OUTSIDE THE BOX

Standout venues for a big day with a difference

SPINNAKER TOWER, PORTSMOUTH

02392 857 524 | www.spinnakertower.co.uk

The Spinnaker Tower takes weddings to whole new heights. Set by the water’s edge with breathtaking views out across Portsmouth, the Solent and beyond, the landmark venue is an icon for the south coast. The 170-metre-high viewing tower is shaped like a spinnaker sail to reflect its maritime location in Portsmouth Harbour and when it’s lit up at night it can be seen from miles around.

You can tie the knot on the middle viewing platform, 105 metres above the ground with up to 70 people. With floor-to-ceiling glass windows looking out across the water, the simple, neutral décor complements the stunning setting.

Celebrate afterwards on the main view deck, which can accommodate up to 100 guests for a sit-down wedding breakfast, with tables set up around the edge of the stunning glass floor. Evening receptions for up to 200 loved ones are held in the ground level Waterfront Cafe and Bar, which boasts a wrap-around outdoor terrace and uninterrupted views across the harbour.

We love… that for an additional fee, the tower can be lit up in your wedding colours.

RNLI COLLEGE, POOLE

01202 662 261 | www.rnli.org/college

The RNLI College is a light bright modern venue with a fabulous waterfront setting on the edge of Poole Harbour overlooking Holes Bay. Licensed for ceremonies, there’s a choice of attractive rooms with bay views. The ground-floor Waterfront Suite has direct access to the sea terrace right by the water’s edge; great for post-vows drinks. With the RNLI lifeboats moored on the pontoons it’s the perfect backdrop for standout photos. The suite can accommodate up to 150 for the wedding breakfast and an extra 50 for the evening do. For more intimate affairs, the Harbour View Suite provides a romantic setting. And if you want to linger longer, there’s a complimentary wedding-night stay in a harbourview bedroom for the happy couple.

EXPLOSION MUSEUM OF NAVAL FIREPOWER, GOSPORT

02392 505 600 | www.nmrn.org.uk/venue-hire

For a one-of-a-kind wedding venue this 18th-century gunpowder store is hard to beat. Celebrating its 250-year anniversary this year the Grand Magazine is a traditional brick-built building with a fascinating history. Originally used to store barrels of gunpowder, it supplied HMS Victory for the Battle of Trafalgar. Now a unique and atmospheric space for weddings, it boasts a magnificent vaulted ceiling and Georgian wood floors. Licensed for ceremonies, it can seat up to 150 people for the wedding breakfast and host 180 for the reception. Set on the edge of a camber basin on the western shore of Portsmouth Harbour, there’s plenty of scope for great photos. Within the inner sanctum, there’s a grassed area which can be used for the drinks reception or chilling out in the evening and the large green at the front is ideal for group photos or lawn games.

We love… the beautiful views across the waterfront towards Portsmouth’s historic dockyard.

THE ROYAL MARITIME CLUB & HOTEL, PORTSMOUTH

02392 824 231 | www.royalmaritimeclub.co.uk

Steeped in maritime history, this city hotel is in a prime location, just a stone’s throw away from Portsmouth Historical Dockyard and Gunwharf Quays. With naval and maritime artefacts and memorabilia around every corner, it’s a fascinating venue. There are two great wedding spaces to choose from, both fully licensed for weddings and individually decorated to reflect the historical background of the club. The Trafalgar Ballroom is the largest, with a galleried balcony, dancefloor, stage and capacity for up to 300 guests. The traditional Nelson Lounge is ideal for intimate weddings with up to 100 loved ones while the more contemporary Below Decks function room provides the perfect place to party and enjoy a chilled evening buffet.

THREE CHOIRS VINEYARD, WICKHAM

01329 834 700 | www.vineyard-weddings.co.uk

Set in the Hampshire countryside between the rolling hills of the Meon Valley and Wickham, outdoor lovers are sure to be wowed by this original venue. A stunning place to hold a wedding, inside or out, it caters for weddings all year round.

The vineyard provides an ever-changing backdrop in tune with the seasons and offers two outdoor spaces licensed for ceremonies. You can marry in the Gazebo with the vines in the background and up to 100 loved ones looking on, or the Byre in the courtyard; ideal for outdoor ceremonies no matter what the weather brings. Alternatively, tie the knot in the renovated Vine Room with its neutral colour scheme, painted beams and scenic views. The Old Winery, beautifully converted into a rustic barn, is the perfect space for the wedding breakfast and evening reception. Guests can spill out on to the adjoining courtyard, enjoy a chilled drinks reception and as night falls, relax on comfy sofas under the fairylights and watch the sunset.

We love… that newlyweds-to-be are invited to a special tasting event and wine-tasting experience as part of every wedding package.

www.onethousandwords.co.uk

DURLSTON CASTLE AND COUNTRY PARK, SWANAGE

01929 424 443 | www.durlston.co.uk

Your guests are sure to be wowed when they catch their first glimpse of this impressive venue. Perched at the top of a headland jutting out into the sea, it’s a Dorset treasure with a wealth of fabulous features. Surrounded on three sides by high cliffs and bordered by woodland on the other, the renovated Victorian castle is set within the Durlston Country Park National Nature Reserve. The building boasts a wealth of standout features including stone turrets and a terracotta balustrade around the copper-roofed Belvedere room at the top of the castle. This stunning glass-sided room offers fabulous views of local landmark Old Harry Rocks, the Isle of Wight and English Channel. Perfect for an intimate wedding, you can tie the knot and toast your new married status afterwards with post-vows drinks and canapés on the exclusive roof terrace. Alternatively for a more modern feel, the stunning glassfronted Gallery is ideal. With an exclusive grassed amphitheatre and terrace overlooking the sea, it can host up to 90 seated guests and 120 for the reception.

ANNA RAINBOW PHOTOGRAPHY

Wedding, event and equestrian photographer covering Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire.

Getting engaged is just the beginning of your journey into marriage and a new life as a couple. Choosing who takes your wedding photos is such a big part of your day and making that choice is possibly one of the biggest decisions you take during your planning process. As a documentary photographer, I look to capture the story of your wedding day through the photographs I take, bringing the memories to life day after day.

If you’d like a no obligation chat about your wedding day photography, feel free to email me at annarainbowphotography@gmail.com

ANNARAINBOWPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK/WEDDINGS

FACEBOOK weddingsbyannarainbow INSTAGRAM anna_rainbow_photography

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