You NEED to See These 16 Unique Wedding Venues in the UK

These locations are so varied, covering all sorts of different themes and styles, ranging from:

• An aquarium

• A museum (feat T.Rex)

• A hall in which Shakespeare himself once performed

• An Amusement park

• And so much more!

So kick back and have a read. See if any of these incredible venues stands out to you.

1. The Deep, Hull

The idea of getting married in an aquarium, surrounded by water and fish swimming all about you is just so… serene?

You know what, maybe fish isn’t you, maybe you’re not quite a fish person - what if you said your vows while penguins swam behind you? That sound good?

We’ve written about The Deep before, not just as an incredible wedding venue, but also as a brilliant sustainable wedding venue. Not only will you and your partner have your ceremony and reception in a freaking aquarium, but you’ll be celebrating your love in a way that limits your wedding’s negative impact on the world around you.

Plus, there’ll be sharks!

2. The Eden Project, Cornwall

A spectacular location you’re probably already aware of - but maybe, like us, didn’t know you could get married in it - the Eden Project in Cornwall offers you the chance to say “I do” in a whole different biome, complete with the exotic plant life to match.

Take your pick of the rainforest or mediterranean biomes, and if that’s not your cup of tea there’s even an ice rink available during the winter months.
The Eden Project also throws in a voucher for entry the next day to all your guests, at no extra cost, so you can spend your first day as a married couple exploring the varied wildlife with those closest to you.

3. Dulwich Picture Gallery, South London

Getting married in the oldest public art gallery in England is perfect for any artistically-inclined couple, especially if you choose to have your wedding in the large Soane Gallery, where you’ll be saying your vows surrounded by a myriad of baroque masterpieces.

The Dulwich Picture Gallery also has venues for smaller and more intimate weddings as well, if you would prefer.

The gallery is surrounded by acres of gorgeous gardens, should you or any in your party wish to explore or relax in nature throughout the day.

4. Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle

If you’re thinking to yourself “well hey, these places sound nice and all, but none of them help me fulfil my desire of having my wedding pictures by a t-rex”, then I have a feeling you’re gonna love this next option.

The museum (which first opened in the 1880s) recommends making use of several of its locations throughout the wedding day. Start by having your ceremony in the Hadrian’s Wall Gallery (the one with the t-rex), followed by a drinks reception in the Natural Northumbria Gallery (which collects and breaks down the flora and fauna of the north east of England), before spending your evening reception in the Living Planet Gallery, a space dedicated to creatures from all over the world, including elephants and great white sharks!

5. National Space Centre, Leicester

I don’t know about you, but I think getting married at the National Space Centre in Leicester would be a truly out of this world experience (get it?).

If you’re planning on a smaller ceremony, you can be married in various locations around the centre, including underneath two real spaceships. If you’re wanting to include as many guests as you can, the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium is perfect - get married while you and your guests are in the middle of a 360-degree cinematic experience.

6. Wookey Hole, Somerset

Okay. I know what you’re thinking. “Wookey Hole” isn’t the most romantic name for a wedding location, but these caves - with their beautiful rock formations - make for an ethereal and absolutely gorgeous wedding ceremony.

After you’ve gotten married in whichever of the three main chambers speaks to you most - each surrounded by clear pools and soft candlelight, and carved by the River Axe over millions of years - you can have your reception at their restaurant before heading back to the two storey VIP Tower Suite at their luxurious hotel.

7. Dreamland Margate, Margate

This location isn’t just an amusement park. It’s a seaside amusement park. Picturesque? Yes. Fun? Very. Exciting? Of course. Your wedding venue? That’s for you to decide.

After a reopening in 2015 and a major revamp in 2017, Dreamland Margate features everything you could want for your amusement park wedding, including a vintage ballroom, a roller disco, and (of course) access to all of the rides!

There’s over 25 different rides to try out, classic and new, and the park even has stages for musical performances.

We told you these places would give you a wedding you would never forget, didn’t we?

8. Camp Kátur, North Yorkshire

Perfect for the nature-loving couple, Camp Kátur is the perfect location for a chic and magical boho wedding. Found within the 250 acres of woodland that make up the Camp Hill Estate, if you want to have your wedding in this idyllic setting, you have three fully-licensed natural venues to choose from.

Their Woodland Ceremony area is a beautiful natural space nestled amongst tall and luscious pine trees, with The Meadow - a glamping location for up to 80 guests - being close nearby.

One of the smaller glamping sites, Hill Farm, which features 10 geodomes that can accommodate up to 40 guests, isn’t far from another wedding venue - the Forest Gazebo, which is underneath an old oak tree.

The third and final location is also the biggest. Once a dairy farm, the Rustic Barn is home to exposed brick, thick oak beams, a bar, and a large courtyard that can house up to 200 guests.

If you’ve been looking to get married amidst the beauty of nature, then Camp Kátur may be the perfect place for you.

9. The Little Theatre Cinema, Bath

Opened in the 1930s and never leaving that style behind, a couple in need of a suave vintage wedding venue need look no further than The Little Theatre Cinema. Getting married in a cinema means your ceremony can take advantage of the venue’s top of the range projector and sound system: show videos and pictures as your guests are walking in; have your favourite music play as you walk down the aisle; meaningful images can appear behind the two of you as you say your vows.

With two screens to choose from, The Little is ready to make your special day as special as it can, whether you’re feeling more classic or modern, or more grand or cosy.

10. Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Bristol

You’re not gonna need a bigger boat.

Launched by Prince Albert in 1843 as a passenger steamship, the SS Great Britain was the largest vessel afloat at the time, and now she could be the venue for a night you’ll never forget.

Exchange vows on the picture-perfect promenade deck before heading down into the ship for a reception in its first class dining saloon, with technology being discreetly hidden so as to maintain the allure of its Victorian design. Then, it’s on to the next room (the Hayward Saloon, named for the man who repaired for SS Great Britain to be restored) where you and your guests can take full advantage of the bar and dance floor.

In recent years, the rustic Riggers’ Yard has been constructed as a gorgeous outdoor wedding location by the waters edge, perfect for traditional and boho brides alike.

11. St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry

Psst. Hey. You. Think it would be cool to get married somewhere that Shakespeare performed? I do.

There’s a quaint courtyard for welcome drinks before you head into one of St Mary’s three historic rooms for your ceremony and reception. As well as the grand great hall, with its high ceilings, intricate stained glass and historic tapestry, you could also get married in the atmospheric and vaulted undercroft.

This beautiful building which dates back to the 1340s also housed a number of medieval kings and queens in its heyday, but your wedding will be the real main event - they can even get the cathedral next door to ring their bells to celebrate your union!

12. Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland

Okay, it was tricky to follow the last item on this lift, given it was visited by monarchs and the bard himself performed there, but check it out: This one’s a castle. You could get married in a real castle.

Perched on a plateau at the coastline, Bamburgh is one of the largest inhabited castles in England, dates back to the Anglo-Saxons, and has been used as a set for multiple historical dramas!

Looking for somewhere to host a bunch of guests? Consider the King’s Hall, which is fit for… well… a king, and has gorgeous historical paintings hanging on its walls.

In need of something a bit more intimate? Bamburgh Castle can handle that, too, with the smaller Keep being the ideal venue.

13. Hidden River Cabins, Cumbria

A luxury log cabin in the Cumbrian woodlands sounds like it might just be the perfect location for a tranquil wedding in nature, and that’s exactly what Hidden River Cabins offers. You could have your ceremony in any of the cabins on the site, but don’t forget about the Hidden River Barn, a gorgeous and rustic venue looking out over woods and the River Lyne.

You and your loved ones can stay in a range of cabins kitted out with everything from a wood burner to a hot tub - and if you’ve got your heart set on a different venue (maybe somewhere else on this list) but don’t want to miss out, Hidden River Cabins also takes honeymoon bookings (blimey, this article is killing two birds with one stone for you)! 

While you’re there, visit the Hidden Rivers Cafe. We hear it’s lovely.

14. Go Ape Aberfoyle, Stirlingshire

Ever looked at a traditional wedding and thought “hmm, this is nice, but it needs more zip wires”? If you have, I’m not here to judge you, you do you - but also, I think I might have the perfect place for your own wedding.

Nestled within Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Go Ape Aberfoyle boasts some of the longest zip wires in the UK, stretching further than four whole football pitches.

If you want to commit yourself to your future spouse somewhere romantic, but also somewhere over 20 metres off the ground, then this might be the venue for you. Your ceremony will be quite literally among the trees!

There’s a swathe of activities to take part in as you enter a new stage of your life with your partner - just make sure to give the open-toed high heels a miss, yeah?

15. Holmfirth Vineyard, West Yorkshire

The 7 acres of the Sheveling Wine Estate at Holmfirth Vineyard is a sophisticated and unique venue for your wedding. 

Whether you are aiming for an outdoor or indoor wedding, this might be the place for you. It’s surrounded by rolling green hills and its hard to imagine someone taking a bad wedding photo when that’s the backdrop.

On site are 7 self catering eco apartments - including a lush honeymoon suite - so after you and your guests have filled yourself with their gorgeous food and helped yourself to (maybe a tad too much) of their wines, you can relax and recuperate in cosy luxury.

16. The Aviator, Hampshire

I know, I know. You’ve reached the end of this list of unusual and alternative wedding venues and are suddenly thinking “whoa whoa whoa, why are we ending the blog on what is just a hotel?” Well worry not, imaginary-person-I-made-up-just-for-this-blog-post, because the Aviator is far from an ordinary hotel.

Glamorous and elegant, the Aviator models itself after indulgence and (if you’d not already guessed from the name) aviation, with the various spaces for ceremonies looking out over the runway of the private Farnborough Airport.

Once married, you and your now-spouse can recover in one of The Aviator’s luxurious “Sky Suites”.

And that’s all 16! These are just a handful of the alternative and unique wedding venues to be found in the UK, hopefully one of them will help you create your perfect wedding!

Do you have a favourite? Or did reading through this list give you another idea?

Personally, I think The Hidden River Cabins, Wookey Hole, and The Deep would be my shortlist, although all of them sound absolutely fantastic!

If you’re currently planning your wedding and looking for wedding flowers, Hidden Botanics offers a grand range of bouquets and flower crowns specially for weddings - and we also do custom pieces, if you have something specific and unique in mind - that can be found on our Etsy store. You can see our pieces (and some of the happy brides who have walked down the aisle with them) on our Instagram, @hiddenbotanics .

Our pieces are made using dried flowers, which means that they won’t wilt and will remain beautiful long after you’ve said “I do”, so you can look back on your special day (and flowers you were holding) for years to come!

Alex x