12 Quirky & Unusual Wedding Venues in Manchester
Church weddings aren’t for everyone; neither are wedding barns. But living in Manchester means you have your pick of some of the country’s best quirky, unusual, alternative wedding venues. Manchester has changed a lot in the last few decades, but it’s still home to wonderful historic buildings that you can now get married in, from old mills to libraries and museums. There are also more modern funky wedding venues; Manchester theatres, nightclubs and even street food venues all have licenses to host weddings in this fabulous city.
If you’re planning an urban, non-traditional, industrial-style, LGBTQ+, vintage or quirky wedding, look no further. Here’s our pick of the best informal wedding venues in Manchester for all couples.
1. Victoria Baths
First on our list of alternative wedding venues in Manchester is the Grade II-listed Victoria Baths. Situated just outside of the city centre, this Edwardian building is now an events and wedding venue with some wonderfully quirky features, including original tiles and a stunning stained glass window.
Get married in one of the 3 former poolhalls, which look beautiful adorned with strings of celebratory bunting for an informal, vintage feel. And like all the best quirky wedding venues in Manchester, Victoria Baths welcomes dogs, so your four-legged friends can be part of your special day.
2. Salford Lads Club
Immortalised by The Smiths on the album cover for The Queen is Dead in 1986, Salford Lads Club is now one of the best informal wedding venues Manchester (well, Salford – Orsdall, to be precise) has on offer.
There are four different ceremony spaces to choose from inside, accommodating up to 100 guests. You can also host your reception here, and of course there’ll be the opportunity to have your wedding photos taken in front of that iconic green door.
3. HOME
Since it opened in 2015, HOME has fast become one of the city’s best-loved cultural spaces, and it’s earned itself a spot as one of the best alternative wedding venues in Manchester. Located just off Oxford Road, the venue can host weddings of up to 99 people, with space for your ceremony and reception. Just think how lovely it’ll feel to be reminded of your special day every time you pop into the cinema or theatre in the future!
4. The Portico Library
Tucked away in the heart of the city centre, The Portico Library is a booklover’s dream and one of the north-west’s best informal wedding venues. Manchester couples can get wed surrounded by book-lined walls beneath the building’s stunning dome. Built in the early 19th century, The Portico Library is one of Manchester’s best hidden gems, so be sure to check it out for weddings of up to 30 guests.
5. Science & Industry Museum
If you’re looking for seriously cool wedding venues, Manchester’s Science & Industry Museum needs to be on your shortlist. Get hitched inside the world’s first railway warehouse, the ultimate venue for an industrial-style wedding. With enough space for 150 ceremony guests and up to 300 people in the evening, the museum is one of the city’s best unusual wedding venues for a larger celebration.
6. GRUB MCR
GRUB MCR might be most well known as a street food venue, but it’s also a brilliantly quirky events space and one of the best alternative wedding venues in Manchester. Situated at the Red Bank Project, five minutes from Manchester Victoria station, GRUB is a brilliantly flexible venue that you can put your own stamp on for a wedding that truly reflects your style as a couple. From micro weddings of 20 to big celebrations for up to 450 people, GRUB can accommodate it all.
7. Manchester Monastery
Also known as Gorton Monastery, Manchester Monastery is a Grade II-listed Gothic wedding venue on the outskirts of the city. If you’ve always dreamed of a fairytale-style day, the Monastery provides the perfect backdrop, but it’s something a little bit different to the standard church or castle. Wow your guests with the breathtaking architecture of one of the coolest wedding venues Manchester has to offer.
8. The Savoy Cinema
The Savoy Cinema in Heaton Moor, Stockport is an Art Deco cinema that’s been lovingly restored and now offers weddings, alongside showing the latest silver screen releases. Film-loving couples can get married in front of the big screen while their loved ones watch from the plush velvet cinema seats.
The Savoy has earned its spot among the most funky wedding venues in Manchester thanks to the quirky extras it offers couples, including optional popcorn for wedding guests and the chance to have a bespoke wedding ‘film poster’ displayed outside the venue to let everyone know what’s top billing!
9. The Deaf Institute
The Deaf Institute, just off Oxford Road, was built in 1878 and is licensed to host ceremonies, so you don’t need to find separate venues for daytime and evening. Instead, you can host one big party under the venue’s iconic mirror ball; The Deaf Institute regularly hosts club nights, so there’s plenty of space for your guests to dance all night long.
10. Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
Next up on our pick of unusual wedding venues, Manchester author Elizabeth Gaskell lends us her former home, a gorgeous Victorian house to the south of the city centre. Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is the perfect venue for smaller weddings, accommodating up to 34 guests (plus the happy couple).
Have an intimate ceremony in the cosy study or get married in the beautifully restored drawing room, complete with grand piano. There’s also a lovely garden for spring and summer weddings, as well as space to host your wedding breakfast or an informal reception in the basement servants’ hall.
11. Hope Mill Theatre
Hope Mill Theatre, in the historic Ancoats area of the city, is an former industrial mill building that’s been transformed into a gorgeous events space. It only has the capacity to host 8 weddings a year, making it one of the most exclusive cool wedding venues Manchester couples can choose from. Hope Mill Theatre prides itself on being gender-friendly and works with all couples to create a day that’s perfect for them.
12. Stockport Plaza
Over in nearby Stockport, the dazzling lights of the iconic art deco Stockport Plaza are unmissable. Inside, you can get married amid the stunning 1930s-style interior of the venue’s cafe, or even on the auditorium’s stage, if you so wish. One of the fabulous features that firmly places the Plaza on our list of funky wedding venues in Manchester is that you’ll get the chance to see your names in lights outside the venue on your wedding day – how cool is that?!
13. Manchester Art Gallery
Like the sound of getting married surrounded by iconic works of art in the heart of the city centre? Manchester Art Gallery is one of the best alternative wedding venues in Manchester, with a choice of spaces and countless stunning photo opportunities for your special day. The gallery welcomes all couples for weddings and civil ceremonies, including your reception, if required. Say your vows, then dance the night away amid the venue’s stunning art collection.
14. Victoria Warehouse
When it comes to funky wedding venues, Manchester has no shortage, but the best type of space for your wedding may be a blank canvas that you can put your own stamp on, and that’s exactly what Victoria Warehouse offers. Situated on the edge of the city, Victoria Warehouse served Manchester from the 1920s onwards, and was transformed into a gig and events venue in 2012. With striking pillars, an atmospheric cellar, and plenty of space for all your guests, bring your own style to this warehouse oozing with industrial character.
15. The Lowry
Over at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, a short Metrolink ride outside of the city centre, you’ll find The Lowry, an impressive venue home to a theatre, art gallery, and one of the North West’s best informal wedding venues. Manchester’s extensive L.S. Lowry collection is housed here, with the building itself dating from 2000. It’s spacious, quirky, and has gorgeous views across the quays, providing a beautiful backdrop to your nuptials.
Looking for Unique Wedding Rings?
Once you’ve secured the venue, you’ll need the rings (and a few other things too, but it’s the rings we can help with!). At Hill & Hill The Jewellers, you can find or design your perfect wedding rings. Choose from unique vintage jewellery, beautiful pieces from on-trend designers, or work with our in-house jewellery designers to create your dream bespoke rings.
Visit our shop in Altrincham, south Manchester to view our collection, or get in touch to book a consultation today.
