Transforming your wedding into a full wedding weekend is a fantastic way to make the celebration last longer and create an unforgettable experience for you and your guests. Instead of a single day to catch up with all your guests and enjoy time with your partner, a wedding weekend allows everyone to truly relax, connect, and enjoy quality time together.
You can kick things off with a welcome dinner or casual gathering on Friday, giving friends and family a chance to mingle before the big day. Then, the day after your wedding, keep the festivities going with a relaxed brunch, group activity, or farewell event on Sunday. This extended format gives you more room to add personal touches, like a group walk around Darley Park, wine tasting at Darley Abbey Wines, or a brunch at Fine Dining Restaurant Darleys.
The Mill Cottage
Kick start your wedding weekend by checking into The Mill Cottage and getting settled for the amazing weekend ahead of you. Organise all of your wedding related items on arrival so you can fully relax into the evening ahead.
Lorentes
Gather your nearest and dearest to catch up over authentic Spanish tapas at Lorentes, just around the corner from The River Mill. Share sangria & small plates and let the conversation flow. If you’ve booked your wedding weekend for the warmer months, you’ll be able to enjoy their riverbank gardens which sit right next to ours.
Darley Abbey Wines
After dinner head over to Darley Abbey Wines for hand sourced, world class wines. If you’re lucky, they might even have a wine tasting event on! Their gorgeous wine bar is drenched with the same industrial character and cosy lighting as The River Mill, tying it nicely into your wedding weekend.
The Lamp House
Recently opened, The Lamp House offers a more casual vibe with a great selection of beers, wines, soft drinks in the evenings as well as tea, coffee & cake in the day. Whether this fits in as part of a mini bar crawl the night before your wedding day, or helps to cure the hangover on Sunday, it’s a great little spot to have close by.
Darleys
Darley’s could be perfect for either your welcome dinner or farewell breakfast. Recognised by The Michelin Guide, Darley’s are a fine dining restaurant who offer breakfast, lunch and dinner over the weekend. They have a gorgeous riverbank terrace which sits right on the weir, offering a gorgeous backdrop and soundtrack to a summer meal.
Darley Park
Walk off the hangover and embrace nature with a loop of Darley Park. Swooping hills, the river Derwent and gorgeous architecture scattered about will help you to feel a little more human after partying the last two days away.
The Abbey
End your incredible wedding weekend with a farewell pint at The Abbey, a 15th century, this Grade II* listed Inn. The Abbey don’t allow digital devices within their pub to encourage drinkers to connect with one another – what better way to end your weekend than an uninterrupted de-brief session.
If this sounds like the perfect weekend for you, get in touch with our wonderful events team to discuss availability and arrange your viewing. We hope to see you soon!