13 Best Wedding Venues in East Sussex

Michelham Priory & Gardens is a historic private house located in Hailsham, tucked behind a Medieval gatehouse and moat. The venue also has an Elizabethan Barn which can hold up to 130 guests for the wedding breakfast, Tudor cottage and a medieval castle with panoramic views of the South Downs.

Michelham Priory & Gardens has a spectacular vaulted, beamed ceiling filled with fairy lights. The barn has glass-fronted windows and doors looking out onto a private courtyard. The venue is a stunning venue to tie the knot all year round.

Folkington Manor, pronounced Fo’ington, is a Grade II listed country house venue in a picturesque rural setting in the heart of the South Downs National Park, between Lewes and Eastbourne. If you love the great outdoors then you’ll be in your element here with over 85 acres of lawns, gardens, lakes and woods that will be the perfect backdrop to your day.

The venue has a romantic history, with close links to music, dance and drama so is the ideal place for a party to celebrate your own love story. The house, with its fabulous sweeping driveway, is exclusive use for wedding couples so you can choose between saying your vows in various different locations, including in the Flint Halls, outdoor ceremonies in the grounds, or an Anglican Church wedding at St Peters ad Vincula in Folkington. The venue is dry hire and receptions can take place in the Flint Halls or in a marquee in the grounds.

Quirky, rustic, cool and eccentric are just some of the words you might use to describe The Bell in Ticehurst, a gorgeous 16th century coaching inn wedding venue. With fabulous wallpapers, cool eye-catching interiors, and fun curiosities in every direction, this is no run of the mill venue, and the team are committed to ensuring that each and every wedding is truly one of a kind.

You’ll feel like you’ve entered the pages of Alice in Wonderland as you take in everything on offer at this stunning venue. As well as brilliant rooms for your civil ceremony and reception, there are seven bedrooms, lodges and the aptly named Love Nest with deep copper bathtubs, vintage furniture and gorgeously plump beds. If you seek something out of the ordinary to wow your guests then this has to be the East Sussex wedding venue for you.

Rye is one of the prettiest towns in East Sussex, with medieval buildings, cute cobbled streets, and tiny passageways. Plus, it’s just five minutes away from the glorious white sand beach of Camber Sands. You can enjoy all this glorious location has to offer at The George in Rye, one of the most sough-after wedding venues in East Sussex, thanks to its brilliant mix of stylish and elegant interiors, fabulous food and the chance to create a laid-back house party vibe on your big day.

This former coaching inn is the perfect venue for couples with a guest list from 11 up to 120, and can work on an exclusive use basis if you want to take over the whole four-star hotel with its 34 individually-designed ensuite bedrooms. The standout features of this town house include the original Georgian Ballroom complete with minstrel’s gallery, and the food and drink, much of which is sourced from local Sussex suppliers.

Hold a church wedding to remember at this charming early 19th century chapel in the heart of a pretty East Sussex village. This is a fantastic wedding venue for couples looking to hold a religious ceremony with all the atmosphere of a church, but with the freedom of a non-conformist service for up to 80 people. The Old Chapel Centre is a unique venue because once your ceremony is over you can choose to stay on afterwards for a champagne reception as well as a simple buffet wedding breakfast. This venue also has a pretty walled garden for photos and is a really budget-friendly option for anyone trying to keep costs down on their wedding day.

Want to feel the sand between your toes and the salty sea air in your hair on your wedding day, but without travelling abroad? Then head to The Gallivant in East Sussex and you’ll feel like you’ve left the UK completely, thanks to the wonderful white sands of the beach on the doorstep and the beautiful Hampton-style interiors of this four-stay hotel. Everything about this hotel is light, bright and stylish and allows you to put your own stamp on your special day.

The Summer House is a luxury and standout space to hold your reception for up to 80 guests, who will be wowed by the locally-sourced restaurant fare that is known as some of the finest food in the region. After a day spent celebrating and enjoying photos and bubbly on the beach, or cosying up hygge style in winter round the open fire in the snug or lounge, there are 20 super smart bedrooms for you and your guests to enjoy.

When it comes to East Sussex wedding venues they don’t get much more well known than The Royal Pavilion, a truly unique venue with distinctive Indian architecture and Chinese-inspired interiors that would be a stunning location for your big day. The building, that was created as King George IV’s pleasure palace, is a museum by day, but also has a license for civil wedding ceremonies in either the Red Drawing Room or Music Room.

