A new study has revealed the areas in the UK with the best vendors and venues for wedding ceremonies, with Essex being crowned top for both.
The research conducted by photo wall art creator StoryBoards analyzed data to identify the UK regions with the highest quantity of top-rated vendors and venues, including vineyards, cake companies, and stationary brands.
Most brides and grooms will agree that planning a wedding is stressful, as trying to pull off an event that feels unique to the couple while managing expectations, budget, and family can be difficult at times. Thankfully, beautiful venues exist to help make the whole process easier.
This is especially true in Essex, which was revealed as the number one place in the UK to get married, due to it having over 15.7k venues rated four stars and over. The data also found that Essex has the nation’s top-rated castle, country, and woodland-themed venues.
The second-best region to get married was revealed to be Surrey, with almost 9k highly rated venues. It also has the best Vineyard in the country – Denbies Wine Estate.
Kent was the third-best region for venues in the UK, with over 6.1k rated four stars and over. The city was also found to have the nation's second-best barn and castle-themed venues.
The fourth and fifth best states for venues were Gloucestershire and Hampshire – with Gloucestershire having 4.8k highly rated venues and Hampshire having over 4.4k.
Top ten regions in the UK for wedding venues
Rank | Region | Total number of 4 star + venues |
1 | Essex | 15,733 |
2 | Surrey | 8,955 |
3 | Kent | 6,119 |
4 | Gloucestershire | 4,874 |
5 | Hampshire | 4,445 |
6 | Berkshire | 4,422 |
7 | Cheshire | 3,359 |
8 | Buckinghamshire | 3,246 |
9 | Hertfordshire | 2,884 |
10 | West Yorkshire | 2,652 |
But it isn’t just finding a venue that proves stressful when planning a wedding, as finding reliable vendors to assist with things like flowers, meal options, and invitations is just as important.
The data also revealed that Essex has the highest number of wedding services rated four stars and up, with over 4k top-rated vendors. However, although it has the biggest variety of high-quality vendors, it wasn’t home to some of the nation’s top picks.
Kent was revealed as the second-best region for vendors, with over 3.5k rated at least four stars. The region is also home to the county's third–best cake service– which was revealed as All Shapes & Slices Cake Co.
The Berkshire region was found to be the third-best for vendors, with over 3.1k highly rated providers. It was found to have the highest-rated stationary service, Illustrated Invitation.
The fourth and fifth-best regions for vendors were Surrey and East Sussex. The data showed that Surrey had 2.7k vendors with high ratings, while East Sussex had 2.4k.
Top ten regions in the UK for wedding vendors
Rank | Region | Total number of 4 star + venues |
1 | Essex | 4,188 |
2 | Kent | 3,564 |
3 | Berkshire | 3,142 |
4 | Surrey | 2,779 |
5 | East Sussex | 2,442 |
6 | Bedfordshire | 2,231 |
7 | Hampshire | 2,194 |
8 | Hertfordshire | 2,078 |
9 | Buckinghamshire | 1,990 |
10 | Cheshire | 1,902 |
An expert from StoryBoards said: “Choosing the right services and venues for your wedding is crucial to make your special day unique and memorable for both you and your partner. It's important to research and find highly rated vendors in your preferred wedding destination.
“As Valentine's Day is approaching, many couples may get engaged and start planning their wedding. And those that do will be hoping to find their dream castle, picturesque barn, or romantic woodland to fulfil their fantasies - therefore knowing where to look is very important.
“When selecting vendors and venues, communicating your expectations is key. You also need to ensure you get all additional costs confirmed and in writing in a contract as soon as you can, to avoid any potential conflicts or disagreements in the future.”
* data taken from Hitched.
