The 20 Best Wedding Venues in Essex From Rustic Barns to Historic Castles
If you've chosen Essex as your wedding location, you'll be completely spoilt for choice when it comes to venues. To help you narrow down your search, here are our top picks
Choosing a wedding venue is one of the first boxes you're likely to tick off your wedding planning to do list - after all, the venue you choose will inform everything about your day. Luckily, if you're looking for wedding venues in Essex, you're completely spoilt for choice.
Whether you’re looking for an elegant stately home, a historic castle or a rustic barn wedding venue, there’s a huge variety of Essex wedding venues, each varying in size and price.
20 of the Best Wedding Venues in Essex
With quaint market towns, a stunning coastline (boasting the world’s longest pleasure pier in Southend-on-Sea!), beautiful countryside and enchanting forests, Essex is a county with plenty to offer and all of it located just a short distance from London and its major transport links.
Not sure where to start your search? We’ve rounded up the 20 best wedding venues in Essex to get you feeling inspired.
1. Gosfield Hall – Gosfield
Fancy saying 'I do' in a celebrity wedding venue? Gosfield Hall has housed the weddings of some of our favourite reality TV couples including Alex and Olivia Bowen and you could be next on the list.
It is a Georgian stately home wedding venue which really is fit for royalty – it will be exclusively yours for the entirety of your wedding day and is surrounded by gorgeously manicured gardens
The Queen Charlotte’s Oak panelled gallery is a lovely room for your ceremony, thanks to the 120ft-long aisle. Afterwards, head through to the Marquis of Buckingham’s former ballroom for a reception meal for up to 110 guests.
As this venue offers total exclusivity, you can invite up to 250 for the evening reception, and there are 20 newly refurbished bedrooms on site including the jaw-droppingly beautiful wedding suite.
- Capacity: Up to 250
- Pricing: Menus from £100
2. Hedingham Castle – Halstead
This 900-year-old castle is brimming with history and romance. Tie the knot in Hedingham Castle’s grand banqueting hall before dancing the night away in their marquee, which features its own concealed dance floor and private bar.
Perhaps our favourite feature of this stunning castle wedding venue is the Garden Cottage, a glorious property for the happy couple’s first night together. It is even set within its own private orchard!
With 160 acres of tree-lined estate, Hedingham is the perfect choice of Essex wedding venue for privacy and a totally picturesque day.
- Capacity: Up to 150
- Pricing: Menus from £206
- Deals: There is late availability for summer Saturdays in 2024 - check out their listing below to find out more.
3. Houchins – Colchester
Houchins is a grade II listed farmhouse surrounded by barns and gardens that make for an idyllic wedding day oasis. You can marry indoors in the Foundry here or outdoors in the Loggia during the summer months.
Staff will then transform the Foundry into an event space for up to 120 people or the Grainstore for up to 150. You can host relaxed drinks in the Chitting Shed or outside in the gardens while the Houchins team work their magic.
As the festivities draw to a close in this Essex wedding venue, you and your wedding party can retire to the elegant farmhouse.
Fully restored, the self-catering accommodation provides a comfortable home from home and Houchins will even provide a luxury breakfast hamper complete with fresh fruit juices, artisan breads and cereals - delicious!
- Capacity: Up to 250
- Pricing: From £3,260
- Deals: There are several deals on the Houchins listing below including a special offer on cocktail hours for your guests, a £1,000 discount and all-inclusive packages.
4. Parklands – Quendon
This charming 17th century manor house wedding venue in Essex is nestled within a deer park and sits behind an enchanting water fountain feature, making it a picture perfect wedding backdrop.
Parklands can accommodate weddings of anywhere between 40 and 500 guests and has experience hosting everything from classic English country weddings to traditional Asian ceremonies and celebrations.
You can marry indoors within one of the licensed spaces or outdoors underneath the licensed pavilion in the summer months. A dressing suite is available before the ceremony, ensuring you and your wedding party can prepare for the day in comfortable and elegant surroundings.
Plus, there are 21 luxurious bedrooms on-site, meaning you won't need to travel very far before kicking off your dancing shoes and enjoying a tranquil night's sleep in this secluded country gem.
- Capacity: Up to 500
- Pricing: Menus from £75
5. Milsoms Kesgrave Hall – Ipswich
Located just north of Essex in Ipswich, you'll find Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, a luxurious wedding venue with plenty to offer couples planning weddings for 60 guests or more.
Their indoor wedding spaces are beautifully decorated and emulate the look and feel of a boutique hotel. There are also 23 gorgeous bedrooms available for you and your guests to spend the night here, as well as an award-winning spa, sun deck, sauna and treatment rooms.
Outside has plenty to offer too, with an outdoor woodland setting perfect for al-fresco drinks and outdoor ceremonies.
- Capacity: Up to 300
- Pricing: Menus from £90
6. Fennes – Braintree
If you're looking for fairy-tale wedding venues in Essex, then Fennes could be the venue for you. Whether you want a grand ceremony or a small intimate celebration, you're sure to find what you're looking for in this stunning Georgian manor house.
