Unusual Wedding Venues in Manchester
Epic Unusual Manchester City Centre wedding venues.
Manchester is one of my adopted cities, i moved here for University back in 2005 and never left for long. I live in Ancoats and love to shoot alternative couples looking for a more creative backdrop whether for the main wedding day event or an engagement shoot leading up to the big day. Here is a selection of some of my favourite venues to shoot in Manchester City Centre wedding venues and the surrounding area. Although some of these venues don’t host the ceremony they’re still unbelievable options for your reception.
FiveFour Studios
FiveFour studios in Salford, so technically not manchester(!), is a really quirky venue with so much potential. The unusual wedding venue is primarily a photography studio and can be hired out as a wedding venue for both ceremony and reception. The team there are extremely helpful and friendly, often working closely with inner city weddings to co-ordinate so that the day runs smoothly. I love shooting here, its a photographers playground with loads of industrial backdrops around the venue, a stones-throw away from Manchester city centre.
View my latest wedding gallery from FiveFour Studios
Gorilla
Gorilla is an epic venue, i’ve been going there since it opened in 2012, its effectively a bar and a gig space on the south side of Manchester city centre. As an unusual wedding venue it stands out from the crowd because of its fantastic proximity to some epic industrial city centre backdrops, its the perfect location for street style wedding photography.
View my latest wedding gallery from Gorilla
Lock 91
I’ve only shot here once and it was a fantastic surprise of an unusual manchester wedding venue, located at the end of Deansgate locks, this small 19th Century Lock Keeper’s cottage in the heart of Manchester’s city centre is a gem. Lock 91 is a small independent bar, they don’t do wedding packages, they will work with each of their couples to help achieve their individual ideas. The surrounding area has some fantastic locations for more alternative wedding photography styles.
View my latest Lock 91 wedding
Albert Hall
This Grade II listed Wesleyan chapel in Manchester City Centre is an epic piece of Manchester history (and erm…. the host of bongos bingo), i’ve been to see Explosions in the sky, Mac DeMarco & The Staves there. The guys behind Alberts Schloss resurrected this venue after 40 years of being left to decay, creating an unbelievable venue, which is also open to host wedding ceremonies and reception’s. The Albert Hall is not only an unusual manchester wedding venue, it is one of the most atmospheric buildings in the UK, in my opinion.
View my latest Albert Hall Wedding
Manchester Art Gallery
Surrounded by superb Victorian and contemporary surroundings, Manchester Art gallery is an unusual manchester wedding venue housed in an iconic grade 1 listed building, right in the middle of the city centre. Couples will often hire Manchester art gallery for the ceremony only, then moved on to a local bar or restaurant. For the wedding ceremony you can rent out the entire gallery, tying the knot amongst a broad collection that ranges from historic masterpieces to the latest design and fashion.
View my latest Manchester Art Gallery Wedding
Fairfield Social Club
This really was one of my favourite venues of all time, but sadly it’s no longer around, in its place is Escape to Freight Island, whom hopefully will reintroduce weddings into their new setup soon. The charm of Fairfield social club was the industrial chic surroundings and the plethora of textures to use as a backdrop for portraits.
See my all time favourite Fairfield social club wedding
Victoria Baths
This unusual manchester wedding venue is a photographers dream, think a Wes Anderson film crossed with an empty swimming pool. At Victoria Baths the couples can get super creative with their decorations in this Grade II listed building, where you can host both the ceremony and the reception across 5 of their different spaces, including three empty swimming pools or the Turkish Baths Rest Room with its amazing Angel of Purity stained glass window.
See my latest Victoria baths Manchester wedding.
Three Little Words
This absolute gem of a bar is new to the manchester wedding scene, the home of Manchester Gin, which they distill on site. The staff are incredible, they hold themselves to such an incredibly high standard and know pretty much everything there is to know about gins, cocktails and how to throw a good party. This unusual manchester wedding venue is tucked away in the arches, once inside it is glamorous, warm and fascinating as you skirt around their living wall, the 3 gin stills named after strong manchester women and get looked after by their incredible team.
See my latest wedding at three little words
