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Are you tired of cookie-cutter weddings that end before the clock strikes midnight? If so, it's time to join the late-night wedding celebration trend in the UK! Picture yourself dancing until dawn surrounded by twinkling lights and fireworks. This type of wedding celebration is all about letting loose and having fun with your loved ones. Keep reading to discover why a late-night wedding might be just what you need for an unforgettable day.
Introduction to Late Night Weddings in the UK
A late night wedding is not something that you hear about too often in the UK. In fact, most weddings here wrap up before midnight and nowadays I find often venues class this as a late finish. But lately, more and more couples are telling me that they want to keep the party going into the wee hours of the morning. And we say, more power to them!
If you're considering a late night wedding celebration, there are a few things you should know. For one, most venues may require that you rent out their space for the extra hours. This way, they can properly clean up and reset for the next day's events. Additionally, you'll need to factor in overtime costs for your suppliers, especially your band or DJ, something often overlooked even for the 1am finish as a supplier will always have to add an hour on their day just to breakdown and depart!
But late night weddings comes with its perks too! For one, you'll have access to a whole new range of reception activities. From after-hours dancing to intimate late-night snacks, there's so much potential for fun. Plus your guests will love being able to let loose and celebrate well into the night.
So if you're looking to add a little extra excitement to your wedding day, embrace the late night fun!
Benefits of a Late-Night Celebration
There are plenty of reasons to celebrate your nuptials with a late-night party. For one, it’s a great way to keep your guests entertained and make sure they have a night to remember. Not to mention, it can be a more intimate affair than a daytime event – perfect for those who want to dance the night away and you can create some unforgettable experience for your guests.
Creative Ideas for a Fun and Memorable Late Night Wedding Reception
A late night wedding reception is the perfect opportunity to let your hair down and really party!
Here are some ideas to make it extra special:
- ditch the formal sit-down dinner in favour of a more relaxed buffet or food stations throughout
- serve up some delicious late night snacks, such as miniature burgers or pizzas or one I did that chose crisp sandwiches - that went down really well
- keep the drinks flowing with an a champagne fountain
- hire several musical entertainers and a DJ to keep everyone on their feet all night long
- decorate the venue with festoon lights for a magical atmosphere after dark
- set up a photo booth with props to capture all the fun memories of the night
- create a full on festival style wedding with headliners
So what to Consider When Planning a Late Night Wedding to ensure it's success
It is no secret that the UK has some of the strictest laws when it comes to noise levels and gatherings after dark. However, that doesn't mean you can't have a fun and festive late-night wedding celebrations but you have to really hunt them down and it takes a lot of emails and searching to find out who can accommodate an early morning finish but here are some things to consider
First, be aware of how late you want the party to go and make sure that you communicate this with all your suppliers so that they ar fully prepared.
Secondly, think about what type of food and drink you want to serve and don't forget late nifght snacks. Cheese toasty sandwiches go down a treat, and don't forget about enough alcohol to last, not to mention glassware.
Thirdly, make sure you have enough entertainment to keep guests entertained all night long to keep the atmosphere alive.
Finally, don't forget about transportation! Make sure you have a plan for getting your guests home safe and sound at the end of the night.
Tips for Creating Lasting Memories for Guests
-Encourage your guests to let loose and have fun! A late-night party is the perfect opportunity for them to let their hair down and enjoy themselves.
-Make sure there's plenty of food and drink available for your guests. They'll need sustenance to keep them going through the night!
-Create a playlist of everyone's favourite songs to get everyone dancing. A mix of old classics and new hits will keep everyone on the dance floor all night long.
-Get creative with your decor and think about using glow sticks and any light up elements to create an unforgettable atmosphere, add on a glitter bar for the later nighters.
By following these tips, you're guaranteed to give your guests a night they'll never forget. So go ahead and let loose - it's time to party!
So a late-night wedding celebration in the UK can be the perfect way to end a special night. From traditional ceilidhs to modern clubbing, there is plenty of fun to be had for everyone. With careful planning and a good selection of music (and don’t get me wrong, you’ll need a decent budget), you are sure to have your guests up on their feet all night long!
