The Best Wedding Venues for hire

Whether you’re planning an intimate ceremony with close friends and family or a large celebration, there are many different types of wedding venues to consider. The right choice will depend on your guest list, budget, style and whether you are looking for a venue for the ceremony, reception or both.

Your wedding celebrations may also include other events such as an engagement party and rehearsal dinner, meaning there may be more than one venue to find. VenueScanner makes it easy to browse, compare and enquire with venues across the UK, helping you find the right space for every celebration.

There are many different ways to structure your wedding day, with some couples preferring to host the entire celebration in one venue, while others choose separate venues for the ceremony and reception. Outdoor venues can also be a popular option for summer weddings. There is no right choice, but understanding the different approaches can help you narrow down your search.

All-in-One Wedding Venues

Hosting both the ceremony and reception in the same venue has always been a popular choice as it reduces the coordination effort between you, your suppliers and your guests.

With dedicated ceremony spaces, reception facilities and catering services, hotels, country houses and purpose-built wedding venues are a great choice as one event easily flows into the other. Many of these venues also offer on-site accommodation, which can be particularly beneficial if you have a lot of guests travelling from out of town.

If you're planning to host your ceremony at the venue, be sure to check that it is licensed to hold weddings.

Separate Ceremony & Reception Venues

Hosting the wedding ceremony and reception in two distinct venues is becoming an increasingly popular choice. This approach allows for more flexibility and opens up a wider range of venues to choose from, as you are not limited by the requirement of a licensed wedding venue, and can split the guest list across both events.

The ceremony can remain traditional and intimate, while the reception can reflect a completely different atmosphere.

Town halls, historic buildings and dedicated wedding venues are great choices for the ceremony. For the reception, options such as rooftop bars, private dining rooms, pubs and dedicated event spaces are all popular wedding reception venues and give you the flexibility to choose between a sit-down meal or a drinks reception.

Outdoor Wedding Reception Venues

If you’re having a summer wedding, an outdoor venue for your wedding reception offers a beautiful backdrop, with gardens, views and outdoor space becoming part of the experience itself. You can choose whether you want large set-ups, but one of the benefits of an outdoor venue is that it speaks for itself and often requires less decoration than a traditional space.

There is a wide range of outdoor venues, from gardens and terraces to rooftop bars and courtyards, and many also have an attached indoor space which can be ideal for the ceremony or even an after-party.

Check whether the space includes a wet weather contingency e.g. covered areas, awnings or indoor spaces, particularly important for UK weather.