What is the most popular type of wedding venue? We look at the range of wedding venue options for you to choose for your wedding day reception.

Most Popular Types of Wedding Venues

As a bride and groom, choosing a wedding venue is one of the more important decisions you'll have to make for your wedding reception. There are many factors to consider, from the venue's location to its size and what style of venue you'd like to hire.

Choosing the right venue is usually the place to start, with plenty of choices for you to consider and ultimately decide on. Ensuring it has everything you want is key since you only get one shot at your wedding (in theory).

Therefore, to help overwhelmed or indecisive couples, we've gathered a list of some of the most popular wedding venues for some wedding inspiration. 

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Read more about Planning Your Wedding in Essex and Suffolk

What Is The Most Popular Type Of Wedding Venue

Deciding What Kind Of Wedding To Have

Typical Length Of A Wedding Reception

How To Plan A Wedding Reception

What Makes A Wedding Venue Special

Whats A Good Budget For A Wedding

Wedding Venue in Essex on a Budget

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6 Most Popular Wedding Venue Types

Naturally, when it comes to your wedding venue, you'll want to do plenty of research and visit a few locations before booking one and planning your rehearsal dinner. All the while, think about your needs, your budget and what you envision for your big day.

But this is a lot to consider, and it can often be confusing working out exactly what you'll need and what venue style would suit the aesthetic you're going for. This shouldn't be too difficult for those who found their true love early in life and have been planning their wedding day since their first date.

But equally likely is that you haven't even thought about a venue until you got engaged. In either case, couples will likely be in different minds about what they want their wedding days to look like.

Ultimately, there's no "one-size-fits-all" answer. Different couples will want different things from their wedding venues, making it a very subjective decision. However, to help couples along, here is our list of the most popular wedding venues and the different wedding styles they suit best. 

Hotel Wedding Venues

Hotels are the ideal one-stop shop for all your glamorous destination wedding reception needs. Country hotels are often set in gorgeous surroundings with perfectly manicured gardens in charming venues.

The hotels themselves are also usually resplendent with luxurious decorations. But not only are they stunning to look at, but they are also fantastically practical wedding venues. Hotels have everything from ballrooms and event spaces to accommodation for your wedding guests.

You can also find hotels available for your specific wedding date. Most will also offer in-house catering with delicious food, which can tick another item off your wedding reception checklist. 

Hotels also come with an army of experienced staff who can help with any other venue worries you might have and ensure everything runs like clockwork on the big day. If any of the following points ring true for you, then you might want to consider having your wedding reception at a hotel venue:

1. You are a fan of traditional, glamorous decor for wedding receptions.
2. You'd like to have your catering overseen by a professional in-house team.
3. The ease of all-inclusive amenities and facilities sounds like the wedding venue of your dreams.
4. You'd like a place to stay in order to extend your wedding celebrations throughout the weekend, week or even longer.
5. You need to provide comfortable and convenient on-site accommodations for out-of-town guests.
6. You plan on having a really big wedding.
7. You've got your heart set on a luxurious reception. 

Country clubs or golf courses might be a suitable replacement for a hotel wedding, despite the lack of rooms for guests to stay in. Therefore, if there isn't a hotel nearby that suits your fancy, celebrating in a private club might be the next best thing.

They often provide similar services, such as in-house catering and majestic ballrooms and event spaces, and will almost definitely come with the glorious outdoor spaces that country hotels offer. 

Barn Wedding Venues

Barn wedding venues offer vast amounts of space for couples looking for a more rustic aesthetic for their wedding reception. With fantastic rolling hills and countryside views, newlyweds can enjoy a more relaxed vibe to the proceedings that barn venues offer.

Additionally, there are numerous types of barn venues to choose from, whether you want a historically restored or contemporary barn with modern amenities. If barns don't sound like your style, but you want some rustic charm, farms are a brilliant alternative for outdoor ceremonies. 

