Our recommendations for the best Manchester wedding venues. You choose from unique and quirky through to classic and grand.
Manchester wedding photography, in the city centre is such a stunning contrast from the traditional country house, rustic barns and tipis. Wedding photography in the city can be grungy and gritty, sleek and architectural, moody and definitely timeless. Recently voted as one of Britain’s most romantic cities it seems Manchester is the place to tie the knot. Plenty of restaurants to come back to year after year for gorgeous anniversary dinners too! Have a flick through our gallery above to see just a few of our shots around the city and Manchester Wedding venues.
As wedding photographers we’ve documented numerous amazing weddings in Manchester city centre from the gothic grandeur of the Town Hall to the über trendy and slick looking night time feel of some of the city’s most gorgeous, boutique hotels. Walking from your wedding ceremony venue to your city centre reception will yield some fantastic wedding photo opportunities. We love the juxtaposition of a wedding couple in their gorgeous bridal attire walking through Manchester city streets it’s just timeless, especially in the pouring rain (with brolly’s of course). Really magical genuine moments from your wedding to look back on in the years to come.
Have a good peruse of our page, with our selection of some of the best wedding venues that Manchester has to offer. You’ll be spoilt for choice! Once you’ve made that decision remember to contact us to check our availability to photograph your Manchester wedding :)
Manchester wedding venues where we’ve photographed weddings over the years include Manchester Town Hall, St. Anns Church, The Midland Hotel, Malmaison Hotel, St.Chad’s Church, Salford Cathedral, Manchester City Art Gallery, Didsbury House Hotel, Portland Hotel, Radisson Blu Edwardian, Great John Street Hotel, The Lowry Hotel , The Lowry Theatre and On the 7th (strictly speaking the last three are Salford but it’s close enough!)
Scroll down for our Manchester wedding venues guide – it’s sure to have something that ticks your boxes for the most amazing wedding day. We simply can’t wait to capture your Manchester wedding in this dynamic and timeless city…….
Unique and quirky Manchester wedding venues
As wedding photographers we really love new venues too and Manchester has some crackers! We’re really looking forward to a wedding shoot at Manchester Museum anybody? Get that dinosaur in on the action! Or perhaps in the amazing steam engine room at MOSI, we do love a bit of industrial heritage and there’s the option for short a steam train journey too. A great venue for a steampunk wedding perhaps :) Victoria Baths, another quirky amazing very ‘green’ space, how many people get married in a swimming pool – we even voted for this when it won on the TV show ‘Restoration’!
Something completely different? Have your ceremony on board Concorde at Runway Park, with space for 54 guests, say your vows in the aisle of Manchester’s concorde!
Gothic rich historic feel
It goes without saying that Manchester Town Hall pretty much corners the market on epic Gothic-ness but there are other spaces too if not as large but definitely with that gothic feel and rich interiors. For Manchester Town Hall weddings check out MTH & GJS, MTH & The Black Swan or MTH & Hyde Bank Farm. For the truly historic go for John Rylands Library or Chethams School of Music (can’t wait to shoot here in 2017), both completely epic. Harry Potter eat your heart out! More gorgeous venues with an academic twist from the rich library feel in the Christie Bistro to the again Harry Potter-esque Whitworth Hall – all in the Manchester University locales.
Art and culture ;)
Manchester Central Art Gallery, it doesn’t get more cultured than that supping champagne surrounded by old masters in the older section of the gallery. Then moving on to the great modern glass extension for your evening’s celebrations, the perfect combination of old and new right in the centre of town. The newly refurbished, Manchester Central library hosts Sunday weddings, where the library is all yours for the day. Celebrate in an iconic building newly refurbished perfectly combining grand architecture with clean modern lines (and lots of books too!!!) Or perhaps again another newly refurbished space at The Whitworth Art Gallery, a very bright light modern affair housed inside a much older building, overlooking Whitworth Park, in the Oxford Road University area of Manchester.
For your theatrical side
A bit of theatre perhaps, we love the Royal Exchange Theatre, such a stunning space – wow! Or perhaps a grand entrance from the wings at The Palace Theatre. Too big try the cosier yet still opulent feel of The Opera House, curtains, action and rapturous applause from the stalls! Got a massive guest list? There’s the iconic Albert Hall right in the middle of Manchester city centre – loads of space and fab architectural detail, textures, big windows and then there’s the epic organ too. Somewhere a little smaller, a reminder of your uni days…try The Deaf Institute, amazing interiors with a great earthy rich feel, with a number of different spaces to hire form the bijou basement den, to the larger Music Hall. With a new wedding ceremony license in 2016 for four different rooms too, including the auditorium The Bridgewater Hall is an iconic Manchester venue where we’d absolutely love to photograph a wedding, we love all the amazing modern architecture and with such amazing acoustics no-one will miss your vows!