Whether you choose to turn your reception into an all-out party or opt for something more low key and intimate, embracing the joy and exuberance of dance until dawn will ensure that your wedding is one that you — and everyone else — remember with fondness for years to come!
LATE NIGHT / NO CURFEW WEDDING VENUES
So now to see some of the gems that I have found that tick the boxes of a early morning finish to help you make your perfect wedding party a reality.
Bake Barn in Salisbury. A lovely with beautiful views of the countryside in the West Wiltshire Downs. You get the entire weekend with this gem of a venue and with lots of options and locations to get married indoors or outdoors and a snug bar too. You get to party until the wee hours of the morning.
It is a dry hire without furniture which are normally more complex to plan than normal so you may want to get a planner on board to keep you on track, but it’s a great price coming in from £5,500 for 2024 to hire for the entire weekend and can have camping on site too for your guests.
Yoghurt Rooms in West Sussex is a great venue that can accommodate around 150 guests also allows partying to early hours of the morning, albeit in a rave room that holds around 30 people, so only if you have a lot less die hard party goers would this be a useful option, but you can have live music, DJ whatever you want and there is a marquee outside. You have your wedding breakfast in the Barn that will end at 11.30pm. Again a dry hire, but this one does provide you with tables and chair benches, so one less supplier to worry about. From £13k for the entire weekend, but you certainly get a lot for your money.
Hawbridge Farm in Hampshire. They offer plenty fo space and flexibility for pretty much any ofyour dieas to come to life. They are happy for a 5am finish providing the TEN comes back with no issues and hey haven’t ever had any issues so far, so sounds like this could be a potential for an all night party. The land is only £1500 and with only a 70 minute drive from London, it’s a great location to get too. Again dry hire, so not for the faint hearted if you want to plan it yourself.
Sparkford Hall in Somerset – pretty much like having a wedding at your own house. The place is hired for the weekend (but can also be rented for the entire week or by the day, so lots of scope). They don’t charge corkage so you can bring in all your own alcohol. They can sleep up to 28 guests and a cottage for 8 and camping available on site too. For exclusive use for Friday through to Sunday including all accommodation and use of all the land and spaces, it’s around the £15k mark for 2024 for up to 120, but have known to squeeze in 160. (not advisable to go that far) and you can play to the wee early hours in their cellar that can hold up to 80 people.
Higher Eggbeer – Exeter. This venue has no music curfew and whilst the party barn closes at 1am, which is late enough for many, celebrations can be moved to their games room and continue for as long as your feet can dance. Again you can marry in doors or outside on the grounds, they have a lovely chapel barn with an adjoining bar. You get benches and chars up to 150 guests, but the barn only takes 110. They can accommodate up to 44 guests on site plus a deal with a local caravan site and space for camping on site too, so plenty of room to stay on site. You can pick up this little gem for the weekend from as little as £7,800 so great if you are on a tighter budget. Definately worth a visit because the website is very outdated and may not do it justice!
Hoath House in Ash, Kent. This venue does not even have a closing time, you can just keep going, but you have to get yourselves a temporary events notice (TEN). A gorgeous manor house built in the 17th century with amazing views and stunning interiors, and the charming owner Harry is uber helpful. You can marry Indoor or outdoors, with up to 18 bedrooms for your guests and a bridal suite. From 11,500 if you want to hire their large marquee too for larger weddings (or around the £6-7k mark if you don’t need the marquee, but this is for an entire weekend hire. This is not a dry hire, so you do have to use caterers from their chosen list and their drinks, although corkage is available if you want to bring in your own. Definitely worth a viewing.
So there we are… a handful for you party goers to choose from. So now your guests can stop watching the clock at weddings counting down the minutes until it's acceptable to sneak away to go off and party all night and say hello to a night of non-stop fun with late-night wedding celebrations in the UK with lively music and endless dancing. I’ll grab my party shoes now shall I?....
If you want help planning your perfect weekend or late finish celebration, then we can offer you full planning and take away all the stress and do all the sexy ground work and admin whilst you rock up to enjoy your magical day. #weekendweddings #latelicenceweddings