Why Royle Forest Weddings Is a Fantastic Wedding Venue in Derbyshire

Royle Forest Weddings, Derby, Derbyshire

If you're searching for a wedding venue that feels genuinely different from the traditional hotel, manor house or country-house wedding, Royle Forest Weddings could be exactly what you're looking for. Tucked away within 200 acres of woodland at Drakelow, near Burton upon Trent, this unique wedding venue combines magical forest surroundings with spectacular tipis, firepits, a statement bar and a fantastic dancefloor.

Located on the Derbyshire and Staffordshire border, Royle Forest has created something that goes far beyond simply putting a few tipis in a field. The entire experience has been carefully designed to give couples and their guests an unforgettable wedding celebration.

For couples looking for a woodland wedding, festival-style wedding, tipi wedding or alternative wedding venue in Derbyshire, Royle Forest is certainly one to consider.

A Wedding Venue That Really Is Different

One of the biggest attractions of Royle Forest Weddings is its individuality.

From the moment guests enter the woodland, the venue is designed to build anticipation. Rather than arriving at a conventional reception room, couples and their guests make their way through the forest towards the spectacular tipi setup.

The venue has been created by the team themselves, with virtually every part of the experience designed to fit their vision of a high-quality, immersive woodland wedding.

That makes Royle Forest particularly appealing to couples who don't want their wedding to feel like everyone else's.

Instead of a standard function room with tables around the edge and a dancefloor at the front, you're surrounded by trees, atmospheric lighting, firepits and beautifully constructed tipis.

Five Tipis Create an Incredible Reception Space

The main wedding setup includes five tipis, including a catering tent and a dedicated whiskey tipi.

This provides plenty of space for different elements of the wedding while maintaining the intimate and atmospheric feel that makes a tipi wedding so appealing.

The tipis are decorated with fairy lights and festoon lighting, creating an especially magical atmosphere once the sun goes down.

For an evening wedding reception, this can be spectacular. The combination of the woodland setting, warm lighting, firepits and tipi structures gives the whole venue a relaxed festival atmosphere.

And because the venue has been designed specifically around this style of celebration, the different spaces work together rather than feeling like separate additions.

The Forest Bar

At the heart of the evening celebration is The Forest Bar.

This isn't simply a temporary bar tucked into the corner of a marquee. It's a statement feature and an important part of the overall design of the venue.

It provides a natural focal point for guests as the evening progresses, helping to create the social atmosphere that is so important at a wedding reception.

Whether guests are enjoying a drink, catching up with friends or heading towards the dancefloor, the Forest Bar forms part of the experience.

A Dancefloor Built for a Party

For couples who put a big emphasis on the evening entertainment, Royle Forest has another major advantage: its LED infinity dancefloor, complete with a large golden disco ball and dedicated DJ booth.

This is an excellent setup for a wedding DJ because the entertainment area has clearly been considered as part of the venue rather than being an afterthought.

And this is where Royle Forest really comes into its own.

The atmosphere created by the tipis, lighting, firepits and woodland surroundings can transition beautifully from a relaxed daytime celebration into a full-on evening party.

As a DJ, that's particularly appealing because the venue provides plenty of atmosphere before the music even starts.

The right combination of music, lighting and a packed dancefloor could make for an absolutely incredible wedding party.

Forest Ceremonies

Royle Forest isn't just somewhere to hold the reception. The venue is licensed for civil ceremonies, allowing couples to officially say their vows within the forest.

The ceremony area includes seating and a canvas roof, allowing the woodland surroundings to remain an important part of the occasion while providing some protection from the elements.

Couples also have flexibility regarding who leads the ceremony. Depending on their plans, they can choose a Registrar, Celebrant or even have a friend or family member involved in the ceremony where appropriate.

This flexibility is another reason why Royle Forest suits couples who want to create a wedding that feels personal rather than following a rigid traditional format.

A Venue Designed Around Flexibility

Another particularly attractive feature is the venue's approach to wedding planning.

Royle Forest doesn't want couples to feel as though they're simply selecting options from a predetermined list.

The team describes their approach as deliberately flexible, allowing couples to get creative with the venue.

This could make Royle Forest particularly appealing if you've already started planning your wedding and have ideas that don't fit neatly into a conventional wedding package.

The venue offers a wide range of facilities as part of its package, including:

• Five tipis

• A dedicated ceremony area

• The Forest Bar

• LED infinity dancefloor

• DJ booth

• Golden disco ball

• Whiskey snug tipi

• Food courtyard

• Tables and chairs

• Five firepits

• Fairy and festoon lighting

• Generator and diesel

• Toilets, including accessible facilities

• Baby changing facilities

• Hard-standing car parking

• Bar staff

• Wedding coordinator

• In-house planning support

Having so much already provided can make planning considerably easier.

A Wedding Venue That Takes Entertainment Seriously

For a wedding DJ, the venue itself can make a huge difference to the atmosphere of the evening.

