searching for a new venue with only 10 months to go....

Sounds like a nightmare! Don't worry - mine's a bank holiday and I had loads of availability from places with 11 months to go. Whereabouts are you? I'm sure people here will have suggestions! Hotels generally won't let you bring your own caterers and I found their corkage was ridiculous!

It might be worth saying what area you're searching in. Sounds like a nightmare but good to be rid of that useless venue.

Thanks, that's reassuring! I only wanted to use outside caterers as their catering quote was not good (in terms of choice and price), and the wedding coordinator had said when we first looked round that we could. The venue also didn't have a bar, so wanted us to bring our own or hire a mobile bar - in another venue I wouldn't have a problem buying a drinks package or putting money behind the bar. We're in Manchester, so my h2b's aversion to hotels and reluctance to leave the city centre could be an issue in terms of finding somewhere! He's already vetoed the Midland, Radisson and Mariott hotels, as well as the Lowry and the Masonic hall for being too close to his office!!

I think you might need a gentle chat with your OH about being realistic - vetoing places because they are too close to his office is unrealistic - and once you're inside you won't know how close you are! Also, it sounds like you are doing all the searching and he is doing all the vetoing - so make the point that if he wants something very specific, he better find it..... Compromise is required somewhere....

Ok, so if you're vetoing all hotels in the city centre you're going to have to be creative ..... There are a wealth of lovely bars and restaurants in Manchester that you could certainly utilise. The restaurant in Harvey Nicks is available for weddings and is fairly reasonably priced considering the quality of food you receive .....

The art gallery? Town hall? Urbis?

Dukes 92 in castlefield also has a couple of fab upstairs rooms for functions.

also, at the top if deansgate there is the Upper Campfield Market Hall, it has victorian esque qualities - I've been to a few events here and it can look fab if dressed properly.

I'll have a bit of a think on this .... I'm pretty knowledgable on The city centre

I've never been to Manchester so I'll be no practical help, but just wanted to say keep positive - better 10 months to rearrange than 10 weeks. Equally, you are better taking the stress of it now, rather than sticking with your original venue and worrying about things all the way through.

Good luck!

Hmmm, I would say Davenport Green Hall but it is a little way out. There is The Old Parsonage in Didsbury? Belle Epoque?

I think maybe you need to restrict what grounds your OH has for vetoing a venue. Make sure that venues are discarded for good reasons. I'm a wedding photographer based in Leeds so I work Manchester regularly. I found the Midland to be an impressive venue, with helpful staff. I've just done a big corporate event at Manchester Palace which is quite impressive.

There's a nice hotel by the river, a modern one, which is also very good. (edit - remembered it's this one http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-information/travel/manva-manchester-marriott-victoria-and-albert-hotel/)

I think my first choice for Manchester would be Cloud 23 at Beetham Tower. Have you looked at that one?

My cousin had her Manchester wedding HERE It was very different but a lovely day and definitely not a hotel.

Manchester Uni has several vanues suitable for a reception. Looks like you'd have to use their caterers though.

One example:

https://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/venuehire/weddings/

So sorry to hear about all the issues with your first venue! Bad management is so frustrating!

I was going to suggest the museum of science and industry! If we weren't getting married abroad that would have been one I would have visited! I am sure a friend of a friend had her reception in picolinios restaurant so that might be worth looking into, and I am sure restaurant bar & grill have an upstairs function room for hire as well. The Deaf Institute does private hire too and is quite a quirky building, definitely not hotel like! If you are having the ceremony in a church it gives you a lot more scope for possible reception venues so don't give up hope!

The town hall is another possibility, as I think someone else has said, but not sure what their prices / availability is like. Amazing building though!

Victoria baths can be hired for weddings. Saw some fantastic photos of it all decorated online - cant remember where though!!

Some more good options here: http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2010/11/the-rock-n-roll-bride-venue-guide-–-manchester/

Thank you so much ladies for all of your helpful replies, and for allaying my fears somewhat! this forum is awesome.

Victoria Baths was top of my list when we first got engaged, but they are booked out every Saturday until 2016!!

I hadn't even thought of Cloud 23, although it is the opposite of what we said we want (character, victorian etc) I will have to look in to it b/c it would be amazing! We did look around the Midland and although I liked it h2b flat-out hated it - he thought the lobby area was too public and he didn't like the "wedding factory" feel. I think that's what put him off hotels in general - with have to see if I can bring him round to the idea of looking at other city centre hotel venues. To be fair I have vetoed the Town Hall, although it's beautiful, because I work for the council and have to attend trainings/meetings there. Definitely don't want to be thinking about work on our wedding day! So I guess we both have our own strange ideas

Ddpunk - thanks for the blog link, that's going to be super-helpful

I love the idea of MOSI or the Deaf Institute so will definitely look into those - have contacted Manchester Uni and St Peter's Ancoats already, so hopefully with all these ace suggestions something works out soon

Thanks for all these suggestions, I will def look into the art gallery. The only thing that puts me off Smithfield (if I'm thinking right, that's where the craft fair/friday night food fights are held?) is that they aren't a wedding venue, and the toilets are grim. The venue that we pulled out of hadn't done a wedding before, and I'm worried that we'd have the same disorganization from another "first-time" venue. I liked the Castlefield Rooms at Duke's 92, so they're a possibility. The fact Urbis is now a football museum definitely puts me off - if it was still a modern art gallery we might be persuaded! But I like the way you're thinking, thanks....

Seriously take a look at this place it is beyond beautiful!!

http://www.hallestpetersevents.co.uk/weddings/

Ill have another think im also in manchester so im sure between us we can think of a few places for you to try

❤️

Not been for years so no idea what it's like now but there's victoria warehouse on trafford wharf road?

http://www.victoriawarehouse.com

i emailed them last night! no response yet but you're right, it's stunning!