Getting married is a special moment in anyone's life, and the majority of people who have engaged in the social practice often say that it's one the best days they've ever had. Some may choose to exaggerate that and others might choose to be a bit more down to earth with it all, but one way or another, there's no escaping the fact that it's a pretty big deal.
The amount of planning that goes into it all often leaves some people feeling a little bit intimidated, whether you're a bride who has been proposed to or a groom who is planning it all out. There are certain variables that you sometimes just can't plan for, but one thing that most people decide on pretty far in advance is where exactly they're going to be getting married.
A lot of couples choose something quite low key, but others want to ensure that their wedding lives up the moniker of being the best day of their lives. As such, castles tend to be quite popular locations, regardless of whether or not they actually have the necessary facilities to host such an event.
Some couples will go ahead and get married without even clearing it with the venue, whereas others will go all out from a financial standpoint - because why not?
With that in mind, we've decided to run through a list of twenty phenomenal castles from across the globe that would almost certainly leave your guests saying 'wow' for years and years to come.
20 Cinderella Castle - Orlando, Florida
You may have thought that we'd be above including something Disney-related, but you'd be oh so wrong. Cinderella Castle is the iconic image that you associate Disneyworld, Disneyland or any other Disney-based product with, and there's a good reason for that.
It's an iconic structure and so many little boys and girls would love nothing more than to get married there, and can you blame them? There's a great deal of hatred and hurt in this world, and the idea that such a fantasy could actually come to life is something that we can, and all should believe in one hundred percent.
19 Edinburgh Castle - Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is considered to be one of the finest cities in Britain, and it's not hard to see why. It encapsulates all of the positive connotations surrounding Scotland as a country, it's clean, it's friendly, and there are so many pieces of architectural brilliance to be found.
Case and point: Edinburgh Castle. It's arguably one of the primary attractions, and it's not hard to see why. So many foreigners are obsessed with Scotland's culture and the ancient history surrounding the nation, which slots in perfectly with what Edinburgh is trying to accomplish as a city. It may seem bland at first, but look deeper and see what you end up discovering.
18 Belvoir Castle - Leicestershire, England
Leicester, as a city, is hardly a place that you'd recommend above all others if you were giving advice to someone visiting England. Alas, whilst that may be the case, the surrounding countryside is full of fantastic views and great National Trust destinations that provide fun for all the family.
One such example is Belvoir which is an incredibly well-kept castle that many visitors tend to marvel at to this day. Whilst there's something very appealing about the rugged, grey look that we use to stereotype most castles with, there's something so charming and simplistic about Belvoir that really catches the eye.
17 Montsegur Castle - Ariege, France
From one extreme to the other, we arrive at Montsegur in France. The countryside of this European nation tends to be one of the primary reasons as to why people view it as such a nice vacation destination when in reality, there's so much more than that on offer.
Montsegur feels like something you'd see in a Lord of the Rings movie, and we mean that in the best and nicest way possible. It's located on a steep incline that would lead you to believe the final boss of a video game lives there, but when you reach the summit, you'll soon discover just how charming it really is.
16 Bran Castle - Brasov, Romania
We used the term 'romantics' in the title, and whilst you may not necessarily think that should apply to a spooky looking castle like Bran, we're going to include it - because let's face it, romance comes in all different shapes and sizes.
The fascination with Dracula and Transylvania as a whole has led to Bran becoming one o the most popular and notorious castles in the world, and you can't deny that it'd be unbelievably cool to say you got married there.
It's one of the major stereotypes surrounding Romania as a nation, and as opposed to trying to fight it, we think that they should just steer into the skid.
15 Buda Castle - Budapest, Hungary
The majority of the options thus far have been somewhat secluded, but Buda Castle couldn't be any further left field. Located in Hungary's capital, Buda is one of the main attractions that can be viewed from pretty much anywhere in the city.
There are several fun ways to get there, the building has an imposing presence, and if you got married here then you just know you'd be making an exceptionally large statement to the rest of your inner circle. Obviously, the logistics probably wouldn't work out too great, but so long as you're able to hire out even the smallest of sections around the castle, it could wind up being pretty incredible.
14 Schonbrunn Castle - Vienna, Austria
Whilst technically being a 'palace' by name, Schonbrunn tends to be more associated with being a castle, and it's actually quite a unique place. It's located in the city of Vienna which is an exceptionally popular place for travellers to visit, and yet it still manages to feel pretty closed off from the rest of the world.
As you can see in the above image there's another section that can be reached with a short walk through the forest, whereby you can have a delightful meal overlooking the city. In terms of a dream wedding, everything seems to be set up perfectly for this to be utilised for such an occasion.
13 Rumelihisari Castle - Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey is a city that has gone through many 'facelifts' so to speak over the course of the last few decades, and not all of them have been positive. Restoring the reputation of the destination has been difficult, but for the most part, they've recovered pretty well.
It helps, then, that they've got remarkable structures such as these for people to marvel at. It's located along the river and seems to bring together all of the necessary elements that make a castle look beautiful, and as long as you're creative with how you want to lay things out, this could be a home run of a selection.
12 Dunnottar Castle - Stonehaven, Scotland
We're heading back up north now to wonderful Scotland, which as you've probably guessed by now, is a pretty popular country when it comes to these kinds of things. They've just got such a rich history within this category that it's hard not to fall in love with every single castle on display, but for the sake of this list, we've tried to limit them to our favourites.