Despite all the wide open space these remote locations offer, farm or barn venues tend to lend themselves to more intimate weddings, with your family members and friends mingling together happily in a beautiful venue. You may enjoy a barn wedding if you fall into one of the following categories:

1. You love rustic decorations and are thinking of having shabby-chic wedding decor.
2. You enjoy being in the great outdoors, wandering far from the beaten path.
3. You're prepared to take measures against potential bad weather.
4. You're willing to hire additional amenities when required, such as portable bathroom trailers, heaters or fans to control the temperature. 

Modern Wedding Venues

So far, we've given you some options for both rustic and more glamorous wedding venues. This is because no two couples are the same, with some couples wanting more glitz than others. Your wedding reception is the place where you celebrate your love and display your personality, and modern wedding venues are possibly the best for showing off a unique array of styles.

When we say modern, we really mean city-based. Whether you want to hire out an art gallery, museum wedding venues or a refurbished industrial space, there are endless options for couples to choose from.

Modern wedding venues offer a little bit of edge to your reception, with plenty of decoration to bring a sense of celebration.This may be one of our more quirky options. Modern venues are probably best for couples who:

1. Love unusual decor, such as modernist furniture or live in a modern space, such as a converted loft or other industrial settings with exposed brick walls.
2. Prefer the city to the countryside.
3. Want more interesting architectural backdrops for your wedding photos than the traditional gardens and greenery.

Estate Wedding Venues

Historic estates provide a perfect location to celebrate your union. Like country hotels, these estates are usually set on beautiful grounds, offering grand surroundings and gardens, twinned with modern amenities and on-site facilities.

Estates once belonging to the landed gentry also usually come with fantastic decor, ballrooms for parties, and most banquet halls can accommodate weddings. You may even be able to find one that offers dedicated wedding packages.

Almost the exact opposite of our previous entry, estate wedding venues are best for couples who love history and want to capture a sense of it on their special day.

Estates are also more versatile than other venues, as they can provide beautiful outdoor and magnificent indoor spaces and bridal suites. Couples who might enjoy an estate wedding include those who:

1. Dream of having magnificent or luxurious surroundings and decor for their wedding reception.
2. You like the idea of a versatile venue that is a blank canvas for your plans, both indoors and outdoors.
3. You love historic locations and have an appreciation for history.
4. You want the comforts of having nearby amenities and facilities (toilets and rooms) with dramatic outdoor landscapes and stunning scenery. 

Back Garden Wedding Venues

If you want a truly unique wedding venue for your reception, somewhere that no one else will be able to use, why not try your own back garden? Hosting your reception at your own home is the best way to make everyone comfortable and create an intimate air while sharing memories with family and friends.

This is the perfect wedding venue for laid-back couples who don't want too much hassle. What better way to celebrate the bringing together of two lives than by toasting their happiness in the home they're going to share?

Let your friends and loved ones into your life and create a special moment you'll remember for the rest of your lives. And what better way to take the stress out of your wedding planning than by hosting your reception in a place you're already familiar with?

Couples who'd probably enjoy hosting their reception in their own home include:

1. Those who want to take a DIY approach to their big day. 
2. You want a more intimate and family-focused celebration.
3. You want a small wedding with a laid-back feel. 
4. You don't mind hiring an outside caterer or other amenities you might need, including gazebos or tents for the weather. 

Stately homes

Stately homes offer possibly the grandest style of wedding venue for newlywed couples. With plenty of antiques and traditional decor, this is another great location for history lovers out there. 

Again, most historic homes are located in rural areas with fantastic outdoor spaces and dramatic views for the perfect backdrops for your spectacular photos.Stately homes also offer couples the chance for a quintessentially English style for their wedding reception.

They have a charm and historic elegance you're unlikely to find anywhere else. Some even offer accommodation for you and your wedding party, making them another versatile dream wedding venue that brings glamour and luxury to your special day.

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We hope this article helped you find out more about popular wedding venues for your wedding reception. Are you planning a wedding in Suffolk or Essex? We offer a beautiful Tudor wedding venue located between Ipswich and Colchester.

Follow the link below to find out more about booking our wedding venue in Hadleigh, Essex.