Brighton Wedding Market

The MusicBar is hosting its first Brighton Wedding Market on Sunday 8 November, from 11:00 to 16:00. It's a free event, and the whole point is to give you a relaxed way to scout the space and meet local, independent businesses that can help you plan a wedding day. There will be vendors and music on the day, so you can wander around and chat with people rather than spending your morning chasing quotes over email.

If you haven't come across it yet, The MusicBar is one of the city's newer affordable, DIY wedding venues, right in central Brighton. It's an independent live music room in Kemptown run by WaterBear – The College of Music, which works to connect Brighton's live music scene with emerging artists, musicians and creatives. That music side of things is built right into the space: it's got two event areas, a ground-floor bar and a basement with a larger stage and dancefloor, a fully licensed bar, and full facilities for live bands, DJs and karaoke. If you're planning a wedding that wants a bit of a party atmosphere, it's worth seeing how those two levels work together in person.

Because it's a DIY venue, it's designed for people who want to have a hand in how their day comes together rather than just picking a package from a menu. This market is the first time the venue has opened its doors specifically for wedding planning, so it's a good chance to get a feel for the layout and see what local suppliers are around to fill the gaps. You can walk through the ground floor and the basement, get a sense of the scale, and talk to the vendors who'll be there on the day.

It runs from 11:00 to 16:00 on Sunday 8 November at The MusicBar, 14-17 Manchester Street, Brighton, BN2 1TF. Entry is free.