The UK’s Best Beach Wedding Venues
Beach wedding venues bring something no marquee or manor house quite can – the sound of the sea as you say your vows. From secluded Cornish coves to a private mile-long beach on the Llŷn Peninsula, the UK’s coastline is full of spots built for exactly this kind of day.
We’ve pulled together 20 of the best beach wedding venues in the UK, spanning Devon and Cornwall through to Scotland and Wales, to help you find the right stretch of coast for your wedding.
Venue and supplier availability, pricing, and offerings are subject to change. Always confirm details directly with the venue before booking.
Tunnels Beaches, Devon
Made up of hand-carved tunnels leading down to a secluded private beach, Tunnels Beaches in Ilfracombe is one of the most searched-for beach wedding venues in the UK, and it’s easy to see why.
Say your vows beneath a thatched gazebo overlooking the sea, or move things indoors to the venue’s contemporary space built into the rock if the weather turns.
Afterwards, guests can kick off their shoes and walk straight onto the sand for photos.
Discover Tunnels Beaches on Bridebook
The Venue at Sandy Cove, Devon
Also in Ilfracombe but a very different feel to Tunnels Beaches, The Venue at Sandy Cove is a cliff-top hotel with its own private beach, reached via a woodland path down through the cliffside.
Couples can marry in the cliff-top gazebo with guests seated on the venue’s Sky Walk platform, or move inside to a contemporary space with glass bi-fold doors that open straight onto the sea view.
It’s exclusive use, sleeps up to 72 guests across 38 bedrooms, and has an on-site spa for the morning after.
Find out more about The Venue at Sandy Cove
Lusty Glaze Beach, Cornwall
Tucked into a horseshoe-shaped cove below the cliffs in Newquay, Lusty Glaze Beach is a genuinely barefoot wedding venue – golden sand, covered beach decking, and views over one of Cornwall’s best surf beaches.
It’s a relaxed, informal setting for couples who want the ceremony and the celebration to feel like an extension of the beach itself, rather than a room with a sea view.
Discover Lusty Glaze Beach on Bridebook
Polhawn Fort, Cornwall
For something more dramatic, Polhawn Fort is a Napoleonic-era clifftop fort near Torpoint with its own private access beach below.
It’s exclusive use only, so you and your guests have the whole site – fort, cove, and summer house – for the day.
Couples can marry inside the fort itself or in the more relaxed summer house overlooking the bay.
Find out more about Polhawn Fort
Budock Vean Hotel, Cornwall
Set in 65 acres of gardens running down to the Helford River near Falmouth, Budock Vean Hotel is a four-star country house hotel with a distinctly coastal feel.
It suits couples who want beach-adjacent views and grounds without giving up the comfort of a full-service hotel wedding, on-site accommodation included.
Discover Budock Vean Hotel on Bridebook
Hotel Tresanton, Cornwall
Hotel Tresanton in St Mawes is a harbourside wedding venue with a distinctly Mediterranean feel – arrive by the hotel’s classic Italian sailing yacht and take your ceremony on the sea view terrace.
All 30 rooms have sea views, making it a strong choice for couples planning a multi-day coastal celebration with guests staying on site.
Find out more about Hotel Tresanton
Ocean Kave, Devon
Hidden within 60 acres of protected coastline near Westward Ho!, Ocean Kave is an intimate, all-weather venue close to North Devon’s golden sands.
It’s a good option for couples who want genuine sea views without the exposure of an entirely open-air ceremony, with indoor space to fall back on if the coastal weather doesn’t cooperate.
Discover Ocean Kave on Bridebook
Waxham Barn, Norfolk
For something rustic rather than coastal-hotel, Waxham Barn is a fully licensed, dry-hire barn on Norfolk’s east coast, a five-minute walk from the sand at Waxham Beach.
Couples get the flint-walled, thatched-roof barn as a blank canvas – ceremony and reception under one roof, exclusive use, and no corkage if you bring your own drinks – with the beach itself as the natural spot for photos in between.
It suits couples who want to style the day themselves rather than take a set package, with dining capacity for up to 250 guests.
Find out more about Waxham Barn
Ocean, Devon
A contemporary wedding venue in Exmouth, Ocean is licensed for both indoor and outdoor ceremonies and has a top-floor terrace with sea views, plus easy access to Exmouth beach itself for photos.
Clevedon Hall, Somerset
Clevedon Hall is a different kind of beach-adjacent wedding venue – a grand, exclusive-use manor house near Bristol, with terraced gardens, a lake, and a gazebo for ceremonies, plus a short, romantic walk to both the beach and Clevedon’s Grade I listed pier.
It suits couples who want the option of the coast on their doorstep without building the whole day around it, with 25 bedrooms on site for guests staying over.
Find out more about Clevedon Hall
Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset
Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens offers a beach wedding with a twist – 30 acres of subtropical, award-winning gardens near Weymouth with sea views included.
It’s best suited to a summer wedding, and worth an outdoor contingency plan given the exposed coastal setting.
Discover Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens on Bridebook
Tournerbury Woods Estate, Hampshire
For something different from a classic seafront hotel, Tournerbury Woods Estate on Hayling Island pairs genuine coastal views with 50 acres of private woodland, in the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The waterfront lawn looks straight out across the harbour, while a Victorian gazebo and bright marquee give you covered options if the weather turns. It’s exclusive-use for the day, and camping is available on-site for guests keen to make a weekend of it.
