsite in the ten glamping tents available. There is a B&B onsite as well that can provide breakfast the morning after the night before!

Find out more about Skipbridge Country Weddings.

Jervaulx Abbey

The Venue

Set in the ruins of Jervaulx Abbey, this romantic location near Ripon, North Yorkshire, dates back centuries. Within the Abbey is a summer house structure which is licensed to perform the legal ceremony itself – perfect if you don’t fancy a church or registry office and want to enjoy the historic setting for longer. They also offer several outdoor locations with the abbey ruins as a backdrop for your ceremony which makes for a stunning and unique backdrop.

The adjoining paddock holds a tipi or marquee for the reception, which you would provide (so again you can choose the size, type and company). This also gives you flexibility with suppliers, entertainment, outdoor bars and allows you to really personalise your wedding. You would need to stay elsewhere before and after the day as they don’t offer accommodation.

What’s Included:

• Use of the venue from Friday to Monday to hold a Saturday wedding – including the Abbey itself and the adjoining paddock
• The rest is DIY – the venue owners will help suggest and plan your day exactly how you’d like it. Perfect for you to plan every detail of your day how you want it.

Take a look at this real tipi wedding I photographed at Jervaulx Abbey

Learn more about Jervaulx Abbey weddings here.

Bradbury Glade

The Venue

Part of the Wonderland wedding venues group, set in a woodland clearing near a farm in County Durham, this three tipi venue hosts up to 150 guests. They have also recently built a structure next to the tipis in a romantic glade where the legal ceremony itself can take place. 

What’s Included:

• Use of the three giant tipis and a chill out tipi, all linked together, with tables and benches to seat up to 150 people. Use is from the day before until the day after.
• Fire-pits both inside and outside, as well as fairy and festoon lighting inside and out
• Drinks and food packages with dedicated suppliers
• Luxury on-site loos, (not a portaloo in sight!)
• Great transport links from the A1 and A19 and plenty of local accommodation for all budgets, Travelodge to the quirky Impeccable Pig

Find out more about Bradbury Glade weddings here.

New Close Farm Outdoor Wedding Venue

The Venue

Set in beautiful County Durham near Durham itself, this venue has stunning views over Country Durham and a DIY set up for your wedding.

There a various suggested packages to help with planning, ranging from 60-150 guests, with the option of a glamping tipi village with wedding suite for you and your guests to stay the night.

What’s Included:

• Venue hire with separate fields for tipi or marquee and parking for just the day or overnight. They will point you in the direction of various suppliers they often use.
• Rustic personalised signage

Find out more about New Close Farm weddings here.

Vallum Farm Marquee and Tipi Venue

The Venue

Located in the Tyne Valley along Hadrian’s wall, this Northumberland wedding venue is 8 miles from Newcastle. A permanent marquee with festoon lighting with rustic barn attached as well as outdoor tipi give loads of options for how you have your day set up and how many people you have (usually up to 160).

It’s also possible to have the ceremony on site, and hire a tipi village for you and your guests to stay for one or more nights. Pets are welcome!

What’s Included:

• Use of marquee, tipi, lawn and barn – bales, barrels, festoon lighting, firepits, fairy lights and garden games (awesome).
• Loads of different catering and drinks options – from feasting boards to afternoon tea to 3 course meals. Great if you just want someone to take care of all the details for you. Their friendly team can even sort out the wedding cake for you if you choose to.

Find out more about Vallum Farm weddings here.

Kielder Waterside Tipi Weddings

The Venue

Set with a backdrop of woodland and water, Kielder Waterside is based in Hexham, Northumberland and offers a stunning four tipi set up with views out to the water. An outdoor courtyard with fire pit and beautiful lighting make an amazing setting.

This venue can host up to 120 guests and you can have the legal ceremony here as well.

What’s Included:

• Venue hire with various catering and drinks packages
• Accommodation for the couple at Aurora lodge for 3-4 nights, and nearby guest accommodation for an extra charge.

