From country houses to outdoor wedding venues, discover all the different wedding venue types you can choose from. Where do you see you and the love of your life getting married?
Choosing a wedding venue
Figuring out where to hold your big day is one of the biggest decisions you will make when planning your wedding. Your venue will define the whole day and experience – so it’s not a decision you should take lightly.
Are you and your partner keen to find a chilled out space to exchange vows? Or would you prefer the buzz and excitement of somewhere more thrilling?
Whatever ideas you have for your wedding day – big or small, calm or just the right amount of crazy – you can find the perfect place to make your dream come true! And we want to help, so check out this guide of the types of venues you can explore in your quest to find the ideal location for your wedding.
Types of wedding venue
Venue and couple should be a match made in heaven. Just like you wouldn’t change a thing about each other, you can’t just pick anyplace and expect to transform it into something it isn’t (for instance, a swanky city-centre hotel is never going to feel like a rustic retreat).
But it doesn’t have to be an instant attraction, either – with a little tender loving care, you can find a suitable space that fits in with your style and then personalise it to make it all about YOU.
Country House
We start our guide, of course, with country houses as this is (without bragging) our forte. If you have had the pleasure of visiting Fennes, then you will know how spectacular our venue is – it hasn’t received awards for nothing!
The idyllic surroundings, the gorgeous Georgian façade and the cosy rooms all make it a fantastic place to get married and share your special day with your guests. Like many other stately homes across the country, Fennes is offered to couples on an exclusive-use basis which means that the space becomes your home for the day. Many country houses often have charming rooms and honeymoon suites for the evening of your wedding, so be sure to ask if this is on offer too.
At Fennes aside from the venue itself, our team is pretty fantastic too and will go above and beyond to make sure that your day goes exactly to plan. So, if you are keen on a homely atmosphere in a striking period or manor house with countryside views and beautiful gardens, then a country house may be for you.
Barn conversions
Sticking with the countryside, barn conversions make stunning venues for weddings. Not only do they have all the charm of old, pastoral shelters, but they can also offer lovely intimate spaces.
Depending on your preference, you can find barns that have had minimal work done inside them or you can discover buildings that have been renovated to the highest of specifications with sleek and sophisticated interiors.
Barn weddings are romantic yet rustic that can be very versatile with charming indoor and outside spaces, which is probably why they’ve become so popular over the last couple of decades
Hotels
Once very popular as wedding venues, hotels are a great place to get married if you value convenience, competence and in-house catering facilities.
While lots of venues are experienced in delivering and catering for weddings, hotel staff are highly trained to deal with guests’ needs down to the tiniest of details, so if you plan to put up your guests all under the same roof then you can be sure that they’ll be well looked after and that you’ll not have to worry about a thing for the duration of your stay.
The biggest draw to having your wedding at a hotel is the fact that you can have everything in one place – facilities, parking, catering, a team… The only downside, however, is that you may be sharing your venue with other paying guests which in turn means you could be limited in what you can do to add your own personal touch to the wedding.
Castles
Don’t try to tell us that you’ve never dreamt of being a princess in her own big castle…
It is every little girl’s dream to get married to her prince in an enchanting fotress, and while some of us grow out of this fairy-tale notion, others are set on making this become a reality. And the good news is that you can hire your very own towers and turrets on your wedding day!
Although the UK is only really known for the royal Buckingham Palace and a handful of other historic abbeys (which, unfortunately, are out of bounds for non-royals!), you can still find some wonderful castles throughout the country where you can live your grand dream.
Take Hampton Court Castle in the Herefordshire countryside, for example, or Hedingham Castle in our very own county of Essex, both of which are fit for a king or a queen!
Architectural
Architectural projects are great venues for weddings, with their one-of-a-kind and unique spaces. Who wouldn’t want a mesmerising space with some serious ‘wow’ factor for their wedding photos?
Possibly one of the best examples is the Royal Institute of British Architects in the capital, which opens its doors to couples offering them a grade II listed art deco building to play with.
An iconic venue that has won awards is sure to set the tone of a stylish and cultural wedding.
Historic
Not all historic buildings need a modern facelift to classify as a wedding venue. If it’s the story and memoirs of a building that appeal to you then why not look at venues that have preserved the past, much like Wilton’s Music Hall in East London, one of the last remaining music halls in London.
Complete with a grand Victorian staircase, a spectacular auditorium and other vintage touches, this venue will take you back in time for a day in full 19-th century character.
Outside wedding venues (inc. Marquees/Teepees)
If you are very in tune with nature and wish to get married in the great outdoors, then there are various ways you can achieve this.