Updated: 6th August 2019
As Brighton wedding photographers, we get to see a lot of different Brighton wedding Venues. Fun, unique and lively, Brighton offers a wide variety of awesome locations for weddings, civil ceremonies and engagement sessions. We’ve used our inside knowledge from 400+ weddings to put together this little guide, featuring some of our favourite Wedding venues in Brighton.
nb. This guide has been overhauled and rewritten as of August 2019 to reflect the changing Brighton wedding scene, with old favorites such as The Coach house closing down, and new venues opening – including the emerging interest in pub/club wedding venues like Oh So Social and Patterns. We’ve also added some bonus ideas at the bottom for people that want a simpler affair – 4 great Restaurants within walking distance of the registry office, to have a meal after you tie the knot.
BRIGHTON FAVOURITES: Brighton has some venues that are just so ‘Brighton’. They draw a lot of interest from couples from further afield, who choose to get married in the City (it’s quite a popular spot for London folks to come to to tie the knot) Brighton’s known for being a bit quirky, a bit relaxed and just a bit different – something that the following venues really capture. From Historic Palaces that look like they’re plucked straight out of India to famous Brighton Landmarks, to private schools to classic seaside attractions like the pier – there’s something for a variety of tastes.
Brighton Wedding Venues
1. Brighton College
A gem of a venue in the Heart of Kemptown. Luxurious, Grand and with a wonderful history. During the week it’s a private boys school educating the best and brightest, at weekends and during the holidays it’s a wedding venue quite unlike any other. With a wide range of buildings available for functions – you can have your ceremony in the chapel, before a drinks reception and a wonderful meal in the grand hall.
Address: Eastern Rd, Brighton BN2 0AL
2. The Royal Pavilion
If you’re looking for a regal Brighton wedding venue then you really can’t get more fitting than Brighton’s very own Royal Pavilion. Depending on the size of wedding you’re planning there are a number of options for you to choose from, all steeped in Georgian history and grandeur. And for a unique backdrop to your wedding photography you can’t really beat the Pavilion’s beautiful Regency gardens.
Address: 4/5 Pavilion Buildings, Brighton BN1 1EE
3. The Town Hall & Brighton Registry Office
Brighton Registry Office is a great option if you’d prefer a low-key ceremony. The registry office is housed inside Brighton Town Hall on Bartholomew Square in the heart of the City centre, just a short walk from the beach and close to plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants – and of course Brighton Pier, in case you fancy some post-wedding candy floss!
Address: Bartholomew Rd, Brighton BN1 1JW
4. The Bandstand
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/leisure-and-libraries/seafront/bandstand-and-caf%C3%A9
In 15 years of being a wedding photographer in Brighton, I can’t think of any location that had a more sustained appeal for photographs. Not a week goes by without someone contacting us for photos there – it’s one of Brighton’s truly ‘Brighton’ places!
You can get married on the Bandstand overlooking the sea, it’s a properly lovely place for a ceremony. We also find a lot of people choose to have their ceremony somewhere else and pop to the Bandstand for some photos. It’s a great spot on a calm, sunny afternoon, but on a cold windy day – it’s not where you want to be.
Address: Kings Road, Brighton, BN1 2PQ
5. I360
Oh controversial. Love it or hate it (A lot of Brighton people aren’t too taken by it!) it’s there, it’s big and it’s tall. It’s essentially Brighton’s answer to the London Eye, it’s a vertical, glass encased, ascending viewing platform. A little like the lift from Charlie and the Chocolate factory.
It’s a cracking place for a ceremony though – epic far reaching views over the sea and far less susceptible to the whims of the weather than other nearby venues. (See, The Bandstand)
Address: Lower Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2LN
6. The Palace Pier
http://www.brightonpier.co.uk/events/private-hire
Quintessentially Brighton, the pier offers a true fun by the sea vibe for couples looking for a memorable wedding or engagement session location. The added bonus is you can treat yourselves to fish and chips after your ceremony – just watch out for the seagulls!
Address: Lower Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2LN
ARTY & DIY: Brighton’s long been known as a creative hub, it’s a media town where many people are employed in creative industries, that makes it a natural spot for DIY weddings, detail heavy affairs where the couple have invested a lot of time and effort in the visual appeal of their day. These venues make for the perfect backdrop for these folks.
7. Fabrica
https://www.fabrica.org.uk/celebrations
A former church right in the heart of the town, on the corner of Ship Street, it’s an events space hosting all kinds of things from art exhibitions to dance shows. It’s also one of the most popular Brighton wedding venues. Being so central it’s an ideal location to make the most of Brighton during your photographs – a few seconds walk from the characterful lanes and a couple of minutes away from the seafront – the choices are great and the building itself makes for a cracking backdrop, so you don’t even need to go far if you didn’t want to.
Address: 40 Duke St, Brighton BN1 1AG
8. The Spire Arts
https://thespirearts.org/wedding-celebrations/
The Spire in Kemptown is another former church also used for events, exhibitions and shows. Being in the heart of Kemptown is brilliant for photo opportunities – you’re a stone’s throw from the beach through a meandering route of regency streets and back alleys – combining so many choices for amazing wedding photographs.
