78 venues · Weddings · Meeting and event venues in South East England →
Wedding venues in South East England
78 venues in South East England host weddings, ordered by renown and by how fully each is documented. Of those that publish a capacity, the largest, Castle Hotel Windsor, hosts up to 400 guests. 70 of them list their event spaces by name. Each page has the key facts and a request form for the events team.
Wedding venues in South East England
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Planning a wedding in South East England
The South East wraps around London: country houses in Surrey and Buckinghamshire, oast houses, barns and vineyards in Kent and Sussex, castles, Oxford college halls and coastal hotels in Hampshire. Its strength is access, with London’s airports and railways on the doorstep and the Channel ports close by.
When to marry
May to September is the main season, and this is one of the warmer and drier parts of Britain, though rain is never excluded. Gardens are at their best in late spring and early summer, and the vineyards harvest in early autumn. Winter weddings suit country houses with large rooms and fires.
Getting guests there
Heathrow and Gatwick both lie on the edge of the region, with flights from most of the world, and Southampton has a smaller airport. Trains from London reach Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, and the Eurostar arrives in London from Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. Ferries and the Channel Tunnel bring guests by car from the Continent. Country venues need a taxi or coach from the station.
Country houses, barns and vineyards
Country houses and manor hotels set in parkland are the classic choice, many with bedrooms. Kent and Sussex add timber barns, converted oast houses and wine estates on the Downs, and the region has several castles that host weddings. Some Oxford colleges let their halls and gardens outside term time, and the Hampshire and Sussex coasts have hotels by the sea.
The legal side
In England a legal ceremony takes place in a register office, a venue approved for civil ceremonies or a place of worship, and both partners give notice at a register office in advance. An approved venue may hold the civil ceremony in its grounds if its approval covers it. A humanist or celebrant-led ceremony is not legally binding on its own; couples from abroad often need a marriage visitor visa, and many hold the legal step at home.
Questions and answers
Which venues in South East England can host 100 guests or more?
51 of the 78 venues publish a capacity of 100 guests or more: Farnham Castle, Allington Castle, Portsmouth Guildhall, Chiddingstone Castle, Queens Hotel, West Dean House, and 45 more.
Which venues in South East England have rooms for guests to stay?
34 of the 78 venues are hotels; the largest, The Coppid Beech, has 205 rooms. For the others, ask the events team about accommodation on site or nearby.
What kinds of venues are listed in South East England?
34 hotels, 18 event spaces, 8 castles, 8 historic houses, 6 restaurants, 3 estates, and 1 winery.
How are these venues chosen and ordered?
By documented renown first, then by how fully each venue is documented (photographs, rooms, capacities), never by payment: venues do not pay to appear and the guide takes no commission. How we select venues.
Where to get married in the South East of England?
Couples choose a country house in Surrey, Berkshire or Buckinghamshire for a short journey from London, a barn, oast house or vineyard in Kent or Sussex for a rural wedding, a college or manor in Oxfordshire, or a hotel on the Hampshire or Sussex coast.
Can you have a legal wedding outdoors in England?
Yes, in the grounds of a venue approved for civil ceremonies, if the approval includes its outdoor areas. A ceremony in a place that is not approved, such as a private garden or a beach, is symbolic, and the legal step is completed at a register office.
Can foreigners get legally married in England?
Yes, but both partners must give notice in person at a register office in advance, and many nationalities need a marriage visitor visa. For that reason many couples from abroad marry legally at home and hold a celebrant-led ceremony at their venue.