Boutique hotel – Manchester wedding venues
There’s plenty of new hotels and restaurants popping up all the time in Manchester, we’re definitely looking forward to two new King Street hotels on the horizon. Art deco styled 60 room Hotel Gotham from bespoke hotels complete with roof top bar and 1930’s styling. Then there’s new eclectic hotel – King St Town House, with 40 rooms and a roof garden too, this is a wedding venue that ticks all the boxes. Can’t wait to shoot our first wedding there…roll on January 2017! Whilst we’re on the subject of the eclectic hotel’s group it’s rude not to mention Didsbury House Hotel, situated in the urban trendy village of Didsbury. This town house is the perfect venue for a more intimate homely celebration, surprisingly with 27 bedrooms too, so all your guests can stay in one place. Need more rooms then there’s their sister property Eleven Disbury Park just down the road, which can also host more intimate weddings with the option of an outdoor reception and meal :) Not forgetting Great John Street a very popular choice for boutique hotel weddings in Manchester. We’ve heard their afternoon tea is pretty good too, what more of an excuse do you need to go and have a nosey!
Northern Quarter Manchesters’ Urban Cool
Whilst not having a specific licensed wedding venue, Northern Quarter does deserve it’s own section for the diverse and multitude of options available. We’ve only listed here venues which we know have held wedding receptions before or have venue hire options. However, we’re pretty convinced most of Northern quarters bars, nooks and crannies would make the ideal venue for a Manchester wedding reception. The Fitzgerald is a dark rich cocktail bar with character and distinction tucked away just off Stevenson Square right in the heart of things. A 1920’s vibe, throw in a bit of jazz, the odd cocktail or two, all your friends and the perfect evening wedding soiree will no doubt ensue :) Awesome urban grunge vibe at Twenty twenty two, another hidden venue in the basement of 20 Dale Street, think graffitti decor, brick walls, pipework, and a bit of ping pong too – looks great if you’re looking for an urban feel to your wedding (although not sure if they do full venue hire for Sat/Sun.) For a more cosy English pub feel check out Montpelliers, with it’s unassuming entrance this would be an easy one to miss, but looks like a great cosy venue for an intimate celebration. Dusk ’til Pawn, another dark moody quirky wedding reception option, for a ‘New York’ bar feel with just your closest friends and family, approx 50 capacity. Obsessed by TV & Movies, well this themed bar may be just what you’re looking for Bar21, has various hire options depending on the size of your wedding party – in the heart of Northern Quarter on Thomas Street. Looking for something less dark and urban then try the light bright RosyLee, big georgian style windows provide the light whilst the interiors definitely have the character you’d expect from The Northern Quarter. Another you could try is Pie & Ale (sounds perfect already!) part of Bakerie and hire of their beer hall is free!! So that’s our tiny selection of what’s out there, go explore ask your favourite NQ bar if they don’t do something then they’re sure to know somewhere that does :) So that’s our selection of what’s out there, go explore ask your favourite NQ bar if they don’t do something then they’re sure to know somewhere that does :)
Shabby chic – Manchester wedding venues
More to add to our wish list a couple of more church-like ethereal buildings, well they used to be churches so I guess they’re gonna look church-like! Situated just outside Manchesters’ trendy Northern Quarter is the newly refurbished and very impressive Halle St Peters’ a central urban manchester venue with a difference. You can’t get more shabby chic with ethereal than The Monastery, in Gorton – such fantastic huge ethereal space, filled with history, drama and a definite wow factor – see you all there! You like rustic urban chic but not so bothered about the pointy windows of church buildings, check out Hope Mill Theatre. In the upcoming New Islington area of Manchester, is pretty cool – their theatre and entertainment line-up’s pretty good too, with cosy blankets :) Get in before anyone else for a unique Manchester wedding reception venue due to be opening October 2016, sounds cool in their blurb…53two. Fancy the new ‘quarter’ try Redbank Co in the Green Quarter, whiskey bar upstairs, pizza van in their outdoor space, what’s not to like under the railway arches just north of Victoria railway station.
Salford Quays & Media City UK
Whilst we’re on the subject of Manchester, how about a short hop across the river into Salford? With Media City UK at The Quays and loads of redevelopment just over the river Salford is a great choice for a city centre wedding, still with the great transport links of Manchester right next door. Let’s start with eclectic hotels offering in Media City UK, On the 7th, quirky modern styling ‘rustic meets modern clean lines’, great views over The Quays and even a cinema room too, with a capacity from 20-150 a great sized wedding venue, right in the heart of the action.