Find out more about Tournerbury Woods Estate
Beach Hut Weddings, Kent
For an intimate, understated ceremony by the sea, Beach Hut Weddings on Herne Bay Pier specialises in small, sea-view weddings followed by a relaxed reception.
It’s a good option for couples prioritising an intimate guest list over a grand reception space.
Discover Beach Hut Weddings on Bridebook
Hythe Imperial Hotel, Kent
Overlooking the Kent coastline with direct beach access, Hythe Imperial Hotel offers seven licensed ceremony spaces, from the grand Imperial Ballroom to an outdoor gazebo.
On a clear day, the views stretch across the Channel towards France, making it one of the more dramatic sea views among UK beach wedding venues.
Find out more about Hythe Imperial Hotel
Glendower Hotel, Lancashire
For seafront promenades and golden sands further north, Glendower Hotel in Lytham sits right on the beachfront, surrounded by four championship golf courses.
Discover more about Glendower Hotel on Bridebook
Crear Weddings, Scotland
On Scotland’s west coast, Crear Weddings is an exclusive-use venue with its own sandy beach and uninterrupted views across the Isles of Islay, Jura, and Gigha.
It’s understated rather than showy, and suits couples wanting a genuinely private stretch of coastline for the whole celebration.
Find out more about Crear Weddings
The Loch Leven Hotel, Scotland
Not every beach wedding needs sand. The Loch Leven Hotel near Fort William trades a coastline for loch and mountain views in the West Highlands, for couples who want water views with a wilder, more dramatic backdrop.
Discover the Loch Leven Hotel on Bridebook
Talla na Mara, Scotland
On the Isle of Harris, Talla na Mara sits beside genuinely white sand beaches and clear water that could pass for somewhere considerably further south.
Couples can marry on an untouched beach nearby or hold a more traditional ceremony inside the venue’s modern building overlooking the sea.
Find out more about Talla na Mara
Voco St David’s, Wales
For a beach-themed wedding without the sand, Voco St David’s Hotel offers panoramic views across Cardiff Bay from a glass-fronted, five-star setting in the city itself.
Discover Voco St David’s on Bridebook
Nant Gwrtheyrn, Wales
On the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula, Nant Gwrtheyrn is a restored Victorian quarry village with its own private mile-long beach overlooking Porthdinllaen Bay.
The venue hosts only one wedding at a time, with a choice of an on-site chapel or civil ceremony rooms with sea or mountain views, plus accommodation for guests in the former quarrymen’s cottages.
Find out more about Nant Gwrtheryn
Planning a beach wedding in the UK: what to know
Can you actually get married on the beach itself?
In England and Wales, current law still requires civil ceremonies to take place within the grounds of an approved, licensed venue – since April 2022, that can include an outdoor space like a beach, but only where the beach forms part of the licensed premises, not an open public beach.
This is one reason most of the venues above pair a private or exclusive-access beach with a licensed indoor space as backup. A government consultation launched in July 2026 is looking at loosening these rules further, which could eventually open up open public beaches too, though nothing has changed yet.
Book early, and check the tide.
Exclusive-use coastal venues, especially ones with a private beach, tend to book up furthest in advance for peak summer Saturdays.
If your ceremony spot is tidal, ask the venue for a tide chart alongside their availability calendar – a beach that looks perfect in the venue’s photos can disappear entirely at high tide.
Have a plan B.
UK beach weddings are, understandably, weather-dependent. Every venue on this list pairs its outdoor space with an indoor or covered alternative, so ask what that looks like before booking rather than after.
Whichever stretch of coast you’re drawn to, you can search beach wedding venues near you on Bridebook, or browse the full range of UK wedding venues to compare against inland options.
Frequently asked questions
Can you legally get married on a beach in the UK?
Not on an open public beach in England or Wales, at least not yet. Outdoor ceremonies have been legal since 2022, but only within the grounds of a licensed venue, which is why most beach wedding venues combine a private beach with an indoor ceremony room.
A 2026 government consultation is examining a wider reform that could eventually allow ceremonies on any approved outdoor site, including public beaches, but this hasn’t been legislated.
How much does a beach wedding venue cost in the UK?
Bridebook’s UK Wedding Report puts the average UK wedding cost at £20,604, and exclusive-use or private-beach venues often sit towards the upper end of that range, largely due to accommodation and full-site hire.
Costs vary significantly by venue, season, and guest count, so always confirm current pricing directly with the venue.
What’s the best time of year for a UK beach wedding?
Late spring through early autumn gives you the best odds of good weather for an outdoor coastal ceremony, though several venues on this list, such as Nant Gwrtheyrn and Ocean Kave, offer indoor ceremony spaces that work well year-round.
Which part of the UK has the most beach wedding venues?
Cornwall and Devon between them have the largest concentration of dedicated beach wedding venues in the UK, thanks to their coastline of private coves and clifftop sites, though Scotland and Wales both have standout options for couples wanting somewhere more remote.
Do I need a permit for a beach wedding in the UK?
If you’re marrying at a licensed beach wedding venue, the venue’s own licence covers the ceremony, so you won’t need a separate permit.
You’ll still need to give notice at your local register office in the usual way before the wedding.
Bridebook is the world’s #1 wedding planning platform, used by over 2.8 million couples. Our content is informed by real data from the Bridebook UK Wedding Report, which draws on responses from thousands of couples planning their weddings each year. Where expert input is included, contributors are named and their credentials verified. We update our articles regularly to ensure prices, statistics, and advice reflect current market conditions.
Last reviewed: July 2026
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