Find out more about Kielder Waterside Tipi weddings here.

Camp Katur

The Venue

Situated near Kirklington, North Yorkshire, this venue is set within 250 acres of woodland, fields and forests. It offers multiple ceremony and reception areas from woodland to barn to meadow, as well as accommodation in geodomes, lodges, tents or pods!

The venue is suitable for up to 120 guests if you use the marquee already on site or the rustic barn, but more if you choose to hire a tipi/marquee in the meadow or hill.

What’s Included:

• Ceremony venue hire (woodland area, forest gazebo or rustic farm) 
• Venue hire (meadow, hill farm, Raj Mughal marquee or Rustic Barn) 
• Catering and drinks packages
• Accommodation for you and all your guests

Find out more about Camp Katur weddings here.

Tipi / Marquee Hire Companies

As well as all the venues mentioned above, you could look at hiring your own tipi / marquee. This is perfect if you have your own land or would like something different to a venue. This could either be completely DIY or you could use a company who help plan everything for you. I have included a few of my favourite hire companies below to check out.

Garden Weddings Tipi Hire

This tipi hire company is the recommended supplier for a few venues such as Skipbridge Farm, Horseshoe Farm and Jervaulx Abbey. Based in North Yorkshire, the tipis are modular in form, meaning they can be joined up to create a space as big or small as you need it. They can accommodate 20 – 200 people, and hire cost starts from £2500.

Tipis can literally be placed nearly anywhere – think friend’s farm, back garden, local village pub. They offer open days to view the different tipis (great day out!), where you can look at layouts, lighting and get some great tips on how to style the venue to make it your own.

Lighting is included, which gives a great atmosphere and makes for some awesome photos come night time.

Find out more and get in touch with Garden Weddings Tipi Hire here.

Inspired Event Structures

For those who prefer something a bit different from a tipi, Inspired Event Structures based in York offer a range of marquee structures for use year round:

• Sailcloth marquees. With sailcloth marquees the sides can be rolled up to reveal the lovely natural wooden poles and allows your guests to enjoy the surroundings and participate in any outdoor activities you have planned.
• Traditional marquees – a blank canvas allowing you to design your own bespoke occasion and tailor your day exactly how you want it.
• Grand Pavilion – a circular wooden framed tent with an onion-domed top, for 200-250 guests with the option of adding yurt tents to make it even bigger. Also provides wedding accommodation for around 180 guests with dining in a circular tent around a central dancefloor
• Orangery – an extended version of the Grand Pavilion with the potential to stand on a larger footprint. Capacity for 250 dining around a central dancefloor and up to 350 throughout the whole structure.

This company can also supply all you need as far as indoor furnishing from tables and chairs to flooring, bars, lighting and heaters, plus outdoor firepits, BBQs and pathways.

Find out more about Inspired Event Structures here.

Wills Marquees

A family business run by a husband and wife team plus their three sons. Wills marquees hire across Yorkshire and the North East but also supply to other companies across the UK. Wills marquees actually make the marquees themselves using a lot of traditional methods.

• Large range of marquee options from 12-260 seated. Furnished and unfurnished options.
• Options for bars, lighting and staging for any size of wedding.

Wills marquees have a great reputation across the wedding industry and boast a huge amount of expertise and knowledge when it comes to marquee weddings.

Check out more about Wills marquees and get in touch with them here.

Original Marquees

Original marquees are a supplier of Wills marquees (see above) across Northumberland and other parts of the UK. We re focussing on the North East in this blog obviously but if you are looking further away the it is worth checking out their website for more info. Known for their sailcloth marquees they provide some stunning setups for weddings and really bring that luxury feel to your outdoor style wedding.

• Experts at supplying and installing marquees whether you are using a field on your own land or at a venue.
• They can supply all your furniture, staging and bars as required.

Check out Original marquees website for more information here.