For your reception and wedding breakfast you’ll move to wow-factor King William IV Room, a light and airy room with hand painted Chinese wallpaper and oriental lanterns. This room leads straight out onto the palace’s gardens. These Regency gardens are absolutely exquisite and one of a kind in East Sussex, so your wedding photos will be out of this world.

If you dream of a countryside celebration in East Sussex then The Cherry Barn could be the wedding venue for you. This 17th century oak framed barn is located just outside Rye in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so you just imagine how gorgeous the rural setting is.

This hidden gem venue is exclusive use and you get a full 48 hours to enjoy it all to yourselves. which includes the oak framed gazebo for outdoor ceremonies at summer weddings as well as the barn with it full-height glass doors and windows that look out onto the orchard. In summer you can even use one of the fields and turn it into a glamping village for your guests to stay over once you’ve partied the night away and enjoyed a gastronomic feast in the barn.

With glorious views over the South Downs National Park, 1,100 acres of stunning grounds, as well as the chance to hold your entire wedding from start to finish in a series of beautiful spaces, The East Sussex National has a lot to love as a wedding venue. Summer weddings are particularly special here with the chance to hold civil ceremonies at the gorgeous outdoor gazebo followed by a Champagne reception or barbecue in the picturesque gardens.

The resort is well known for it fabulous food, with 2AA Rosettes to prove it, plus you can party the night away before heading to one of the luxurious bridal suites, while your guests can make the most of the 104 bedrooms. The next day take things down a level with a visit to the spa or with a round of golf.

Searching for an elegant country house venue that will look incredible in all your wedding pictures? Horsted Place could be the wedding venue of your dreams in East Sussex. This elegant Victorian Gothic country house with views over the South Downs National Park is a thing of beauty and has the royal seal of approval from none other than the late Queen Elizabeth and the late Duke of Edinburgh, who loved visiting.

With so many rooms and acres of immaculate grounds, there’s a lot of choice at this wedding venue. Three rooms are licensed for civil ceremonies – the Library, the Garden Room, and the al fresco Summerhouse. And for receptions, there’s a choice of four gorgeous rooms. With 17 bedrooms throughout the estate, there’s plenty of space to stay over after all the celebrations too.

Choose a Brighton wedding venue if you want to make the most of the party vibe and brilliant culture that this unique coastal city has to offer. The Greene Room, a stylish and elegant venue with a private bar above The Cricketers, one of the oldest pubs in Brighton, is located right in the thick of the action in the vibrant Lanes area.

This private venue is ideal for smaller weddings of up to 70 people and is made up of three stylishly decorated interlinked rooms that give you the flexibility to position a dance floor, food stations, and a photo booth as you would like them. There’s plenty of choice when it comes to your wedding breakfast too, with the chance to work with the head chef to create a full sit down meal and delicious canapés, or a more relaxed approach with artisan bread sandwiches, gourmet small bites and cheese and charcuterie boards.

For a smart city wedding on the south east coast seafront Malmaison Hotel in Brighton should definitely be on your shortlist. This boutique hotel has 73 rooms so your guests will be well catered for, as well as amazing views overlooking the marina for those all-important wedding photos.

If you hate the idea of a traditional wedding venue and are looking for something little out of the ordinary then this hotel will be right up your street, with cool and quirky spaces that the events team will help you transform into your decor dreams. The food and drink here is as innovative as the interiors, with the chance to work with mixologists on your favourite cocktails, enjoy creative canapés and create a wedding breakfast that will perfectly compliment your wedding style.

This East Sussex wedding venue is a listed Regency town house in Brighton just a stone’s throw away from the seafront. It’s the perfect setting for couples looking to host an intimate wedding with space for 15 to 35 guests in the beautiful Belle Epoque Suite. The hotel caters for both civil ceremonies and civil partnerships and has 12 stylish bedrooms that you can book for your guests as well as the signature Perrier Jouet Suite, a luxurious space to spend your first night as a married couple. With the beach so close by you can have incredible wedding photos by the sea before returning to the hotel for drinks and canapés in the cool Champagne & Cocktail Bar.