10 Unique Wedding Venues in Cheshire
Cheshire weddings aren’t just about stately homes or quaint churches. Look a little deeper, and you’ll actually find that the county is home to some of the UK’s best alternative wedding venues. Cheshire couples can in fact get married anywhere from former textile mills to zoological gardens and even in a secretive radar station. So if you’re looking for something a little bit different for your special day, here’s our pick of the best unusual wedding venues in Cheshire.
1. Jodrell Bank
Always been fascinated by space? Imagine getting married surrounded by the stars, before posing for your wedding photos in front of the Lovell Telescope. Well, that could be your reality if you host your big day at the Jodrell Bank, one of the most quirky wedding venues Cheshire couples can choose from. Ceremonies take place in the mesmerising Space Dome, with a choice of reception spaces for the rest of your special day, and so many unique photo opportunities. This really would be a wedding like no other.
Address: Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement, Bomish Lane, Cheshire, Macclesfield, SK11 9DW
2. Cheshire Woodland Weddings, Sandiway
Cheshire Woodland Weddings is a fabulous company providing beautiful outdoor wedding ceremonies and celebrations amid the stunning Cheshire woodland. Located in Sandiway, close to Nantwich, this gorgeous natural woodland is one of the north-west’s best alternative wedding venues. Cheshire Woodland Weddings offers wooded and waterside settings for your nuptials, as well as a covered barn; you can even have birds of prey at your special day, and there’s even on-site glamping for your guests.
Address: Cheshire Woodland Weddings, Cheshire Outdoors, Sandiway, Northwich, CW8 2EB
3. Quarry Bank Mill, Styal
Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, close to Wilmslow, Cheshire, is a former cotton mill dating from 1784 that’s now owned by the National Trust. With sweeping grounds, beautiful gardens and fascinating industrial history, Quarry Bank Mill is one of Manchester and Cheshire’s most unique wedding venues. The grounds, original cobbles and the River Bollin, which runs through the site and once powered the mill, provide stunning photo opportunities, and you can toast your nuptials with drinks in the formal gardens. Feel as though you’ve stepped back in time on your wedding day, or as though you’re the happy couple in the most romantic period drama.
Address: Quarry Bank Mill, Styal Road, Styal, Wilmslow, SK9 4HP
4. Chester Zoo
For animal-loving couples, getting married at Chester Zoo will feel like a dream come true. The zoo’s Grade II-listed buildings, The Square and The Oakfield, are some of the most unique wedding venues Cheshire couples can choose from, surrounded by Chester’s zoological gardens, home to elephants, lions, tigers, giraffes, penguins, and more. With so many extraordinary photo opportunities for you and your guests, a wedding at Chester Zoo is a wedding like no other.
Address: Chester Zoo, Chester, CH2 1LE
5. Storyhouse, Chester
Storyhouse is a unique arts and community space in the heart of Chester city centre, home to a cinema, theatre, library, and bar and restaurant. It’s also one of the best unique wedding venues in Cheshire, with a choice of spaces for your ceremony and reception – you can even say your vows on the stage, while your guests watch from the stalls. Serve drinks to your guests against the backdrop of the twinkling Chester skyline, and host your reception in the spacious theatre.
Address: Storyhouse, Hunter Street, Chester, CH1 2AR
6. Lyceum Theatre, Crewe
The Lyceum Theatre is one of Crewe’s best attractions, and it’s a truly stunning building for your big day. If you often visit the theatre for date nights or simply like the idea of getting married onstage – complete with smoke machine and red velvet curtain for extra dramatic effect – then the Lyceum should definitely be on your shortlist of alternative wedding venues. Cheshire theatre lovers have been visiting the Crewe Lyceum since the 1880s, with the current building dating from 1912, so this is a venue steeped in history and packed with character.
Address: Lyceum Theatre, Heath Street, Crewe, CW1 2DA
7. Clonter Opera Theatre, Congleton
Next on our list of quirky wedding venues in Cheshire is another theatre; this time, Clonter Opera Theatre in Congleton. This unique venue is nestled amid beautiful countryside, and regularly hosts concerts and opera performances – and weddings. Couples can get married on the stage, and can even use the set of the current production as the backdrop to their vows; you could find yourselves getting married in the rolling Italian hills or amid the ruins of an ancient castle. Enjoy evening entertainment and food catered on-site at this little-known venue that’s one of the Cheshire wedding scene’s gems.
Address: Clonter Theatre, Swettenham Heath, Trap Road, Congleton, CW12 2LR
8. Heaton House Farm, Macclesfield
Heaton House Farm is extremely popular with couples from across the North West looking for alternative wedding venues. Cheshire has no shortage of ‘wedding barns’, but Heaton House Farm is part of a real working farm, giving it a unique charm all of its own. Choose from indoor or outdoor ceremony spaces that can accommodate up to 350 guests – there’s also space for over 30 overnight guests, so your whole wedding party can stay on-site with you. Whatever your vision for your special day, the venue is a blank canvas for you to put your own unique stamp on – no matter how alternative that may be!
Address: Heaton House Farm, Meerbrook Road, Rushton Spencer, Macclesfield, SK11 0RD
9. Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, Nantwich
When it comes to unusual wedding venues, Cheshire is home to one of the UK’s most unusual of all: a secret nuclear bunker. While perhaps not so secret these days, Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, close to Nantwich, was kept a secret for over 50 years. First established in 1941 as a fixed radar station, the site has had multiple important roles over the years, and is now a popular museum, home to some fascinating features and equipment. The venue regularly hosts parties and even ghost hunts, and couples have celebrated their weddings here too.
Address: Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, French Lane, Nantwich, CW5 8BL
10. The Vicarage, Cranage
Last but not least on our list of unique wedding venues in Cheshire is The Vicarage in Cranage, a charming village close to Holmes Chapel. Choose from stunning spaces like the Games Room or Library for your vows, and hold your reception on-site too. The Vicarage is known for its excellent food, so if you’re big foodies, you can be sure everyone will eat well on the day. And if you like the idea of an evening ceremony, The Vicarage offers twilight weddings for something a little bit different.
Address: The Vicarage, Knutsford Road, Cranage, Cheshire, CW4 8EF
Unique & Bespoke Wedding Rings for Cheshire Couples
When you’ve narrowed down your shortlist of alternative wedding venues in Cheshire, you’ll need to start thinking about what you’ll wear, the menu, entertainment, and of course your wedding rings too. If you want your quirky, unique personality reflected in every aspect of your day, Hill & Hill The Jewellers can help you to find rings that feel like you. Whether you love vintage jewellery or want to design your own alternative, bespoke rings, visit our shop in Altrincham, Manchester, just outside of Cheshire, to view our hand-picked selection of beautiful wedding jewellery. Get in touch to book your consultation today.
