The Definitive Guide to the Best Wedding Venues In and Around Brighton in 2023
Brighton is super quirky and creative, and has plenty of wedding venues, but what if you’re looking for something a bit more… you (and less generic hotel)? Luckily, we’ve been shooting weddings in and around Brighton and Sussex for 10 years, and our couples are often a little alternative, so we’ve been there and done that for you so we can give you the best recommendations for the best wedding venues near Brighton.
We love Brighton weddings because the city offers fun portrait spots and you always get a cheer from randoms, but we also love the ease and beauty of countryside venues – so we’ve included everything from beachfront bars, to working farms, posh hotels, big open art spaces and cosy pubs in our awesome list of the very best wedding venues – all within an hour of Brighton.
Icon key to help you find your perfect wedding venue at a glance!
City
Countryside
Camping
Beach
Outdoor space
Legal wedding ceremony
Barn
Marquee/tipi
Pub/club/ hotel/house
Village hall
Unusual venue
DIY
Wilderness Wood
Our fave wedding venue in Sussex, and where we’d probably get married ourselves. It’s got woods, an outdoor cookout with rustic dining area, picnic benches, and the best bit – a legal wedding ceremony treehouse in the woods with a clearing for chairs or haybales, which doubles up as a stage for a band later on in the evening, for dancing in the moonlight surrounded by fairy lights.
You can also camp at Wilderness in the field, and go for a head-clearing walk the next day around the Christmas tree farm and woodland. There’s even a giant swing (ok we said the treehouse was the best bit, but the big swing is a close second!) Also you can visit the cafe and woods any time – so you can relive your wedding memories.
Wilderness Wood wedding Inspo
Heather and Scott’s marquee wedding
Chloe and Scott’s 2022 treehouse wedding
Location
Hadlow Down, East Sussex
Prices
Prices
More info
https://www.wildernesswood.org/
Pangdean Barn
Pangdean is a perfect English garden, with a barn converted into a wedding venue. It has a family-run vibe and a homespun feel. The garden is lush and the sort of place that makes you think why can’t I live here?! And the barn is converted into a huge venue with a bar, and a separate room with sofas for quiet time. You can even legally get married outside in the garden under an apple tree, which is proper English country garden style stuff when the sun’s out.
The Old Barn comfortably seats up to 190 people for a ceremony or for a meal.
Pangdean wedding inspo:
Jess and Ben’s apple tree wedding
Location
Just outside Brighton on the South Downs
More info
Blackstock Country Estate
Blackstock is a barn venue in the countryside with a courtyard leading onto acres of land, complete with animals! They’ll even drive you around in a buggy if you don’t fancy walking down to the ponds for photos. Plus there’s a rose garden, two barns (one for the ceremony/party and one for dinner and speeches), a getting ready room with the best light (ok that’s just exciting for me) and the nicest people running the place. They don’t allow confetti outside though, but you can have it indoors!
The venue can accommodate 150 day guests and 250 evening guests and both barns are licensed to hold civil ceremonies.
Blackstock wedding inspo:
Kayleigh and Matt – June wedding with dinner in the Granary
Maria and Kevin – sunny wedding with singing waiters
Clare and David – rainy wedding in August with dinner in the Tudor Barn
Location
Hellingly BN27 4HF
Beak Taproom
A taproom on an industrial estate in Lewes. It doesn’t look like anything special when it’s not all dressed up, but throw some festoon lights and bunting up and it’s a super cosy industrial venue that’s perfect for low-key wedding parties.
Location
Lewes
More info
https://beakbrewery.com/pages/taproom
Sussex Uni Meeting House
A super quirky venue in the Falmer campus of Sussex Uni. It’s got a chapel with rainbow-coloured walls, which makes for some cool photos.
Sussex Uni Meeting House wedding inspo:
Sussex Uni Meeting House Wedding
Location
Falmer
Info:
https://www.sussex.ac.uk/chaplaincy/services/services
Battle Memorial Hall
The memorial hall in Battle is perfect for DIY weddings. It’s on the high street and doesn’t have outside space so is perfect for rainy or winter weddings.
Battle Memorial Hall wedding inspo:
Location
Battle
Chilley Farm
The venue can hold up to 80 seated guests, and up to 200 standing guests, with the potential for more if you add a marquee.