Some venues have beautiful ceremony rooms and dining spaces but treat the evening reception as an afterthought.

Royle Forest is different.

The venue has deliberately created a dedicated party environment, with a substantial dancefloor, DJ booth, disco ball, lighting and Forest Bar all forming part of the overall design.

That means couples can concentrate on creating the kind of party they actually want.

And if you're someone who wants a wedding where the emphasis is on great music, dancing and having an incredible night with your friends and family, this is a particularly exciting venue.

Perfect for Festival-Style Weddings

Royle Forest is particularly well suited to the growing popularity of festival-style weddings.

Rather than formal and traditional, festival weddings tend to be relaxed, social and highly personal.

Think:

Tipis. Firepits. Fairy lights. Music. Drinks. Woodland. Dancing.

Royle Forest brings all of those elements together in one location.

The whiskey tipi provides somewhere for guests to relax, while the food courtyard offers a separate area for informal evening food. The firepits help create those natural gathering points where guests can sit and chat.

It gives couples the opportunity to create a wedding that feels more like an incredible weekend celebration than a conventional formal event.

Giving Something Back

There are also some lovely touches included for couples who book Royle Forest.

The venue has partnered with a local microbrewery to offer a beer tasting session, allowing couples to choose a beer to have on draft for their wedding.

Couples also receive a personalised handmade wedding memory box, along with a bespoke sign featuring their names and wedding date.

Perhaps most impressively from an environmental perspective, part of the wedding package is used to plant 30 trees.

For a wedding venue surrounded by woodland, that's a particularly fitting way of giving something back.

A More Personal Wedding Experience

Royle Forest also limits the number of weddings it hosts each year.

That's important because it means the team aren't trying to operate as a wedding factory.

Their aim is to provide a more personal experience and work with couples throughout the planning process.

The inclusion of an in-house planning service and wedding coordinator means couples have support available rather than being left to organise every aspect themselves.

For a wedding that has so many individual elements, having experienced people available to help bring everything together can be incredibly valuable.

What Do Couples Say About Royle Forest Weddings?

At the time of writing, Royle Forest Weddings has a 5.0/5 rating on Hitched from four reviews, with 100% of reviewers recommending the venue.

The reviews are particularly positive about both the venue itself and the team behind it.

Charlotte, who married at Royle Forest in July 2026, described the team as professional and friendly and praised them for taking the time to bring the couple's vision to life.

Harry's September 2025 review was similarly enthusiastic, highlighting how impressed both guests and suppliers were with the venue.

Emma described Royle Forest as a “magical” venue and praised the work of the team in creating such a special tipi wedding experience.

Paige's 2023 review also highlights the impression the venue makes once couples visit it, explaining that after seeing Royle Forest, other venues simply didn't compare.

With four five-star reviews currently listed, the feedback suggests that the personal service is just as important to couples as the spectacular surroundings.

Why Royle Forest Works So Well for a Wedding

There are plenty of wedding venues around Derbyshire and Staffordshire, but Royle Forest occupies a particularly interesting niche.

It isn't trying to compete with traditional country houses or luxury hotels.

Instead, it offers something completely different.

It's a venue for couples who want:

• A woodland wedding

• A tipi wedding

• A festival-style celebration

• A spectacular evening party

• A flexible approach to wedding planning

• A venue that's genuinely different

• An outdoor ceremony surrounded by nature

• Firepits and atmospheric lighting

• A dedicated dancefloor and DJ booth

• Accommodation and camping options

• A relaxed and informal atmosphere

And importantly, the venue gives couples considerable freedom to make the celebration their own.

Royle Forest Weddings Review – Our Verdict

Royle Forest Weddings is a genuinely exciting wedding venue.

What makes it stand out isn't simply the fact that it has tipis or that it's located in a forest. There are other venues offering those things.

It's the way everything has been brought together.

The forest setting, beautifully constructed tipis, Forest Bar, firepits, atmospheric lighting, whiskey snug and impressive LED dancefloor have all been designed to create one cohesive experience.

For couples who want a traditional hotel wedding, Royle Forest probably isn't what you're looking for.

But if you're searching for something alternative, relaxed, personal and spectacular, it could be an exceptional choice.

From the ceremony amongst the trees through to drinks around the firepits and dancing underneath the tipis, Royle Forest Weddings provides the ingredients for a wedding that guests are likely to remember for years.

And for couples who believe that the evening party is one of the most important parts of the wedding, the dedicated dancefloor and entertainment setup make this particularly interesting.

Our Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Royle Forest Weddings gets 5/5 from us for originality, atmosphere, flexibility and its fantastic approach to wedding celebrations.

If you're planning a wedding in Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Burton upon Trent or the wider Midlands, Royle Forest Weddings is certainly worth putting on your venue shortlist.

After all, your wedding doesn't have to look like everybody else's.

Venue information and review details based on information published by Royle Forest Weddings and the venue's Hitched profile, including information updated in March 2026.