Planning your wedding in East Sussex

Famed for Beachy Head, Brighton Pier and the Battle of Hastings, East Sussex has many physical landmarks including the South Downs and the Weald. Perfect for beach weddings and with an abundance of stunning country houses and barns on offer, East Sussex is a great choice to hold your wedding. Follow our guide below for tips from where to begin all the way through to those small little extras to add a little bit of sparkle.

Where to start?

1 You can't get far without first working out your wedding budget. Try and get a rough idea of what you can afford. Put this number into our handy, free budget calculator to get a guide on how this might be split.

2 Now that you're all set with your budget, it's time to get an idea of the guest numbers. You may need to go back and revisit your budget depending on numbers. Our free guest tracker in the planning tools section will help you store all names and details.

3 Next, it's time to find your dream venue. There's plenty of choice across East Sussex. From beautiful beaches to iconic mansion houses there's something for everyone. You may need to book a separate venue for the ceremony.

4 Finding the dream wedding dress can take a while and there's no need to feel rushed. Check out our wedding dress section to browse 1000s of designers and styles. Get an idea for what you like and then see which boutiques near you stock the designs you like.

East Sussex wedding venues

Blanch House

East Sussex | 40 capacity

We are Brighton’s original townhouse hotel comprised of 12 uniquely d...

£85 - £119 per head

Ashdown Park Hotel & Cou...

East Sussex | 150 capacity

Set in 186 acres of landscaped Sussex countryside, Ashdown Park Hotel is su...

£4,000 - £8,000 total

Hop Farm

The Hop Farm is a unique and beautiful barn wedding venue in the heart of t...

£6,500 - £8,500 total

We even have ground floor garden rooms that accommodate dogs so wedding guests don’t have to leave their four legged friends at home!
Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club

Wedding dress stockists

Lucy Martin Bridal

We create simple, contemporary wedding dresses for modern brides. Choose fr...

£1,100 - £2,500 per item

Claire Pettibone

With flowing silhouettes, delicately embellished backs and an elegant bohem...

£1,500 - £7,500 per head

Minna

Beautiful vintage inspired bridal dresses and accessories made from sustain...

£650 - £1,400 per item

Naomi Neoh

Naomi Neoh creates elegant and modern bridal gowns, which are often recogni...

£1,995 - £3,000 per head

Real weddings in East Sussex

Coastal Wedding At The Gallivant

Hattie and Ollie's Beautiful Sussex Countryside We...

First things you need to do when planning a wedding

Free planning tools

5 Now that you've booked your venue it's time to find your other suppliers. We recommend starting with local, East Sussex-based photographers. They might be a bit pricier than you'd expect but they're well worth it!

6 If food and drink is not in the venue package and this is something you need to source separately then it's worth getting your catering sorted. Plus, you get to enjoy all the tasting. Fortunately, East Sussex has plenty of great culinary options for you to choose from.

7 So you know the date of your East Sussex wedding! It's time to send save the dates to all your guests. If you're sending physical save the dates then check out our fantastic stationery section for some great suppliers and designs.

8 Entertainment! Want to have the ultimate party? 82% of our couples say they are most looking forward to the band and the dancing at the wedding. This is often the most memorable part of the wedding for your guests and there are plenty of great musicians across Sussex.

Photographers

Ewan Shears Photography ...

London Wedding Photography - also covering the UK

£895 - £1,495 total

Two Bears Photography

We are a photography team who love to travel and document those precious mo...

£800 - £2,000 total

Victoria Green Photograp...

Hello, I'm Victoria and I offer natural storytelling photography - capturin...

£750 - £2,650 total

Getting married and still want to feel like you? Don't want to wear makeup and hair which lacks personality? I create wearable trend inspired hairstyles and makeup for weddings and other special occasions.
Miss

Hair & make up artists

Emma Olliff Hair & Makeu...

Professionally Trained Cruelty Free Hair and Makeup Artist covering Sussex,...

£25 - £180 per head

- Louise Huddart Wedding Hair & Makeup Specialist

Louise Huddart Wedding H...

Louise is a professional Hair & Makeup artist. Highly experienced in Weddi...

£50 - £250 per head

Miss

Whether you want romantic wispy plaits, textured bohemian braids or a moder...

£45 - £100 per head

9 East Sussex has an abundance of fantastic local florists. Can you get them to incorporate some locally grown violets of the valley in the flower arrangements? It's always fun to include something that's sourced nearby.

10 Hair and makeup just for the bride or your bridesmaids too? Get your trial booked in so you've got an idea of the whole look on the big day. Hair and makeup artists are usually willing to travel so may worth looking at suppliers in Kent or West Sussex too.

11 Lots of yummy cake makers in East Sussex and just like the catering before, this is your chance to get stuck in with the tastings. Find a local Sussex-based supplier to ensure your cake doesn't have to travel too far.

12 While we've only picked a handful of supplier categories above, we recommend you use our checklist planning tool to make sure you have everything ticked off. Remember, you'll also need to look at attire for the groom, groomsmen and bridesmaids along with Venue styling decor and favours.

Music

Lucia D'Avanzo-Lewis

Whether it be a string quartet, solo violin, trumpet with string trio or an...

£100 - £600 total

The Wolftone Two

The Wolftone Two are a professional jazz/swing duo from Brighton - think Po...

£150 - £600 total

Passion with Strings

A young experienced chamber group performing classical, popular, film and j...

£200 - £600 total

Heather Wrighton Harpist...

Heather is a highly experienced professional wedding harpist who is in grea...

£250 - £550 total

Flowers

Mal's Bespoke Bouquets

All our bridal flowers are made bespoke to the bride we also have a large a...

£40 - £400 per item

Supplier tip

Let your venue influence your florals. Try and opt for arrangements that look like they belong in that setting.

Cakes

Cakey Bakey

Cakey Bakey is a Wedding Cake Company in the heart of Sussex.It is run by P...

£200.00 - £0.00 per head

The White Rose Cake Comp...

Beautiful Bespoke Wedding Cakes

£215 - £2,000 per item

The Treat Truck

Welcome aboard The Treat Truck. We have carefully and playfully designe...

£5 - £15 per head

For a further breakdown of local suppliers, we suggest that you search for venues and suppliers in the following regions:

Brighton, Lewes, Seaford, Horam, Polegate, Hove, Bexhill-on-Sea, Alfriston, Laughton, Eastbourne, Uckfield, Buxted, Hailsham, Little Horsted, Battle, Rye, Rodmell, Framfield, Pevensey

Nearby wedding locations

Weddings in Kent Weddings in London Weddings in Surrey Weddings in West Sussex