Wedding Films at Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, Windermere
Wedding videos from Gilpin Hotel and Lake House near Windermere. A luxury Lake District venue with private gardens, lakeside cottages, and intimate spaces that suit smaller, relaxed weddings.
Gilpin Hotel and Lake House sits in 100 acres of private grounds just outside Windermere, hidden enough to feel like a country house but close enough to the lake that most couples end up walking down to the water during photos. I've filmed weddings here across most seasons, and it's one of the venues I quietly recommend when couples ask where to look.
The main house has several small ceremony spaces rather than one big function room, which suits the way Gilpin tends to host weddings. Smaller guest lists, more time between moments, no rush. For a documentary-style film like mine, that pacing matters. There's room to catch the quiet bits, the looks between people, the unguarded moments in corners.
The orchard garden behind the main house catches afternoon light beautifully in summer. The lakeside cottages, which Gilpin took on in recent years, give access to Windermere itself, which is rare for a venue this close to town. In winter, the spa pavilion has large windows that handle low light well without any need for extra lighting on my end. Most months work here, though late spring through early autumn is when the grounds are at their best.
Gilpin tends to work best for couples planning something on the smaller side, around 40 to 80 guests. If you're after a big traditional reception with a dance floor and 150 people, this isn't the venue. For a relaxed day where guests are encouraged to wander, where lunch stretches into the afternoon, where nobody's checking a schedule, it's hard to beat.
My last wedding of 2020 turned out to be the smallest of the entire season, just the couple and their witnesses. However, it was my first chance to film at The Gilpin Lake House and what a fabulous venue it is, just perfect for a small intimate event, set in beautiful grounds beside a private tarn. Also a first time working alongside Chis of Christopher Ian Photography