Venue Review – The Red Lion at Burnsall

The Red Lion is a traditional 16th century inn which is privately owned and run by a lovely family in the pretty village of Burnsall in the Yorkshire Dales.

I’m a little bit biased on this one as this was our wedding venue but I’ll try to be neutral in this review!

I had the pleasure of planning a wedding here recently as well for one of my couples.  It was lovely to be back there and knowing the venue so well made the planning a lot easier as I could easily picture the rooms when my couple were describing what they wanted.

Weddings are held in 3 interlinking rooms which all have wooden floors, stylish wooden tables and comfortable, fabric covered chairs.  So no patterned carpets or chair covers here!!  These 3 rooms are for the exclusive use of the wedding party and they only hold one wedding per day.

The Ceremony Room

One of the 3 rooms is licensed for civil ceremonies and has a pretty fireplace and fairy lights.  There are double doors leading straight outside so your guests can access the outdoor drinks reception without having to go through the main bar.

After your ceremony, you can have a few minutes alone with a drink while your guests exit via these double doors.   You can then make your exit for the confetti shot on the steps.

Drinks Reception

There is a terrace outside right by the river where you can have your drinks reception.  This area is closed to the public when there’s a wedding taking place.

If the weather isn’t kind, your drinks reception can easily be moved inside to one of the reception rooms.

Your Reception

 The other 2 rooms are where your wedding breakfast and evening party will take place.

There’s a bar in one of these rooms too which is just open to wedding guests so they don’t need to go to the main bar to get a drink.

The food is fantastic here, even when they’re catering for a high number of guests.  You can offer your guests a choice of meals as well. And there are several drinks packages to choose from.

The team here are super supportive and flexible so if you want something different, they can usually sort that out for you.

They have a music system where you can plug in a playlist for during your wedding breakfast.  They’re happy for you to have live music as well and they have a great resident DJ too so plenty of options to entertain your guests.

Accommodation

There’s a wide choice of accommodation available so you and your guests can make a weekend of it.

There are 4 self catering cottages right on the river banks which make a great option for families. There are a number of rooms in the Red Lion but they also have accommodation round the corner in the Manor House so there should be plenty for all your wedding party.  There’s a good range of prices too.

There are 4 rooms above the reception venue that you need to book and pay for as a minimum as these can’t be let to non wedding guests when there’s a wedding due to the noise.

The Location

The Red Lion is situated in the pretty little village of Burnsall in the Yorkshire Dales.  It’s right next to the iconic bridge which gives you great photo opportunities.  The outdoor terrace is right next to the river and there’s a lovely village green across the road as well.

All in all the Red Lion is a great option for a stylish but relaxed wedding.  You can see more about the venue and download their brochure here.

All Images by Katie Dervin Photography.

If you need some help planning any aspect of your wedding, I can help.  My services are all bespoke to make sure you get the right level of help at the right time in your planning journey.  Do get in touch to find out more and see how I can help you.

Louise