Being in media city, how apt to have a theatre based wedding and the Lowry Theatre isn’t just your average theatre! If you like bold strong colours then book this venue – your wedding will definitely be filled with colour! Not to mention the stunning Compass room with views over the Quays from the circular balcony.
For modern style with impact and slightly wonky floors, you don’t need too many drinks to feel slightly off kilter at the Imperial War Museum. Great open spaces just use your imagination to create a wedding to remember in this very unique venue.
Thinking out of the box, liking craft beers and a warehouse feel then try Seven Bro7hers Brewery, not too sexy from the outside but inside is a very well stocked bar in a warehouse feel urban gritty environment. Worth a punt if you like that kinda vibe and the quays isn’t too far away for a bit more sparkle to add to your photos.
Salford wedding venues just over the river from Manchester
Not what you’d expect in the heart of an industrial city, Ordsall Hall is a tudor manor house with tudor styled gardens and orchard. The perfect spot for a bit of greenery to add to a city centre wedding. Maybe you’ll have an extra guest on your photographs too, if their friendly ghosts make an appearance!
Back closer to Manchester city centre, The Lowry Hotel is just over the river so within Salford, ideal for a city centre walkabout for your grungy urban photography, whilst the clean lines and huge windows from The Lowry Hotel give a great sense of space overlooking that iconic bridge – Jade & Thomas’ big day at The Lowry Hotel. Also worth a look for something a bit different is The Kings Arms, which has various rooms and spaces for hire – including a theatre room too!! Or perhaps spend your evening stepped back in time in a Victorian street or admiring art work at Salford Museum and Art Gallery definitely a different and unique twist to your evening reception. Support Salford’s heritage and arts scene and hire event space at the über cool Islington Mill a hub for artsy, music-y creatives with a definite urban rustic historic mill feel to their event space which has a bar and sound system all ready to go for the perfect yet unique wedding party – there’s also a quirky B&B on site too!
Urban street vibe – Manchester wedding venues with grit
So you’ve got a guest list as long as Mr.Tickles arms? So there’s Beat Street on Deansgate just underneath Grand Northern, who cares what the weather is doing when you have this ¨uber cool underground urban space (and we are Pixies in the Cellar so we’ll fit right in!) Or in Trafford there’s Victoria Warehouse, a new huge venue, looks like a great urban rustic space, with warehouse style accommodation too! Under the arches close to Oxford Road train station Gorilla has a range of party/event spaces for your wedding from small and intimate to absolutely massive – so say your I do’s at a church or the town hall perhaps and then move on to this den of cool and gin!
A church wedding?
Thinking of a church wedding, well if you want to make a statement why not go for it and take in all that gothic grandeur that is Manchester Cathedral, although to marry in the Cathedral you must meet certain requirements first so best to check if you fit their criteria first. You can also hold your wedding reception in Manchester Cathedral, so perhaps get married in a hotel and have your reception in the cathedral, how’s that for a back to front wedding! Also within the city centre St.Ann’s church is a fabulous building (although only limited photography allowed), whilst St Mary’s The Hidden Gem is a catholic church option and if you’re thinking about having your reception at Manchester Museum or one of The University buildings then The Holy Name church on Oxford Road is an amazing building too :) In Salford don’t forget their very own Cathedral too!
Hotels and function spaces – these Manchester wedding venues aren’t just your usual hotels… history, style & pizzazz :)
The Radisson Blu Edwardian (a late 2015 winter wedding and an early 2015 winter wedding by Pixies in the Cellar) think glass and metal modern touches in a building steeped in history as the Free Trade Hall of old. The Midland Hotel (an all boys tartan affair & an Egyptian wedding party at The Midland hotel) a grand classic hotel with a modern feel yet heralding back to days gone by. A newly adapted venue space with another rooftop terrace is Manchester Hall, which used to be the Freemasons Hall an imposing exterior, close to the city centre and Spinningfields – looking forward to shooting our first wedding here in 2017. You couldn’t really fail The Palace Hotel, it’s huge red brick frontage really makes a statement. 275 rooms on offer and venue spaces to hold up to 1000 (as well as smaller spaces too!), then you can guarantee they’ll be able to fit your wedding party in, no matter how big or small! Just next to The Palace is Refuge by Volta, where you can hire out their ‘Den’, for a cool yet classy space for 60-80 bodies, with outdoor space and table football too. If glass and steel combos are your thing then check out The Place Apartments, super conveniently placed just down from Manchester Piccadilly train station and close to Northern Quarter for a few sneaky drinks or a yummy breakfast :)
Note from the blogger: What a great article and beautiful images! Just to add some more inspiration, if you are considering an outdoor wedding have a look at a Bedouin-inspired stretch tent, such as the ones you can rent from Tentickle Stretch Tents. In fact, for tent hire, Manchester, look no further than this crowd!
