Planning your wedding in Essex

One of the most varied counties in the country in terms of scenery, Essex has the luxury of being able to offer beautiful, coastal views alongside cool and quirky towns. Combine this with vast, stunning countryside, an extensive history and the fact that it's only a short hop, skip and a jump from London, it's easy to see why this is such an attractive county for a wedding. If you're getting married in Essex or are considering it then let our guide below help you with your planning. recommendations, tips and advice from local suppliers and some local, real wedding inspiration.

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 serious variety on offer in Essex. From romantic castles to rustic barns there's something for everyone. Note, 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.

Essex wedding venues

Hedingham Castle

Essex | 150 capacity

Hedingham Castle is one of the most versatile and romantic wedding venues in E...

£3,950 - £7,950 total

The Coach House Marks Ha...

The Coach House is a beautiful old traditional building originally used to hou...

£2,850 - £5,100 total

Leez Priory

Essex | 110 capacity

Leez Priory is a magnificent Tudor mansion and is one of the most sought after...

£106 - £106 per head

That Amazing Place

Essex | 150 capacity

An exclusive use 15th Century Country Manor House set in stunning surrounds an...

£6,045 - £9,900 total

Look for bridal boutiques that are members of the Retail Bridalwear Association, which means you can buy from them with the confidence that your gown is underwritten by their Brides’ Protection Scheme.
Belissima Weddings

Wedding dress stockists

Martels Bridal Boutique

Martels Bridal Boutique offers beautiful designer dresses as well as discounte...

£200 - £1,500 per item

Bellissima Weddings

At Bellissima Weddings, we pride ourselves on offering the very best in bridal...

£250 - £2,500 per item

Precious Moments Bridal ...

At Precious Moments Bridalwear you will find exclusive and affordable collecti...

£299 - £2,500 per item

Bridal Re-Dress

The best wedding dress shop in Essex for value, choice and quality of wedding ...

£200 - £3,000 per item

Real weddings in Essex

Maven & Richard | Gosfield Hall Wedding

Chloe and Ross's Powder Blue Wedding at The Compas...

10 Dreamy Essex Wedding Venues You Need to Know Ab...

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, Essex 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, Essex has plenty of great catering suppliers and there's even more choice in nearby London.

7 So you know the date of your fabulous, Essex 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! Are you have a band or DJ? 82% of our couples say they are most looking forward to the party part of the wedding. This is often the most memorable part of the wedding for your guests. Again, due to it's location, Essex is inundated with a plethora of incredible wedding bands and DJs.

Photographers

Ashley Jay Brent Photogr...

It's the little hidden moments I see and the expressions I capture to tell a s...

£550 - £750 total

Rapid Image UK LTD

We are full time wedding photographers & videographers and love what we do.

£639 - £1,999 total

GTS Photography

GTS Photography are wedding photographers based in leafy Essex, covering the S...

£1,100 - £1,800 total

Photography By Adelphos

A fun and friendly sister duo providing natural and relaxed ninja style photog...

£1,650 - £1,650 per head

It's the little hidden moments I see and the expressions I capture to tell a story that make me a photographer.
Ashley Jay Brent Photography

Hair & make up artists

Lisa Attridge Make Up

Professional Bridal and Editorial make up artist with over 20 years experience...

£40 - £100 per head

Louise Huddart Wedding H...

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

£50 - £250 per head

The Bridal Stylists

The Bridal Stylists are a team of talented wedding hair stylists & make-up art...

£70 - £190 per head

CJC Hair & Makeup

We just LOVE making brides look and feel fabulous on their very special day. ...

£75 - £250 per head

9 Essex has an abundance of fantastic local florists. Can you get them to incorporate cowslips or bluebells into the flower arrangements? It's always fun to include flowers that grow locally.

10 Hair and makeup just for the bride or your bridesmaids too? Get your trial booked in (you'll have to pay for this) 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, Hertfordshire and Suffolk too.

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

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

The Bears

Officially the best wedding band in London! The Bears are proud to be celeb...

£1,000 - £1,600 total

Alexander Thomas - Harpi...

Alexander smashes the stereotypes associated with his instrument, perfect for ...

£320 - £500 per head

Blue Lion Band

The Blue Lion Band is a premium, customisable 3-14 piece band specialising in...

£1,590 - £5,090 total

Encore - Outstanding Wed...

Encore has the UK's largest selection of musicians, bands, singers and DJs. ...

£100 - £500 per head

Flowers

Mal's Bespoke Bouquets

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

£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.

Luke and Lottie Floral D...

Award winning Luke & Lottie Floral Design is one of the UK top 50 Wedding Flor...

£20 - £130 per head

Poppies

Here in the beautiful area of Writtle, Marion and her team create stunning flo...

£3 - £65 per item

Cakes

The Sugar & Spice Cake C...

For exquisite, individually designed wedding cakes, welcome to the Sugar &...

£3 - £950 per item

Bunty's Wedding Cakes

We are an Award Winning bespoke wedding cake Company, creating beautiful Weddi...

£3 - £800 per item

Egg & Moo's

Abbie's timeless and beautiful designs along with her signature sugar blooms h...

£3 - £1,000 per item

Luca's Cakes

Here at LUCA'S CAKES in Colchester, Essex I specialise in producing bespoke ...

£3 - £750 per item

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

Chelmsford, Billericay, Dagenham, Ilford, Chigwell, Rochford, North Weald, Thaxted, Ongar, Epping, Halstead, Gosfield, Theydon Bois, Canvey Island, Loughton, Upminster, Colchester, Braintree, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea

Nearby wedding locations

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