Being a large space it really suits bigger days with lots of guests, we’ve seen people doing wonderful things with the layout and DIY wedding decorations here.
Address: St Mark’s Chapel, Eastern Rd, Brighton BN2 5JN
9. Brighton Dome & Corn Exchange
The Dome is a properly big space, it hosts all kinds of shows and performances – but they do private events too. Ideally suited to larger events, I think a wedding celebration, vows renewal or blessing on the stage with your friends and family in the audience would be the most magnificent way to spend the day. It would make for the most stunning photographs too!
HOUSES & BOUTIQUE HOTELS: Boutique hotels are always popular choices for weddings and Brighton has plentiful choices, these hotels can feel like a hidden gems – lending themselves to opulent, intimate days.
Address: Church St, Brighton BN1 1UE
10. Angel House
Angel House is one of our favourites, not least because we’re their preferred photographer, but also because it’s just a lovely place run by lovely people. It’s a newly refurbished regency house located right on the seafront – it’s ideal for smaller days and just as comfortable going for a ceremony only option as it is for the whole day, ceremony/reception/dancing. Right opposite the bandstand and the beach gives plenty of options for photographs.
Address: 1 Brunswick Terrace, Hove BN3 1HN
11. Hotel Pelirocco
They call themselves England’s most rock and roll hotel, what a claim! The Hotel is just wonderfully quirky, and lends itself to an over-the-top quirky day. The cocktail bar is just the most gorgeous space for a reception filled with the most unusual and interesting details.
Address: 10 Regency Square, Brighton BN1 2FG
12. Hotel Du Vin
https://www.hotelduvin.com/locations/brighton/
A very popular one, it’s a luxury boutique hotel close to the sea with the most beautiful lit space for a meal – something quite unusual for a Brighton hotel, which can often be a little on the darker side.
Address: 2 Ship St, Brighton BN1 1AD
13. Claremont Hotel
Ok technically, this is in Hove, but as we’re officially known as Brighton & Hove – thats ok, right? One of our previous brides described the Claremont as a bit Fawlty Towers, and at first glance that sounds less like a compliment – but once you feel the warmth and welcoming nature of the staff, coupled with the energy of the place – it begins to make sense. Another described it as her ‘little B&B by the sea, her home from home’ – this is a place that makes you feel right at home from the moment you come in and that’s exactly what you need for a wedding. Coupled with the most wonder walled garden makes for a great, intimate day.
Address: 13 Second Ave, Hove BN3 2LL
14. Brighton Harbour Hotel
https://www.harbourhotels.co.uk/brighton
The Brighton Harbour Hotel is a luxury boutique hotel right on the seafront with 79 rooms and some wonderful spaces for ceremonies and receptions. From the little white chapel to the contemporary rooms it’s a great brighton wedding venue.
Address: 64 Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 1NA
15. Blanch House
Blanch house is a grade two town house and intimate hotel wedding venue in the heart of Kemptown, close to the beach and ideal for an intimate day.
Address: 17 Atlingworth St, Brighton BN2 1PL
BIG HOTELS: If you’re planning a large wedding, with more than a few hundred guests, one of your best options may be to take over a big hotel – they’re just set up for it. These are some of the biggest hotels Brighton has to offer and some are parts of chains they do weddings most weekends, so you know what you’re getting.
16. Grand Hotel
https://www.grandbrighton.co.uk/weddings-and-special-occasions
It’s so grand, they literally named it that. Brighton’s most opulent and Grand hotel – a very popular spot for weddings as well as a place to get ready before getting married elsewhere. The grand is constantly in a state of refurbishment, but that’s just a testament to the high standards they keep. The rooms for getting ready are so light and airy – the perfect start to a more luxurious day.
Address: 97-99 Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 2FW
17. Mercure Brighton Seafront
Right on the seafront, with tons of indoor space – makes this ideal for the changeable british weather. Being a chain you know what you’re getting, which can take a lot of the stress away from the day.
Address: 149 Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 2PP
18. Brighton Metropole
https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/hilton-brighton-metropole-BSHMETW/index.html
Another of Brighton’s big hotels – right on the seafront with an oppressive facade and close proximity to the sea for photographs, the bars and terraces at the front make for great areas for greeting guests and drinks receptions. While the main wedding room is really big and set quite back from the front of the hotel, so you’re not exposed to the day-to-day running of the hotel and can instead focus on the people you’ve invited.
Address: Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 2FU
COUNTRY HOUSES : Across the English countryside these kind of wedding venues are quite common – big country houses ideally set up for big opulent days, In Brighton – being a city, they’re a little bit fewer and further between, so if you’re looking for a country House in Brighton – Stanmer House really is the best option.
19. Proud Country House Stanmer House
Stanmer House is in the middle of Stanmer Park, which is one of the biggest open areas in Brighton – The parkland also has forests – ideal for those epic natural wedding photographs.
The house itself has great rooms for ceremonies and receptions, and for summer afternoons the terraces and gardens make for a wonderful place to have canapes and prosecco.