For outdoor ceremonies, the Gazebo is at your disposal. If an indoor ceremony is more your style, then make use of the Pavilion, which has a capacity of 250 and is available for ceremonies, wedding breakfasts and receptions. The Banqueting Hall with a capacity of up to 500 guests is also available for larger ceremonies.
This Essex wedding venue also supplies a wedding coordinator and a talented team of in-house caterers ready to prepare a delicious three course meal for you and your guests.
- Capacity: Up to 700
- Pricing: £POA
- Deals: There are deals on remaining 2024 wedding dates on the Fennes listing below.
7. Leez Priory – Chelmsford
If choice and versatility are what you look for in Essex wedding venues, take a look at Leez Priory.
With five separate areas licensed for weddings, you can take your pick at Leez Priory. You might choose to get married outside within the 40 acres of parkland, or you could choose to get married inside the Great Tower. This stunning Tudor mansion in Chelmsford makes the perfect backdrop for wedding photos.
With 25 years’ experience of hosting weddings, Leez Priory is an excellent choice for your wedding venue in Essex. Up to 100 guests can celebrate with you at your daytime ceremony before turning the party up a notch with 250 guests at night time.
- Capacity: Up to 250
- Pricing: Menus from £100
8. The Compasses – Pattiswick
A former award-winning gastropub, The Compasses has kept its country pub charm and focus on the finest, locally-sourced ingredients as it has transitioned into one of the finest wedding venues in Essex.
Whether it’s bangers and mash or a gourmet tasting menu, the chefs at this foodie wedding venue can make a wedding breakfast that is completely personal to you.
Pitch tipis in the garden in the summer if you’re planning a festival themed wedding, or warm yourselves by roaring log fires in the winter and watch guests relax and have fun.
- Capacity: Up to 120
- Pricing: From £2,000
9. Wivenhoe House – Colchester
Effortlessly elegant and utterly romantic, Grade II-listed country house hotel Wivenhoe House, located just outside of Colchester is one of those Essex wedding venues you should definitely consider.
Their dedicated wedding team offer excellent service. Not only would a cosy winter wedding here be totally magical, the new garden gazebo is perfect for summer celebrations for those of you wanting to enjoy the gardens.
Inside, there’s a huge choice of rooms to hold your ceremony in, and if on-site accommodation is a big draw for you, there’s 40 bedrooms so guests can totally relax and enjoy the day.
- Capacity: Up to 150
- Pricing: Menus from £92
- Deals: On the venue's listing, there are twilight and whirlwind wedding offers, as well as late availability packages for those who want to bag a deal in 2024.
10. Villiers Barn – Thorpe-le-Soken
Barn wedding venues in Essex don't come much prettier than Villiers Barn in Thorpe-le-Soken.
This gorgeous barn is set within the most idyllic location, perfect for those country wedding shots surrounded by serene lakes, manicured gardens and unspoilt Essex countryside views.
The barn is Grade II listed and has been beautifully restored to give it a modern feel, whilst still staying true to its historic roots. There is also a former coach house which has been lovingly transformed into a getting ready suite for you and your crew to spend the morning of your wedding in.
The Essex wedding venue offer bespoke wedding packages and have a hotel just down the road (literally four minutes!) with almost 90 bedrooms for you and your guests to enjoy. No long treks home here...
- Capacity: Up to 190
- Pricing: £POA
11. Smeetham Hall Barn – Sudbury
Another one of our charming barn wedding venues in Essex is Smeetham Hall Barn which is located on the Suffolk-Essex border in Sudbury.
The venue is so beautifully decorated and has a really warm feel to it, and their wedding offering makes them a seriously strong contender to couples.
Getting married here allows couples to benefit from exclusive use of the entire venue, amazing catering options, no corkage (woo!) and an on-site videographer for 2024 weddings and beyond. What more could you want?
- Capacity: Up to 250
- Pricing: Menus from £42
- Deals: There are exclusive Hitched discounts on the Smeetham Hall Barn listing below, including a chunky discount where you can save big!
12. Boreham House – Boreham
From charming to down-right luxe, let us introduce you to one of the most grand wedding venues in Essex - Boreham House.
Before we dive into what's inside, just look at how striking the frontage of this wedding venue is - and that lake is simply serene.
As well as its impressive exterior and grounds, Boreham House is steeped in history. The building dates back to 1732 and has an iconic staircase inside which was once owned by Henry VIII. Imagine walking down a staircase on your wedding day that King Henry VIII once walked down!
- Capacity: Up to 450
- Pricing: £POA
13. The Roslin Beach Hotel – Thorpe Bay
Dreaming of perfect beach wedding venues in Essex? Roslin Beach Hotel is a stunning coastal wedding venue which overlooks Thorpe Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in the county.
Whilst the Grand Ballroom and its surrounding outdoor terrace boast panoramic views and stylish interiors, the wedding suite is the pinnacle of elegance.
What’s more, this venue has a dedicated wedding planning team, an in-house Creative Floral Design team, and a group of award-winning, world-renowned chefs who will ensure your guests experience the finest food around.
