10 Unconventional Wedding Venues in the UK for an Unforgettable Ceremony

If a traditional country house or hotel ballroom isn't quite your thing, the UK has some extraordinary places where you can get married.

From saying your vows in a tropical rainforest to marrying above the Thames or celebrating inside one of Britain's most famous museums, choosing an unconventional wedding venue can completely change the feel of your day.

Here are 10 unusual UK wedding venues that prove you really don't have to follow the traditional wedding venue rulebook.

1. The Eden Project, Cornwall

Fancy getting married in a rainforest without asking your entire guest list to find their passports?

The Eden Project offers one of the most unusual wedding settings in the UK. Couples can marry amongst the lush tropical planting of the Rainforest Biome, the world's largest indoor rainforest, or choose the Mediterranean Biome, surrounded by citrus trees, herbs and colourful planting.

It is particularly brilliant for couples who love nature and want something completely different, with the added advantage of not having to rely on the British weather to deliver the tropical backdrop.

2. The Natural History Museum, London

There aren't many wedding venues where your guests can walk into one of the world's most famous museums for your wedding.

The Natural History Museum in South Kensington can host both wedding ceremonies and receptions, with 12 spaces licensed for marriages and civil partnerships.

The showstopper is Hintze Hall. Its magnificent Romanesque architecture and enormous blue whale skeleton suspended overhead create a backdrop that would be virtually impossible to recreate in a conventional wedding venue.

For couples looking for a London wedding venue with genuine wow factor, this takes some beating.

3. The Lost Village of Dode, Kent

Hidden away in a secluded Kent valley, The Lost Village of Dode is a beautifully restored medieval church with more than 900 years of history.

It is wonderfully atmospheric and deliberately intimate, with weddings of up to 40 guests. Couples can have a legal ceremony inside the candlelit church or marry outdoors within its circle of ancient stones.

Dode is a particularly lovely choice for couples planning a smaller wedding who want somewhere that feels private, historic and completely removed from the outside world.

4. Asylum Chapel, London

If perfectly polished isn't your style, Asylum Chapel in Peckham is quite extraordinary.

This Grade II listed chapel has stained glass windows, crumbling stonework, tall Georgian ceilings and beautifully distressed interiors that give it an atmosphere unlike almost any other London wedding venue.

The chapel is licensed for marriages and can accommodate up to 120 guests.

Rather than hiding its age and imperfections, Asylum celebrates them. The result is a wonderfully romantic backdrop full of faded grandeur, history and character.

5. The Roman Baths & Pump Room, Bath

Getting married beside the steaming waters of the Roman Baths is about as far removed from a standard hotel wedding as you can get.

Located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bath, couples can hold a sunrise or sunset ceremony beside the Great Bath, surrounded by almost 2,000 years of history.

Celebrations can then continue in the elegant Pump Room or one of the adjoining historic spaces.

For couples who love history but want something much more dramatic than the traditional stately home, this is a pretty spectacular option.

6. Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland

There are castles, and then there is Bamburgh.

Standing dramatically above the Northumberland coastline, Bamburgh Castle combines enormous historic interiors with sweeping views across the sea and surrounding countryside.

Couples can exchange vows within the castle, celebrate in spaces including the magnificent King's Hall and even incorporate the Castle Green into larger celebrations.

There are also intimate marry-and-stay options for couples who would rather escape with just a handful of their favourite people.

And if wedding photographs on a huge Northumberland beach beneath a castle sound rather fabulous, this one deserves a place on the shortlist.

7. Tower Bridge, London

You don't get many wedding photographs where guests need absolutely no help identifying the venue.

Tower Bridge isn't simply a London landmark. It is also available for weddings and private events.

One of its most striking spaces is the High-level Walkways, suspended 42 metres above the River Thames, with panoramic views across London and sections of glass floor beneath your feet.

Other spaces within the bridge include the North Tower Lounge and the atmospheric Victorian Engine Rooms.

For couples wanting a proper London wedding rather than simply a wedding that happens to be in London, it is difficult to think of a more recognisable setting.

8. The Royal Pavilion, Brighton

The Royal Pavilion is gloriously extravagant, which is exactly why it belongs on this list.

Built for King George IV, this former royal palace sits right in the centre of Brighton and combines extraordinary architecture with lavish interiors influenced by Indian and Chinese design.

Nothing about it feels like a conventional wedding venue.

The elaborate rooms, extraordinary detailing and unmistakable exterior also mean you aren't going to struggle for interesting wedding photographs.

For couples who want colour, history and a bit of theatrical drama, the Royal Pavilion delivers all three.

9. Cley Windmill, Norfolk

If your idea of unconventional is less "London landmark" and more "disappear somewhere beautiful with the people we love", Cley Windmill is a gorgeous alternative.

This historic windmill sits amongst the reed beds and marshes of the North Norfolk coast and specialises in intimate weddings of up to 50 guests.

There are indoor and outdoor options, exclusive use and accommodation for up to 22 guests, meaning your closest friends and family can stay with you.

The views across the surrounding marshland are beautiful, but it is the intimacy of the venue that really makes it stand out.

10. Sky Garden, London

For couples who love London but want something very different from a traditional city hotel, Sky Garden is worth a look.

Sitting at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, better known as the Walkie Talkie building, Sky Garden combines landscaped indoor gardens with enormous windows and panoramic views across the capital.

There are several event spaces within Sky Garden, from intimate dining areas to much larger exclusive events.

Imagine drinks amongst the planting as London lights up beneath you. It is modern, dramatic and unmistakably London.

Finding an unconventional wedding venue

Choosing an unusual wedding venue isn't really about finding the strangest building possible. It is about finding somewhere that feels right for the two of you.

That might mean marrying surrounded by tropical plants at the Eden Project, having an intimate candlelit ceremony in a medieval church, or celebrating above the Thames at Tower Bridge.

Unconventional venues can sometimes require a little more planning than purpose-built wedding venues. Access times, catering restrictions, production, supplier requirements, licensing and turnaround times can all affect what is realistically possible.

But when the venue genuinely reflects who you are as a couple, the extra planning can be absolutely worth it.

At BusyBrides Wedding Planners, we help couples find venues and create weddings throughout London, the Home Counties and across England. From historic buildings and dryhire venues to marquees, private homes and spaces that have never hosted a wedding quite like yours before, we can help work out what is possible and bring all the moving parts together.

Because your wedding venue doesn't need to look like everybody else's. It just needs to work brilliantly for yours.