April 2025
10 Alternative Manchester Wedding Venues.
Planning a wedding in Manchester but craving something a little different from the traditional hotel ballroom or stately home? You’re in luck! Manchester is bursting with unique and unconventional venues that offer charm, character and serious wow factor.
Whether you’re dreaming of an industrial-chic warehouse, a quirky art gallery, or a cozy botanical hideaway, this city has it all.
In this post, I’ll take you through 10 of the most exciting alternative wedding venues Manchester has to offer - perfect for couples looking to make their big day truly unforgettable.
Victoria Baths
Photo credit: Steve Bridgwood Photography
A one-of-a-kind Grade II* listed Edwardian gem, first opened in 1906 and celebrated as Britain’s finest historic swimming pool. Its breathtaking Art Nouveau interiors, ornate green tiles, stained glass windows, and intricate ironwork create a stunning backdrop for your wedding. With a variety of unique spaces to choose from, it’s a venue filled with history, elegance, and an undeniable sense of occasion.
What couples will love: the baths have appeared in a number of films and TV shows, including Peaky Blinders, Cold Feet, It’s a Sin and Life on Mars.
Capacity: up to 500 guests (depending on which space you choose)
Fivefourstudios
Photo credit: Damian Brandon
A stylish, industrial-chic wedding venue in Salford, perfect for couples looking for a modern and creative space. Originally a photography studio, it offers three versatile areas - the light-filled Studio, the intimate Gallery bar, and the chic Loft. With its exposed brick, polished concrete floors, and stunning natural light, it’s an ideal choice for an exclusive, city-chic celebration.
What couples will love: provides a blank canvas for unique wedding styling.
Capacity: up to 240 guests
Victoria Warehouse
An exposed-brick urban warehouse setting with plenty of character. A venue in the heart of Manchester (a stone's throw from Old Trafford for the United fans), housed in a historic 1920’s cotton warehouse with high ceilings and a dramatic, moody atmosphere. With its vast open spaces and flexible setup, Victoria Warehouse is a great choice for couples who want a festival-style wedding with food trucks, live music and immersive experiences.
What couples will love: Has a cool, underground feel. One for the music lovers.
Capacity: 50 - 750 guests (also doubles as a live music venue)
The Black Friar
Photo credit: Jack Kirwin Photography
The Black Friar isn’t just one of my favourite pubs in the city, it’s also a hidden gem for couples looking for a wedding venue with character, charm and seriously good food (try the pies!) This beautifully restored, 19th-century pub blends historic charm with modern elegance and offers a choice of spaces including the cozy Pub, the light-filled Glass Room and the garden Tavern. The Black Friar can cater to everything from intimate celebrations to lively receptions.
What couples will love: Their menus showcase the best of British cuisine, paired with craft beers, fine wines and cracking cocktails - one for the foodies!
Capacity: 2 - 250 (ranging from private dining to full hire)
The Deaf Institute
Photo credit: Mike Plunkett Photography
The Deaf Institute is a beautiful, three-floor live music venue in the centre of Manchester, dating back to 1878. Definitely one for the music lovers… a magnificent disco ball, wall of speakers, iconic vintage decor and a raised stage means it’s fitted with everything you need to pull off the ultimate wedding party.
What couples will love: Pretty cool to say “we got married in a rock club / rave venue / nightclub”. The likes of HAIM, Florence and the Machine, The 1975 and Johnny Marr have all performed there.
Capacity: 20 - 200 guests
Three Little Words & The Spirit of Manchester Distillery
Photo credit: Gail Secker
An award winning cocktail bar and distillery, set in beautifully restored Grade II* listed arches in Manchester city centre… does it get much cooler than that?! A stylish, modern setting with a relaxed vibe, ideal for smaller, more personal ceremonies or receptions. Alongside expert mixologists offering unique twists on classic cocktails, the food offering comes from Japanese kitchen Etana, serving contemporary dishes in the casual ‘izakaya’ style. Think buttermilk chicken, salmon sashimi and wagyu tataki!
What couples will love: Extra special touches can include the use of the venue's beautiful natural living wall, or Manchester Gin bottles for use in flower arrangements.
Capacity: Up to 200 guests
Salford Lads & Girls Club
Photo credit: Kate McCarthy Photography
A truly iconic Manchester venue steeped in heritage, history and music folklore (including the sleeve of The Smiths album The Queen Is Dead) that got its marriage license in 2021. Inside you’ll find four rooms available to hire, including ‘The Smiths Room’ (up to 28 guests) with the walls covered in pictures, posters and messages from The Smiths and Morrissey fans all over the world, and ‘The Concert Hall’ (up to 100 guests) for a larger party with a really cool Northern vibe.
What couples will love: Prices start from £1,250!
Capacity: 20 - 100 guests
Hope Mill Theatre
Photo credit: Kate McCarthy Photography
An industrial, chic, grade II listed textile factory turned award-winning theatre, situated in the uber-trendy Ancoats area of Manchester, surrounded by old mills, factories and canal networks. Inside, think exposed brick, high ceilings, blacked out walls, rigged spotlights and vintage furniture. It’s old meets new and the ideal raw interior for couples to add their own unique splash (disco balls and hanging installations of colour work really well against the black backdrop). The space is ideal for more intimate services, seating 70 guests comfortably. It’s also one of Manchester’s leading LGBTQIA+ venues.
What couples will love: Don’t hang about… they only hold eight weddings a year, meaning each wedding feels totally unique. Like my celebrant ceremonies, there’s no cookie-cutter template here!
Capacity: Up to 200 guests
Albert Hall
Photo credit: Kate McCarthy Photography
For a show-stopping wedding, Deansgate’s iconic Grade II listed building comes up top trumps. The chapel-come-entertainment-venue first opened its doors to weddings in 2013, and has been creating dramatic wedding occasions ever since. Huge stained-glass windows and ornate vestibules ensure an atmospheric occasion, whilst in-house entertainment teams, resident DJ’s and meals provided by Alberts Schloss or the artisan basement bakery ensure you want for nothing.
What couples will love: Prices start from £1,250!
Capacity: 20 - 100 guests
Owen House Wedding Barn
Photo credit: Kate McCarthy Photography
I might be biased (as this is where I was lucky enough to get married in 2023) and this definitely falls into the more traditional wedding venue category, but I couldn’t not include it within this list. Just over 30 minutes in the car from Manchester city centre, nestled within the beautiful Cheshire countryside, Owen House (in my opinion) totally nails ‘barn wedding’. The barn sits in the heart of a working family farm with amazing grounds full of hidden spots ideal for portraits (including a private shooting gallery that only the couple & their photographer get to experience). It has a rustic and relaxed vibe and the team works tirelessly to make sure everything is perfect. The barn is enough of a blank canvas to add your own twist - I had the fabulous Mariel Osborn dress it with her sparkles - see more images here.
What couples will love: There’s a range of beautiful farm-building bedrooms, meaning up to 45 of you can stay on-site (we went to sleep at 3am 😉)
Capacity: Up to 190 guests
There are SO many incredible, alternative wedding venues in and around Manchester, I could go on all day. But these are a few of my absolute favourites.
Enjoy!
Love Hayley 💞