A photographer's guide to the most fun, relaxed, and downright brilliant pub wedding venues in Brighton and Sussex
Let me guess. You've had a look at a few traditional wedding venues. Maybe a hotel ballroom, a country house, a barn with fairy lights and a £5k minimum spend. And something in you went: ...nah.
Same. A lot of my couples feel exactly like this. They want their wedding to feel like them - like the best night out they've ever had, but with all the people they love and someone (me) running around with a camera capturing every ridiculous, brilliant moment.
The good news? Brighton and Sussex are absolutely packed with pubs, restaurants, breweries, and bars that do weddings properly. Not as an afterthought. We're talking full ceremonies, wedding breakfasts, late-night dancing, the lot.
As a Brighton wedding photographer who's shot hundreds of weddings across Sussex and beyond, I've been lucky enough to work in some genuinely ace venues. Here are my favourites for couples who want something with a bit more personality.
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1. Beak Brewery, Lewes
Beak is one of my absolute faves. It's a working brewery and taproom in Lewes with exposed brick, beautiful natural light, and the kind of relaxed atmosphere that makes everyone immediately feel at ease. Weddings here feel like a really epic party in a friend's very cool warehouse. The beer's unreal too, which helps.
From a photography point of view, it's a dream — the industrial textures, the warm light, the genuine joy people feel when they're in a space that doesn't feel stuffy. Candid shots here come out incredible.
📍 LEWES | GREAT FOR: RELAXED, FESTIVAL-VIBED, BEER-LOVING COUPLES
2. The Seahorse, Brighton
One of Brighton's most beloved seafood restaurants, The Seahorse is intimate, beautiful, and has a warmth to it that's really hard to fake. If you're planning a smaller wedding (think 30-50 guests) and you want seriously good food and a space that feels genuinely special rather than corporate-special, this is it.
The light in the dining room is gorgeous for photography - soft, warm, flattering.
Here's a Seahorse Brighton wedding I shot
📍 BRIGHTON | GREAT FOR: INTIMATE WEDDINGS, FOODIES, COUPLES WHO WANT A GROWN-UP FEEL
3. The Ginger Pig, Hove
The Ginger Pig is part of the brilliant Gingerman group, and it's a Hove institution. Buzzy, warm, genuinely gorgeous food, and a relaxed atmosphere that lends itself brilliantly to a wedding that doesn't take itself too seriously.
As a photographer, I love the energy in venues like this - real, lively, unposed. Nobody's doing their wedding face. They're just having a cracking time.
Here's a Ginger Pig wedding I've shot
📍 HOVE | GREAT FOR: FOOD-OBSESSED COUPLES, RELAXED VIBES, HOVE LOCALS
4. Oh So Social, Brighton
Oh So Social is one of Brighton's more left-field wedding options - a quirky, colourful event space that suits couples who really lean into the fun. Think street food-style catering, cocktails, brilliant DJs, and a space that you can really make your own. It photographs beautifully precisely because it's bold and doesn't try to be anything other than itself.
I'm a regular supplier at Oh So Social, which means I know the space inside out - where the best light is, where to position guests for the big moments, which corners make for brilliant portraits.
Here's an Oh So Social Brighton wedding I shot
📍 BRIGHTON | GREAT FOR: MAXIMALIST COUPLES, PARTY-FIRST WEDDINGS, COLOURFUL PERSONALITIES
5. Better Half, Hove
The Better Half is a brilliant pub that does weddings with a proper pub soul. Real ales, a gorgeous garden, friendly staff, and absolutely zero stuffiness. If you want your wedding to feel like the best Sunday session you've ever had but with a confetti cannon and a wedding cake, this is your venue.]
Here's a Better Half Hove wedding I shot
📍 HOVE | GREAT FOR: RELAXED PUB WEDDINGS, SUMMER GARDEN RECEPTIONS, DOG-FRIENDLY DAY
6. Park View, Brighton
Park View is one of those venues that genuinely punches above its weight. Lovely space, great food, and a team who really get weddings. As a recommended supplier here I've seen first-hand how smooth the day runs — and smooth days make for brilliant photography, because everyone's actually present and enjoying it rather than stressing about logistics.
The venue has a warmth and intimacy to it that photographs really well, especially during speeches and the first dance. I especially love the open brick walls and funky wallpaper. I'm a recommended supplier at the Park View, too!
