10 Unique Wedding Venues in Hampshire
The coolest venues in Hampshire and surrounding area
I know how it is. You’ve got engaged and you’re now trying to find the perfect venue to tie the knot. You hop on Pinterest, or Google, or Instagram and off you go, and pretty quickly you realise that “holy cow, there are a LOT of venues out there”. How the hell are you supposed to narrow this lot down?? Well, I have been to more than a few wedding venues in my time, so I thought I’d put together a handy guide to some of the venues I’ve shot at in Hampshire (and yes, some of these aren’t Hampshire, but they’re very close!), and hopefully it’s of some use.
Here we go.
Silchester Farm, Basingstoke
Silchester Farm is not just one of the best venues in Hampshire, it’s frankly one of the best in the country. Some wedding venues I go to can feel a little like it’s been an afterthought to have weddings there. Silchester Farm is certainly not one of the those. Everything has been thought through to make your day as unbelievable as it can be. As you can tell, I may run out of superlatives.
It’s got it all - outside AND indoor ceremony spaces, on-site accommodation, a reception space that is a photographers DREAM, an open sided barn for BBQ’s and dancing, incredible food, manicured gardens, the list goes on. I could happily shoot here every week.
Go take a look at https://www.silchesterfarm.co.uk/
Gambledown Farm, Romsey
If ever a place screamed "hidden gem" it'd be this one. I've been shooting weddings for years and I'd not come across this place until this year. Set smack bang in the middle of Hampshire, this farm doubles as a wedding venue, but without the farm feel. The ceremony space almost feels like being married in a quaint back garden.
With plenty of on-site accomodation in the houses and also a glamping field, there's space for folk to stay the night, plus the small barn is just the right size for the wedding meal and the dancing. I loved shooting at Gambledown Farm, and hopefully I'll be back there soon!
Check them out at www.gambledownfarm.co.uk
Weddings in the Wood, Lyndhurst
There is something quite magical about being married in the woods. And when I say married in the woods, that's exactly the feeling of Weddings in the Wood - you are quite literally married in the woods. It's such a perfect setting that they've created here and I've loved every time I've shot here.
At the time of writing this, they don't have a wedding licence, but fear not, because that's where a celebrant wedding comes into it's own (the best way to get hitched if you ask me). There's a few shepherds huts on site to stay in too, to add the rustic nature of this peach of a venue.
Check them out at www.weddingsinthewood.co.uk
Kingsettle Stud, Salisbury
If ever a venue had a bit of everything, it would be this one. It's quite literally got all bases covered with it's barn, it's walled garden, it's rose garden, it's shepherds huts, it's glamping and camping field, and it's courtyard. As I said, pretty much all bases covered.
What I really love about this place though is that they only take on a limited number of weddings a year, so it doesn't feel like a wedding factory, plus they really let you tailor your plans. If you've got the vision, they'll make it work.
Check them out at www.kingsettlestud.co.uk
Wylds Farm, Liss
Another farm for your consideration, but in this instance it's a Christmas tree farm. Now while that may not scream wedding, hear me out. How many venues can you get dropped off to your wedding by tractor? Also, how many venues have this kind of layout and backdrop?
This is another of those "if you can dream it, we can make it happen" kinda places. But the good news is that honestly, you don't need to do a lot to it. This venue is almost ready to go right off the bat. Yes it's very rustic, but that absolutely is it's selling point. It just feels authentic.
Check them out at https://wyldsfarmevents.co.uk/wylds-weddings/
The Barn at Avington, Winchester
There are two types of barn - rustic or modern. The Barn at Avington definitely falls into the latter category. With its fresh and clean interior it truly is a blank canvas to go nuts with your styling. Add to that a lush garden for your drinks reception, a play field to let the kids run loose (or the drunk brother), and on-site accommodation it’s got it all really. Another bonus I feel is you are able to bring in your own catering, so you aren’t restricted to set menu’s or caterers. I shot a wedding here and the meal was gyros served from a Greek food van. Epic!
But what I love most about this place is the ceremony space. The decking on the lake is simply the best spot to say your “we do’s”. Although you’re a stones throw from the barn, it really does feel like you’re out in the middle of the countryside with nobody else around. It’s gorgeous.
Take a peek here : https://www.thebarnatavington.co.uk/
Carter & Co, Southsea (and other pubs and restaurants!)
Let's face it - weddings can be expensive. When you're paying for meals for 100+ guests, plus the bar bill, plus the decor etc etc it can all quickly add up. One good thing that came from the times of Covid was the slimming down of wedding plans - the micro-wedding. Put simply, a registry office ceremony followed by the hiring of your fave restaurant or pub.
Of course you could opt for a celebrant ceremony too, so that you can have ceremomy at your location of choice (as Meg and Jack did above). The benefits are that, generally, a pub or restaurant will charge far less for exclusive use when compared to a fully fledged wedding venue, plus most of the decor is already taken care of. So if you want to ease up on the spends, or you want to keep things slightly smaller, this could be the way to go.
Check them out at https://carterco.co.uk/ plus a notable mention goes to the Dancing Man Brewery in Southampton. You can find them here https://dancingmanbrewery.co.uk/weddings/
A back garden!
Now I appreciate that this one is a little niche, and that by no means will everyone have access to a garden large enough for a wedding. But, those lucky ones who do (or are related to or know someone who does) a back garden wedding can be an absolute dream. Sure, it won't be a legal cermeony, but celebrants create way better cermeonies anyway, plus you can really let loose with your vibe.
This is defientaly the way to go if you are creative, and you relly want to get stuck into the DIY nature of things. Plus you can save a fortune. A few Aldi runs for booze. A local pizza place for the food. Local flower market for the florals. Get creative with the decor. Honestly some of the best weddings I've been to have been weddings at home.
Groomes, Bordon.
Next up, we have the totally lush Groomes near Bordon. Another relative newcomer to the wedding scene, this place has everything for those looking for an exclusive use, "rent the whole place and do what you want" kinda venue. It's an absolute peach.
It's another of those venues that doesn't feel ike a wedding venue, and certainly doesn't feel like a wedding factory. It's completely tailored to your plans, and you have so much leeway to do what you want - even have a hot air balloon if you fancy! I love this place and it's got so much potential for you to really create something that's truly "you".
Check it out at https://groomes.co.uk/wedding-at-groomes/
Burley Manor, New Forest
Let’s face it, hotels, while they can be beautiful, can really struggle to get away from that hotel “feel”. You know the one, you’re walking to get hitched and you pass the restaurant, the guests checking in, the laundry basket being wheeled away. In short, not that romantic. Where Burley Manor excels is that it keeps it’s wedding venue and hotel almost completely separated. It has it’s own, standalone barn with adjoining ceremony space, patio and lawn, so while you’re technically getting married in a hotel, it doesn’t feel like it.
One thing I really love about this place is the deer park next door (it’s ALWAYS cool to see a herd of deer across from your room when you’re getting ready). There’s also a myriad of locations for some photos of just the two of you, be it on the lane leading up to the venue, the hill behind, or even in the main building (I know what I said above about being away from the hotel is a bonus, but if it’s hissing down there’s plenty of beautiful rooms for some pics in). As New Forest venues go, this one is up there with the best.
Check them out at https://newforesthotels.co.uk/hotels/burley-manor/
Let's chat!
I hope that you’ve found this guide to unique wedding venues in Hampshire useful. All of the venues above have been a blast to shoot at, and are run by good people (and I’m not just saying that). And if you do choose one of these venues (or any other gooduns for that matter) why not fill out the form below and let’s chat about photography. I’d love to hear from you.
