Snowdonia, a national park sitting in the northwestern corner of Wales, is an enchanting place perfect for your destination wedding or elopement. Known as Eryri in the native tongue, this world-renowned, protected park is home to 23 miles of stunning coastline, nine mountain ranges and over 100 lakes. Rich in history, folklore and tradition, it is a spellbinding setting that exudes drama. The home of fairies and dragons, it retains much of its ancient mysticism thanks to the mammoth mountains, crumbling stone castles and 17% of its land area being beautiful, dense woodland. In short, we seriously believe that it’s one of the most romantic places on the planet, and ultimately should be your first choice when it comes to a destination wedding. Should you need some extra convincing, we’ve lined up eight reasons below - we guarantee your heart will be set on Snowdonia by the end of this article!
Why is Snowdonia the perfect place for my destination wedding?
While we could wax lyrical all day about the different reasons you should hold your destination wedding or elopement in Snowdonia, we thought it was probably best to condense it all into eight brief points. Continue reading to find out why Wales' largest national park is your ideal location.
1. The Scenery
Of course, we had to start with this one. Known for being the home of England & Wales’ highest mountain and two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the scenery here is much revered in all four corners of the world. Parallels are often drawn between Wales and New Zealand, which is great news for those not wanting to travel long-haul to get married before a breathtaking backdrop. A no-brainer for any couple that loves adventure, nature and simply spending time out in the elements, Snowdonia is the ultimate outdoorsy wedding destination.
A huge advantage of having your Snowdonia destination wedding at TÅ· Afon is that you can get creative with your photographer and venture out into the hills, stroll beside the river, visit the nearby Llyn Dinas for lakeside shots or even explore deep into the forests surrounding the Aberglaslyn gorge. Your photographs are the ultimate wedding investment, as they are what you will return to year after year to relive those precious moments, and so what better wedding location than Eryri National Parc.
2. The Heritage and Folklore
Many of the kingdoms (now counties) of Wales are ancient. Forming in the immediate post-Roman period, counties such as Gwynedd, Gwent and Powys have long been recognised and borne witness to millennia of battles, love stories and courageous Welsh kings. From the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to present-day occupants, countless customs have developed, many of which centre around romance. For example, the tradition of carving and giving ‘love spoons’ to your beloved has long been observed in Wales. Many young people would carve out a spoon or ‘llwy’ by hand, often adding intricate details or their entwined initials. If their love accepted the spoon, it was known that they had become a couple. You can find traditional Welsh lovespoons for sale in many tourist shops, and we think they make a stunning miniature wedding favour or gift which would relate to your Snowdonia theme perfectly. Many local folk also believe that this is the origin of the word ‘spooning!’
As well as its devoted craftsmanship, Wales is known for many myths and legends. One of our favourite love stories comes from the Mabinogion, an ancient collection of Welsh prose. Titled ‘The Dream of Macsen Wledig’ the story tells how Macsen Wledig, the emperor of Rome, falls into a deep sleep and dreams of a towering castle on the side of a mountain, where he meets the most beautiful maiden he has ever seen. Upon waking, he is set on finding this maiden and a vast search eventually ends up with him in the foothills of Snowdon, where he finds his dream lover, Helen Luyddawc. In admiration of her, the castles of Caernarfon, Caerleon and Carmarthen are built.
3. The Hospitality
Known for its quaint villages of slate-roofed stone cottages and old wooden bridges, Snowdonia is also associated with its friendly Welsh-speaking locals, many of whom will delight in telling you the tales of their beloved lands. If you choose to have a micro wedding or elopement in Eryri, you can be sure that you’ll return from your celebrations with old stories heard first-hand and perhaps even your own anecdotes about friendly farmers and wise Welsh figures.
4. The Food & Drink
A prominent producer of world-renowned cheese, meat, seafood, whiskey and gin, Wales is an epicurean’s dream destination. Wales has its own specialities, including cawl, a hearty broth that varies in ingredients based on the season, and Welsh rarebit, which is a must after hiking any of our mountains. At our beautiful wedding venue in the heart of Snowdonia, we are blessed to work with suppliers from all over the region and can work with you to design a dream food and drinks menu that can be as relaxed or as formal as you desire. With any celebration, and our day-to-day menus, we live by one rule - provenance is pivotal.
5. The Endless Activities
Whether you’re a jam-packed itinerary type or prefer to take a more relaxed, lackadaisical approach, Eryri has all of the answers. We are big believers that a wedding or elopement is a standalone event that you should truly savour by enjoying a few days with your nearest and dearest pre or post-celebration. In Snowdonia, you can choose between climbing mountains, visiting stunning gardens, white water rafting, taking afternoon tea on riverside terraces, swimming in vast lakes, conquering the world’s fastest zipline or simply sitting in the forest for hours on end to soak up its soothing benefits. While it is undoubtedly an area associated with strenuous hikes and high-octane adventure, it’s also a place of peace and quiet where you can luxuriate on heritage steam trains and indulge in fine dining.
6. The Patron Saint of Lovers
Yes, Wales has its very own St Valentine and a separate day to celebrate love. Known as St Dwynwen, Wales’ very own Patron Saint of Lovers was a fourth-century Welsh princess who was very unlucky when it came to her own love life. After being granted three wishes by God whereby one was that God himself would help all true lovers, Dwynwen became a nun and established a convent on Llanddwyn Island, a beautiful oceanside spot on Anglesey. Her name means, 'she who leads a blessed life'. Wales’ own ancient Valentine's Day is called Dydd Santes Dwynwen and occurs on the 25th of January each year.
During your destination wedding break in Snowdonia, you can even make a lovers’ pilgrimage to the site of Dwynwen’s original convent, where the ruins of her church still stand. A truly breathtaking spot on a tidal island, this is also said to be where she is buried and makes an incredible place to visit with your new husband or wife. Ynys Llandwyn and its beautiful beach are just an hour’s drive from Tŷ Afon.
7. The Royal Connection
Despite the tumultuous history that led to Wales being swayed by England’s rule, the two countries share a mutual level of respect, which has led to a romantic tradition featuring the rarest gold in the world and select couples of the Royal Family. Prominent royals throughout history, including The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Catherine Princess of Wales have all worn Welsh gold wedding bands crafted by Clogau, a family-run Welsh gold business which uses gold mined in the Dolgellau area of Snowdonia. Not only will you have something in common with the British Monarchy, but you’ll also be celebrating the special, sacred venue of your destination wedding by forever wearing gold mined from the same area.
8. The Practical Points
As we mentioned earlier, Snowdonia has scenery, produce and hospitality that draws parallels to far-flung places such as New Zealand and South America, but without the risk of long-haul flights, lost luggage and excessive cost. For that reason, combined with all of the above, we believe Eryri is the best place in the world for a destination wedding - but we are biased!
Wedding Venue for Exclusive Hire in the heart of Snowdonia
Tŷ Afon River House Hotel is available for exclusive hire for your destination wedding, elopement, or intimate micro-wedding celebration, and sits in the unparalleled splendour of Snowdonia National Park. There are 11 en-suite guestrooms, with further accommodation also available in the nearby village of Beddgelert. The hotel sits on the banks of a picturesque river, surrounded by rolling hills and mountains. Just opposite the hotel, is an ancient church which was once an Augustinian Priory, providing our couples with a truly unique opportunity to marry on historic sacred ground. There’s plenty of both indoor and outdoor space for your event, and everything from the lighting to the caterers can be fully bespoke. We would love to work with you to design your dream day.
For all wedding, elopement and other celebration enquiries, please get in touch on 01766 800 700, or by emailing weddings@tyafon.co.uk.