Here's more info about Park View Pub Brighton
📍 BRIGHTON | GREAT FOR: COUPLES WANTING A RELIABLE, WELL-RUN DAY WITHOUT THE BIG VENUE PRICE TAG
7. Brighton Music Hall
Okay, now we're talking. Brighton Music Hall is one of the most unique wedding venues in the whole of Sussex - a stunning Grade II listed building with incredible architectural details, huge light-flooded spaces, and a proper wow factor the moment you walk in.
From a photography perspective this place is extraordinary. The high ceilings, the natural light, the architectural drama - every shot has depth and scale. And it's right on the beach!
Here's a Brighton Music Hall wedding I shot
📍 BRIGHTON | GREAT FOR: COUPLES WHO WANT DRAMA (THE GOOD KIND), LARGER WEDDINGS, ARCHITECTURAL BEAUTY
8. Hotel du Vin, Brighton
Hotel du Vin brings a bit of old-school glamour to the Brighton wedding scene. It's classy without being stuffy, and the wine list alone is worth the booking. If you want your wedding to feel like a really sophisticated night out — proper cocktails, excellent wine, brilliant food — this delivers.
The interiors photograph beautifully. Rich textures, warm lighting, and a kind of timeless elegance that makes portraits look like magazine editorial.
Here's a Brighton Hotel Du Vin wedding I shot
📍 BRIGHTON | GREAT FOR: COUPLES WANTING CLASSIC GLAMOUR, WINE LOVERS, MORE FORMAL RECEPTIONS
9. Burnt Orange, Brighton
Burnt Orange is one of Brighton's most talked-about restaurants right now, and for good reason. The interiors are absolutely stunning - all warm tones, considered design, beautiful textures. It feels expensive and cool without being unapproachable.
As a photographer I am obsessed with this space. The colours, the light, the atmosphere - it makes every photo feel rich and warm. Couples who book Burnt Orange tend to have brilliant taste (in food and in venue choices), and that energy always comes through in the images.
It's also right next to an alleyway that in theory is nothing special - it's just an alley - but to me, it's got the best light and some gorgeous ivy and sometimes fig leaves overhanging the walls - beautiful for photos!
Here's a Burnt Orange Brighton wedding I shot
📍 BRIGHTON | GREAT FOR: DESIGN-CONSCIOUS COUPLES, INTIMATE RECEPTIONS, SERIOUSLY GOOD FOOD
10. The Mesmerist, Brighton
The Mesmerist is a Brighton institution - a sprawling, brilliantly eccentric bar in the Lanes with incredible character, multiple rooms, and an energy that's hard to match. It's the kind of venue where things get weird (in the best way) and everyone ends up having the time of their lives.
It's also opoosite Brighton Town Hall so your guests don't have to walk far after your ceremony.
📍 BRIGHTON | GREAT FOR: BIG PERSONALITIES, LATE-NIGHT PARTIES, COUPLES WHO WANT SOMETHING TRULY MEMORABLE
11. St Augustine's Arts Centre, Brighton (Curveball venue)
Right, this one might not be on your radar - but it absolutely should be. St Augustine's is a converted church turned café and arts space in Brighton, and it is genuinely one of the most characterful wedding venues in the area. Soaring ceilings, exposed brick, original features, beautiful light, brilliant coffee, and an atmosphere that somehow feels both grand and completely relaxed.
It's the kind of venue that surprises people. You tell them you're getting married at a café arts space and they nod politely. Then they walk in and their jaw drops. I have seen this happen multiple times.
And here's the practical bit that nobody ever talks about: the parking is actually decent. If you've got guests coming from further afield, or you're just exhausted by the idea of everyone circling Preston Park for forty minutes before the ceremony, St Augustine's is genuinely a lot more logistically straightforward than many central Brighton venues. I use JustPark when I shoot there and can usually park a couple of minutes away on someone's driveway.
Here's a St Augustine's Arts Centre wedding I shot
📍 BRIGHTON | GREAT FOR: COUPLES WHO WANT SOMETHING UNEXPECTED, ARTS LOVERS
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A word from your photographer
Whether you pick one of these or somewhere else entirely, what matters most is that it feels like you. The best wedding photos come from couples who are genuinely having the best day of their lives - and that's a lot easier when you're in a space you actually love.
If you're getting married at any of these venues and you want a photographer who'll run around capturing every chaotic, brilliant, laugh-out-loud moment - hi! I'm Anna, and this is basically my entire personality.
Get in touch at anna@annapumerphotography.com or have a nosy at the portfolio to see if we're a good match. I promise I'm fun to have around.