Location
Near Hailsham in the middle of the countryside
Hawthbush Farm
So much to love – the light bright barn; the woodland ceremony clearing; the firepit; the hot tub in the woods; the endless fields – Hawthbush Farm run by Foxtail weddings is perfect for DIY barn weddings.
Location
Heathfield
Secret Barn
Secret Barn is such a chilled, lovely venue. They pride themselves on not being a wedding machine – your wedding will be super special as not many people get married there. It’s got an orchard for the ceremony, a barn for dinner, a small lawn for drinks and a huge field for camping. Plus the people who run it are florists and caterers so that’s three jobs in one!
Secret Barn wedding inspo:
Location
Secret! It’s near Steyning but that’s all they want you to know for now…
More info
https://petalandfeast.co.uk/the-secret-barn
Upwaltham Barns
Two barns – one for the ceremony and one for dinner, so you don’t have to wait for the room to get turned around! Beautiful gardens for summery weddings.
Location
Petworth
Swallows Oast
Swallows Oast is a beautiful barn in Wadhurst, with a marquee and courtyard, plus lovely fields and woods for photos.
Location
Wadhurst
The Bell in Ticehurst
The Bell is Ticehurst is one of the coolest pub wedding venues in East Sussex. They have all sorts of weird stuff, it’s awesome. Plus it has a lovely back garden and a really cool backyard den you can stay overnight in.
Location
Wadhurst
Broyle Place
Broyle Place is a fab country house where you can get married in the garden and party in the marquee. The best thing? Your guests can glamp overnight!
Location
Ringmer
Crockstead Fields
A festival wedding dream! You can have a marquee and use the field to have tipis, cosy seating areas and top it off with a giant sign to make the festival wedding vibe complete.
Location
Uckfield
Hendall Manor Barns
A stunning garden location with a barn for the ceremony and party, and a sunny terrace and lawn for the reception – perfecr for lawn games or a sports day theme!
Hendall inspo:
Livi and Alex’s Summer Hendall Wedding
Location
Uckfield
Laughton Barns
A barn with a massive field and outdoor terrace. There’s literally acres of land for games and outdoor activities, plus a patioed terrace for drinks reception. Perfect for a festival wedding!
Location
Laughton, East Sussex
Four Oaks Farm
A lake-side setting where you can put up a marquee or tipi and get married by the lake.
Location
Ditchling
Iford Village Hall
A blank canvas village hall with the option to put up a marquee. It also has a decent lawn for games and an outdoor ceremony under the big tree. Proper DIY venue, with a kitchen and room for a food truck outside too.
Location
Iford, Lewes
Rumbolds Farm
A barn for dinner and partying and a big garden for an outdoor ceremony and lawn games.
Location
West Sussex/Surrey near Haslemere
Oh So Social
A free venue literally on the beach!
Location
Brighton
Prices
Free
Fabrica
An old church and now art space, it has incredible light and is a blank canvas for weddings.
Location
Brighton
Hookhouse Farm
A barn with a cute garden for outdoor ceremonies. A working farm so you can say hello to the cows too!
Location
Redhill
Queen's Hall Cuckfield
A village hall with a cute garden for a proper summer’s day picnic vibe wedding.
Location
Cuckfield
Yoghurt Rooms
A gorgeous barn with camping and glamping fields and a woodland you can get married in.
Location
East Grinstead
Lewes Castle
Great for epic ceremonies – if you can hike up all the steps to get to the top!
Location
Lewes
Horstedpond Farm
A wooded idyllic field, perfect for festival weddings.
Location
Uckfield
Frickley Lake
A lake with the option for a marquee. Plus an onsite lakesite cabin to stay the night.
Location
Battle
Buxted Park Hotel
A grand hotel set in a huge parkland.
Location
Buxted
The Sussex Barn
The Sussex Barn is a beautiful 400 year old grade 2 listed oak framed barn situated on a working farm in the parish of Hellingly. With countryside views and stunning beams.
Location
Hellingly
Wonderland Party Barn
An Airbnb with all sorts of quirky accommodation from an airstream to a dome.
Location
Henfield, Sussex
More info
Ginger Pig
A trendy pub in Hove, not far from the beach. Has a back room for a private small dinner. Fab food!
Location
Hove (actually)
English Wine Centre
A barn and marquee setup.
Location
Alfriston, East Sussex
Brighton bandstand
Perfect for an outdoor beach ceremony.
Location
Brighton seafront