As far as Essex wedding venues go, this is definitely one of our favourites.
- Capacity: Up to 130
- Pricing: £POA
14. Crondon Park – Stock
Another of the finest barn wedding venues in Essex, Crondon Park’s striking Baronial Suite is a truly magnificent place to host your wedding.
You can marry in the Ryder Room or choose to say ‘I do’ underneath a pretty floral canopy outside – this makes Crondon the ideal spot for couples seeking an outdoor wedding venue for a sunny, summer wedding!
With beautiful rosewood flooring throughout the Baronial Hall, your guests will find Crondon Park the perfect place to dance and Instagram the night away. After the dancing is done, your guests can retire to Crondon's beautiful set of luxury suites - dreamy.
- Capacity: Up to 148
- Pricing: Menus from £109
- Deals: Special offers on midweek weddings are available on the venue's listing below.
15. The Old Parish Rooms – Rayleigh
The Old Parish Rooms are set in Rayleigh and provide the perfect setting for your small and intimate wedding celebrations.
Originally built as a parish hall and school house, this unique small wedding venue has been converted into a bright and modern space ideal for your upcoming nuptials. The venue is a total blank canvas, meaning it would work perfectly for whatever wedding theme you have in mind.
There are also flexible catering options and mid-week package options for couples looking to save money on their wedding budget.
- Capacity: Up to 100
- Pricing: £POA
16. Braxted Park – Great Braxted
Braxted Park is one of those Essex wedding venues that will make a lasting impression on you and your guests from the moment you pass through the gates. It's set at the end of a sweeping, torch-lit drive, and will continue to impress from the moment you approach it.
There is a quaint church in the grounds which is perfect for a religious ceremony, but if that doesn’t suit, you could opt for the remarkable Orangery which has breath-taking Roman-inspired décor and views across the lawns.
One of our favourite features of this venue is the newly opened wedding prep room. It is an idyllic spot to get ready with your wedding before your ceremony, with a number of long mirrors and a private bathroom. You’ll be sure to start your day in style.
- Capacity: Up to 350
- Pricing: From £1,650
17. That Amazing Place – Harlow
When it comes to this gorgeous Essex wedding venue, the name says it all.
Stylish, opulent and contemporary, the Grade II-listed country house wedding venue is a perfect setting for your wedding and reception, and you can have exclusive use of it for 24 hours. This means you can dress it up exactly as you’d like.
That Amazing Place have thought of everything, with pre-wedding pampering available in their fantastic beauty salon, a luxurious private cottage and 13 guest rooms so your friends and family can totally relax. Oh, and did we mention the beautiful grounds and lake? There is so much to love!
- Capacity: Up to 200
- Pricing: Menus from £85
- Deals: That Amazing Place are offering free wedding décor items for couples who book with them. Head to their listing to find out more...
18. Greenwoods Hotel Spa & Retreat – Stock
We absolutely love Greenwoods Hotel – it is a tranquil and relaxing complex set in picturesque gardens and will make the perfect setting for the biggest day of your life.
The Essex wedding venue boasts a multi-million pound Garden Suite which opened in Spring 2017 and has hosted stylish weddings ever since.
Complete with PA system, state-of-the-art lighting, a garden terrace and exclusive bar, it is one of the most contemporary wedding venues in Essex for you and up to 250 evening guests.
The magnificent English gardens are a perfect choice if you’d like to get married in the summer outside. There is space for 150 guests and it’s ideal for a drinks reception.
- Capacity: Up to 250
- Pricing: Menus from £80
- Deals: There are amazing wedding deals for dry hire, twilight weddings and weekend wedding packages where couples can make great savings.
19. High House Weddings – Althorne
This countryside Essex wedding venue is award winning and for good reason. It is set within six acres of landscaped gardens and is a luxurious yet quaint setting which will be exclusively yours on your wedding day.
The grounds of High House are home to an aptly heart-shaped lake, a pond, a Monet-style bridge, weeping willows as well as an abundance of wildlife and pretty country garden flowers.
We love the Orangery which couples will have access to before their wedding day. It overlooks the swimming pool and is luxuriously furnished with comfortable sofas, dressing tables and a stylish en-suite.
You’ll spend your first night as a married couple in their cosy cottage for newlyweds – a property set in its own private garden. How romantic!
- Capacity: Up to 120
- Pricing: Menus from £80
20. The Barn – Colchester
After charming rustic wedding venues in Essex? The Barn is a great romantic wedding venue choice for couples who want a stylish yet relaxed big day.
You’ll get a dedicated wedding planner from the start to ensure that everything runs smoothly. From your ceremony to drinks in the courtyard and a tailored wedding breakfast, your day will be worry-free and unique to you.
This barn is full of gorgeous finishing touches to delight your guests and help you capture those perfect photos.
- Capacity: Up to 180
- Pricing: Menus from £60
- Deals: Late availability dates are on offer on the venue's listing, as well as super savings for Saturday weddings.
Like the look of the more rustic venues in this round-up? Don’t miss our edit of the best barn wedding venues in the country! There’s some gorgeous choices…