A little further afield in Sussex, will give you a much wider range of Country Houses.
Address: Stanmer Park Rd, Stanmer, Brighton BN1 9QA
BARNS: Like country houses, wedding barns are prevalent across the country, but within the city they are much harder to come by, but if that’s your thing, your best option is just outside of Brighton on the A27 –
20. Pangdean Barn
Located on the outskirts of Brighton, Pangdean is an 18th century oak-framed Sussex Barn, complete with courtyard, flint walled garden and the breathtaking backdrop of the South Downs. The inside of the barn is simple yet charming, and comes complete with an array of fairy lights across the ceiling, which creates a beautiful soft romantic atmosphere.
Address: Pangdean Farm, Brighton BN45 7FJ
CHURCHES: Brighton is one of the less traditional places to get married, but it still has some great venues for church weddings if a more traditional ceremony is important to you
21. St Peters Church
http://www.stpeterschurch.uk.com/special-services-and-bookings/weddings
The big kahuna church in Brighton, right in the centre of the London road – an imposing sight on the way to the pier – greeting all the London tourists. It’s also one of the friendliest churches around – catering to a younger crowd and building a real community in the city. Weddings here have that certain something – traditional,yet relaxed, with a big wow factor.
Address: York Pl, Brighton BN1 4GU
22. Brighton Unitarian Church
http://www.brightonunitarian.org.uk/
Right in the center of the lanes, set back a bit from the hustle and bustle with the most beautiful columned facade – Brighton Unitarian Church has, for many years, been undergoing a refurbishment – We were so fortunate to photograph the first wedding there after the refurb and it’s a wonderful place – combining the very best of traditional church wedding, with the relaxed laid-back Brighton charm.
Address: New Rd, Brighton BN1 1UF
CLUBS & BARS: Brighton’s got the most wonderful bar and club scene, it’s something that attracts partygoers all year round, so for the right crowd it’s a completely natural choice for a wedding! The following venues are all bars and clubs, so benefit from late licences and well stocked bars – letting you keep the party going late into the night & blur the line between a wedding and just a really good night out.
23. Patterns
http://patternsbrighton.com/private-hire/weddings/
A relaxed bar right on the seafront – really popular over the past few years with couples having weddings at the town hall before moving here for the evening.
With the wonderful terrace and the option of a BBQ – this is just an ideal summer afternoons spot for a chilled Brighton Wedding.
Address: 10 Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1TL
24. Oh So Social
Right on the seafront. Any closer to the sea and you’d be wet. Oh So Social is an awesome place for a relaxed wedding reception – great food, great drinks and a location that makes the most of Brighton and all it has to offer.
Address: 250a Kings Rd, Brighton BN1 1NB
25. Proud Cabaret
https://www.proudcabaretbrighton.com/
An old school Cabaret club ballroom vibe – popular with burlesque performers – it’s ideal for quirkier crowds. Right in the heart Kemptown with super easy links into town, or down to the Beach if that’s your thing. Also a nice late licence, so you don’t have to stop your party – in fact, the whole place just gets better and better the later into the night it gets, smoke machines and disco lights on the dancefloor make for the perfect club backdrop to a lively night.
Address: 83 St George’s Rd, Brighton BN2 1EF
BONUS! BRIGHTON WEDDING VENUES – RESTAURANTS FOR WEDDINGS
Ok, so this is a list of 25, but here a few bonus options if the above Brighton wedding venues aren’t doing it for you. A Popular wedding structure in recent years is to tie the know at a church, or at the town hall and then have a delicious meal at a fancy restaurant. If that’s your style – these have you covered.
The Ivy
https://theivybrighton.com/ – The Ivy chain is popular with the London crowd, so they brought that same luxurious, art deco charm to Brighton. A wonderful private dining experience can be booked to follow your ceremony. The details here are just made for Instagram if that’s your thing!!
The Salt Room
https://www.saltroom-restaurant.co.uk/
The best seafood restaurant in Brighton. Brighton’s all about food, and with the sea being such a big part of life – it’s all about seafood. So If these guys are the best Seafood restaurant in a massively foody, and more specifically a sea-foody city – that’s telling you something. If seafood is your thing – enjoy. If it’s not – keep looking below…
The Coal Shed
https://www.coalshed-restaurant.co.uk/brighton
The best meat and steak place in the town – the same people behind this as are behind the salt room above – literally the finest steak you’ll ever taste. We recommend the ribeye.
Brighton Beach Club – https://www.brightonbeachclub.com/
Formerly known as Alfresco – a popular beach front restaurant recently closed and underwent a transformation into the wonderful Brighton Beach Club. Cracking food, lovely service and an unbeatable location overlooking the west pier.
Well there we have it, our picks for the 25 of the best wedding venues in Brighton, but remember, weddings are about celebrating. They’re about celebrating your way and making the day special – whatever that means to you. If your idea of a great day is popping to the registry office, before having a handful of your friends over for cake – then do that. Likewise if being the center of attention while 300 of your nearest and dearest dance all night, then do that!
You don’t need to force yourself into a day that isn’t representative of who you are. But whatever you do – have a good one!