Handpicked Wedding Venues in Essex
With beautiful rolling countryside, hundreds of historic buildings including medieval castles, Georgian manor houses and Tudor mansions - not to mention some of the best weather in the UK - choosing a wedding in Essex is definitely a fairytale made real.
With multiple venues to choose from, including standout properties such as Leez Priory and Gosfield Hall, plus options to suit every big day budget, the county of Essex provides the perfect backdrop for a truly memorable wedding.
What Makes Essex A Popular Choice For Weddings?
Essex is one of the most popular wedding counties in England and Wales according to figures from the Office of National Statistics.
Its venues host thousands of weddings a year at unique sites including Grade I and II listed buildings, stately homes and traditional rural barns nestling in the stunning Essex countryside.
Couples can also choose one of the many country clubs or golf resorts in the county, or select from a huge range of hotels, inns, restaurants and halls to provide an ideal venue to exchange vows.
There really is something for everyone in Essex when it comes to locations for tying the knot.
Essex also benefits from excellent amenities including multiple modern shopping centres, top standard spas and lively nightlife in towns and cities such as Chelmsford, Saffron Walden and historic Colchester, the first major city in Roman Britain and the UK’s oldest.
With attractive rolling farmland and pretty rural towns predominating in the north of the county, it’s worth reiterating that the weather in Essex is conducive to successful wedding days.
Blessed with high annual sunshine, Essex is fifth on the list of the sunniest places in the UK (just above neighbouring Suffolk), and is also known for its warm weather and lower rainfall all the way through from early spring to late autumn. This makes the wedding window in Essex much broader when compared to many other counties.
Find your type
What Types of Wedding Venues Are Available in Essex?
Essex can leave happy couples spoilt for choice when it comes to special wedding venues.
Let’s explore the main types of extraordinary locations you can consider, before going on to pick out specific examples of truly jaw-dropping, amazing venues for your big day.
What Are the Top
Wedding Venues in Essex?
Some of the best wedding venues in Essex are in the historic manor house category, and our two locations in the county, Leez Priory and Gosfield Hall, are both award winning properties that are just perfect for truly special, all-inclusive weddings.
Leez Priory
Nestling in 40 acres of glorious Essex countryside, Leez Priory is an exceptional Tudor manor house with a reputation for being one of the most sought after wedding venues in the country.
These amazing features will help make your wedding a magical day you’ll never forget:
- Picturesque backdrop with 40 acres of parkland, sweeping driveway, manicured lakes and lawns
- Situated just an hour outside London for great transport links
- Wedding ceremonies can be performed in one of eight unique licensed settings
- Fine dining in one of two exceptional locations with a dedicated team of in-house chefs
- Modern dance floor, traditional bar and quiet lounge area
- 25 bedrooms including three lodges in the grounds, with a delightful hidden cottage for the bride and bridesmaids
Gosfield Hall
Nestling in 40 acres of glorious Essex countryside, Leez Priory is an exceptional Tudor manor house with a reputation for being one of the most sought after wedding venues in the country.
These amazing features will help make your wedding a magical day you’ll never forget:
- Picturesque backdrop with 40 acres of parkland, sweeping driveway, manicured lakes and lawns
- Situated just an hour outside London for great transport links
- Wedding ceremonies can be performed in one of eight unique licensed settings
- Fine dining in one of two exceptional locations with a dedicated team of in-house chefs
- Modern dance floor, traditional bar and quiet lounge area
- 25 bedrooms including three lodges in the grounds, with a delightful hidden cottage for the bride and bridesmaids
How to Choose the Right
Wedding Venue in Essex?
Deciding upon a wedding venue can be daunting, especially in Essex where you’re spoilt for choice. So what are the main things you need to consider?
understanding wedding costs
What Are the Costs Associated with Wedding Venues in Essex?
Prices for your Essex wedding venue will vary depending upon location, number of guests and what’s included, so because every happy couple is different this is a hard question to answer.
Broadly though, you can expect to pay at least half of your whole budget on the venue unless you choose an all-inclusive package.
What Services and Amenities
Should You Expect?
Now we’ve identified all-inclusive packages as the best option whatever Essex wedding venue you choose, let’s look at what you would expect to be included for a mid-budget big day.
Catering Options
Fine dining is a must at any reputable wedding venue. This means top-class professional chefs, high-quality locally sourced cuisine, excellent service and a certain amount of drinks included per guest. Champagne is a prerequisite for those speeches.
The dining room is important too. Whether intimate or grand – you’d expect tasteful decor, well-laid tables and comfortable seating. Ambience and atmosphere are important, and will set the tone for the event.
Is On-Site Accommodation Important for Guests?
Many all-inclusive wedding packages include on-site accommodation for a set number of guests, and this is essential for close friends and family, and sometimes for the main wedding party the night before.
If some guests are arriving from overseas, they may need a room on-site after a long journey, so it’s important to check if your venue has the capacity to accommodate essential members of your party.
Additional Services
No marriage celebration is complete without a disco, so it’s also important to check your selected venue has a good dance floor, wedding DJ and sound system. We’ve probably all been to a few awful wedding discos over the years, so getting this right is key.
On top of this, your venue may include additional extras such as fireworks, seasonally related dining options (like mince pies for Christmas weddings), plus other personalised details agreed in advance with the bride and groom.
What’s essential here is that you do your research and ask the right questions of the venues you’re considering, so they can accommodate everything you need to make your big day extra special. That way you know where you stand, what you’re paying for – and that your wedding
day will be all you ever dreamed of.
Other venue Locations
We have six superb country houses located in the south of England, each with its own charm and beauty, and designed to make your wedding day unforgettable. Which one will you fall in love with?
