The story behind Brighton's iconic wedding venues

Brighton is known as a gem on the English coastline, full of history and culture. Did you know that the original Brighton town was burned down in 1514 by the French? The inhabitants responded by quickly rebuilding their little town and when the French came back in 1545, the people fought back and drove them away.

The year of 1703 saw Brighton battered by a storm, before being hit by another just two years later. All the while, the sea was eroding the shore of the town...

Despite all this, not only did Brighton survive, it flourished and even gained the interest of royalty and has become a British hotspot! Naturally, the buildings in Brighton have some stories to tell about the town’s exciting history, and some have served different purposes along the way as Brighton battled through its hardships.

St Augustine’s Centre

Erected in 1896 the building was an Anglican church, but had been left derelict since 2003. Though it is listed as a Grade II building, nothing was really done with it until 2013, when a new project started up in order to give St Augustine’s church with a new lease of life.

Now, after substantial renovation, the building is open to the public as a centre for arts, wellbeing, and spiritual sectors. The centre hosts exhibitions, conferences, meetings, and most importantly, weddings! The stunning architecture and history of the building makes it the perfect place for low key Brighton nuptials.

www.brightonstaugustinescentre.co.uk

The Old Ship

This magnificent Brighton hotel is absolutely loaded with history, which makes it an idyllic and interesting venue for a wedding. The site has been used as a hotel since Tudor times, with the first recorded accommodation here named the ‘Shippe Inn’. It became the ‘Old Ship Inn’ in 1650, after another hotel opened across the street called the ‘New Ship Inn’.

Gradually extended over the years as its owners have purchased neighbouring homes, it's now closer to the shoreline than tit once was. With sea views and a visit from the fashionable Prince of Wales, Prince George (who would later become King George IV), the Old Ship built a great reputation. So much so that its ballroom later came to host the famous violinist, Niccolò Paganini — the ballroom has even been renamed in his honour.

But not everything that the current Old Ship hotel offers was built for the purpose of hospitality. Underneath the building is a series of tunnels from the beach, under the hotel, all the way into town and further. These tunnels were originally built for smuggling, but are now used as wine cellars and for private dining functions.

www.thecairncollection.co.uk/hotels/the-old-ship

The Royal Pavilion

The stunning architecture of this palace alone justifies its place on this list. This beautiful structure has served many different purposes throughout its life with many stories to tell. You can add your own personal story by exchanging vows in the beautiful King William IV room.

At the behest of Prince George, then Prince of Wales, architect Henry Holland was hired to transform this Brighton home into a villa, a design which was later furthered by to create the Royal Pavilion. This lavish, extravagant building adopts several different styles, primarily of Chinese and Asian origin, thus providing an extremely luxurious and unique location to tie the knot.
 
As was originally intended, the building hosted royalty and their social events and entertainment for many years. This came to an end when Queen Victoria chose to sell the Royal Pavilion to Brighton. Although the original interiors were initially removed with the palace being redecorated for use by the public, the Queen later returned many of these items to be reinstated at the palace.

Serving as the People’s Palace, the Royal Pavilion has been used for fetes, shows, balls, exhibitions, and even a hospital for Indian soldiers during the First World War. and more.

www.brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/weddings-hire/