Step right up: Dunnottar. It's one of the few places we've ever seen where you can feel like you're genuinely stood on the edge of the earth, as if you've almost 'completed' life, in a bizarre kind of way. That sort of makes sense, too, given that marriage signals the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
11 Neuschwanstein Castle - Hohenschwangau, Germany
Pronouncing this venue is going to cause you all kinds of problems, but that's not the reason why we've selected it. As you can see it looks like something that's been drawn or painted as a concept design, and it's hard to believe that it actually exists.
This takes the definition of paradise and completely flips it on its head, and it's fitting that Germany is the country that hosts it. The European nation is one of the most underrated countries on the face of the planet when it comes to scenery and nature, and this is as much evidence as you'll ever need.
10 Warwick Castle - Warwick, England
The odd thing about Warwick Castle is that it's been transformed into something that's so much bigger than just a 'castle', to the point where you could argue that it's become a little bit tacky. With that being said, there's a reason why people travel from all over the continent in order to visit.
There's just a magical kind of aura surrounding the place that you don't get with a lot of castles, and we can't quite put our finger on why that is. In short, it's probably because of the legacy, but on top of that, the design of the castle itself is just so breathtaking.
9 Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle - Orschwiller, France
We're jetting back off to France now, for a place that redefines what it means to be 'secluded'. Honestly, this castle is so in the middle of nowhere that we wouldn't be surprised if people got lost just trying to drive towards it.
Imagine only inviting a few close friends and family to this, and then having to tell the rest of your social group that you held your wedding here. The amount of jealousy would reach levels we couldn't even possibly fathom.
Stunning is one word, remarkable is another - but nothing will do justice to this. Nothing at all.
8 Bodiam Castle - Robertsbridge, England
A moat is something that you often associate with castles and up to this point, we haven't really spoken about them. Alas, there's a first for everything, and we'd like to introduce you to Bodiam - awesome in name, and awesome in execution.
This is one of those entries where what you see is what you get, and it almost feels like something you'd see at a theme park. You can just imagine waking up on a misty November morning and walking to this venue as a guest, wondering "is it possible for me to get married here one day?".
The answer is yes, yes it is.
7 Spis Castle - Zehra, Slovakia
Picture this: you're wandering through the streets and fields of rural Slovakia minding your own business, and then all of a sudden, you turn a corner and the most bizarre looking castle is there staring you right in the face.
It's something that you'd experience if you hang around Zehra, with Spis Castle being one of those 'blink and you'll miss it' kind of venues. It's a place that you just know would've been a nightmare to deal with for rivals and foes of those who lived here, but at the same time, it has a certain charm that makes it quite appealing.
6 Urquhart Castle - Loch Ness, Scotland
When you travel to Loch Ness, it's not like you're going to be visiting for too many reasons other than to try and scout out the famous Loch Ness Monster. That's nothing to be ashamed of, either, because mythical creatures are very fascinating things, and for good reason.
As it turns out, though, there's actually a castle called Urquhart that allows you to get married overlooking one of the most famous sights in the history of folklore. Oh, and did we mention that this castle also helped someone to win £125,000 on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
5 Gaillard Castle - Les Andelys, France
While it's all well and good having a castle that is off in the distance for people to scout out, it's also pretty cool for it to be the focal point of any given town or village. Then, that way, it's a fun little anecdote for the people who have lived there for years and years on end.
Gaillard is well-known in the castle community and it's certainly somewhere you'd want to go if you were stuck in a zombie invasion, but beyond that, it'd be great for a wedding too. Afterwards, you could take a stroll into the town, and you could easily invite dozens of the locals in order to make a real fuss of it all.
4 Leeds Castle - Kent, England
We know what you're thinking: why on earth isn't Leeds Castle located in Leeds?
Of course, you're probably only thinking that if you actually live in England, but nonetheless, it's an interesting point.
The castle in Kent has a really unique structure and, unsurprisingly, it's a popular tourist destination. We're big fans of wedding venues that allow you to go on a long walk or drive towards the final destination on the actual day of the wedding, and this certainly fits into that category.
It may not be your cup of tea, but it's definitely one of the more intriguing entries.
3 Osaka Castle - Osaka, Japan
It's time to take a step back from Europe and head on over to Asia, where very different types of castles can be found. Specifically, in Osaka, we have this beautiful creation that often brings in thousands upon thousands of visitors every single year - and it's not hard to see why.
If you're talking about a wedding venue that will make a statement then you really don't need to look any further than this one, especially when you see the area as a whole, too. Different cultures celebrate these things in different ways, and that's something that everyone needs to appreciate sooner rather than later.
2 Himeji Castle - Himeji, Japan
In many ways, you could copy and paste the entry from Osaka and throw it in here, but that would be doing a disservice to Himeji Castle as a whole. Located on a hilltop, the colour scheme, as well as the design, makes this one of the only castles on this list that really does feel completely separate - with Osaka fitting into that category too.
The combination of the greenery and the often beautiful weather makes this a stunning place to visit, even if you aren't planning on getting married. Still, given the striking white, most people would associate this more with weddings than any other by default.
1 Tintagel Castle - Tintagel, England
Tintagel Castle isn't a place that's going to jump out at you off the page, but that shouldn't be the case and it's a shame that it is. Located in the sleepy parish at the foot of the United Kingdom, Tintagel Castle is known for being the supposed birthplace of King Arthur.
Beyond that, though, it just feels and looks like something out of a movie. It's the kind of place that you could visit regardless of the weather conditions, and whilst getting married in the church may seem a little bit more practical, this would be equally as magical too.