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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2022

Last update: March 2024

Sopley Mill is a charming wedding venue in Christchurch, Dorset. Much of its main building still has the original features of the vintage watermill with its rich oak beams. Here, you and yours can enjoy incredible views over the Avon water meadows, flanked on both sides by the Avon River. This fantastic location is completely private without a house in view– and it’s also conveniently minutes from central Bournemouth and Christchurch.

Facilities and Capacity

You and your party will have exclusive access to the venue’s get-ready facilities for a comfortable day-of preparation. There are three main floors to the building linked by a lift. The top floor has seating space for 100 individuals and a functional kitchen. You will find a dance floor and ceremony room on the second floor, while the ground floor is ideally suited for some rest and relaxation. Two rooms are licensed primarily for wedding ceremonies, and you also have the option to get married outside on the terrace. In the summer months, this expansive terrace is an ideal reception area; however, there is plenty of room on the ground floor in case of unforeseen weather changes. During the winter, you can enjoy the two log fires, many candlelit rooms, and twinkly lights that make the Mill warm, cosy, and romantic.

Services Offered

Whether your wedding is small and intimate or a larger gathering, Sopley Mill is versatile for either. The venue offers two different rental options for couples, including hiring the building on its own and designing every detail themselves. Alternatively, those who desire help and guidance can find all the assistance they need courtesy of the in-house event staff. A list of recommended vendors is available and provides you with contacts who can make planning your big day a breeze. Additional benefits included in your rental range from on-site parking for 80 cars, good local hotels for accommodation, and wheelchair access within the main building.

  • Woman-owned
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Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Unusual weddings
Historic
Barn
Outdoor license
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Corkage option
Private catering allowed
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities

Evening entertainment:

Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Pet-friendly
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Do you have any questions?

Request pricing
5.0 out of 5 rating
141 reviews
  • Quality of the service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
98% Recommended by couples
Alice
Alice Sent on 26/10/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Stunning venue

The best venue and day that we could have wished for! The venue is cosy, intimate and really speaks for itself.
Rachael
Rachael Sent on 11/11/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Simply stunning

The Mill is THE most beautiful setting for a wedding. Views for days and so much natural charm. Each floor works perfectly for each part of the day. We got married at the church next door which was perfect for a venue when your guests don’t need to travel between the ceremony and venue. Our day was simply magical and the setting made it all the more beautiful and special. We had an October wedding and the autumnal feel at the Mill was so warm and inviting. All of our guests commented on how beautiful the Mill is and I could never imagine our special day being anywhere else. Simply the best.
Demi
Demi G. Sent on 30/09/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Great Venue! Great staff!

Wonderful venue! Emma is an absolute dream to work with. We received so many compliments because of the venue we chose! Highly recommend!
Rachel
Rachel O. Sent on 16/09/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful place, wonderful people

We were due to get married at Sopley Mill in June 2020 but COVID-19 meant we had to postpone. David and the team at Sopley Mill were amazing at helping us rearrange our wedding and found a suitable alternative date for us and we were able to have our blessing ceremony and wedding reception at the mill on 11th September.
I can't even begin to explain how much hard work the team must have put in to make sure our wedding and the weddings of other couples were able to go ahead during this strange time. They were wonderful at replying to emails and questions and put together lots of information to help us plan our day and keep our guests safe.

The venue is utterly beautiful and well worth a visit. The gardens are gorgeous and flanked by rivers and open countryside. The mill building has been renovated to a high standard and is full of character and charm. My favourite part of the building is definitely the interior window over the river running under the mill.

Sopley Mill is a great venue because they have a list of recommended suppliers which are all high-quality and experienced professionals.

We chose to have an all day DJ service which was run by WePerform. The venue does have a decibel limit due to the proximity of the neighbours, however, this was definitely not an issue. The music was great and we were able to have a lovely evening.

The bar service was also run by the in-house bar team, Tom's Bar. Their service was equally excellent and the staff were clearly experienced in working at the venue and ensuring weddings run smoothly.

We chose the catering company Red Cherry which was fantastic. They have extensive food catering options and many meal choices which all sound delicious. The food was great and lots of our guests complimented the meals. Wayne is also very flexible and fun to work with.

I would highly recommend holding your wedding or other event at Sopley Mill. It's an idyllic venue run by lovely, kind, professional and hard-working staff. I'm just very sad that I won't get the chance to go back any time soon!
Richard
Richard C. Sent on 14/09/2020
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect location with perfect support

Where do I start. Having chosen Sopley Mill as our venue the support was superb. All questions/concerns answered fully. The recommended suppliers all provided an excellent service plus the support on the day was second to none
D
Daniel G. Sent on 05/11/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating

A gorgeous venue in the heart of Dorset

We had the most incredible day having our wedding at Sopley Mill, countless guests came up to tell us how beautiful they thought the venue was. We would be happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a great reception venue. Sopley worked great with our suppliers and us to make the day perfect.

The only thing to note was that Sopley had only allowed on-the-day access 9 am, which I know led to short turnarounds; we were glad we had a wedding coordinator to help with this fast turnaround.
J
Jenny C. Sent on 14/03/2022
5 out of 5 rating

A gorgeous venue for a cosy festive winter wedding

We got married at the beautiful Sopley Mill in December 2021 and had the best possible experience and day. We were so lucky to have some winter sunshine on our day but the venue is just beautiful no matter the weather. In our opinion especially at Christmas time as the indoor and outdoor lights and Christmas trees created a lovely festive feel. Emma and the team were amazing in the lead up to our big day, always at the end of an email or call we felt so looked after and even to the small details to help our day run smoothly Emma was on hand to make sure everything went as planned. Whilst the venue is split across a number of floors our guests loved the different atmosphere you felt in each room, the downstairs floor with the log fires, low beams and gorgeous snug areas created the cosiest feel for our guests.
We loved getting married at Sopley and can't thank the team enough!
L
Leticia H. Sent on 17/11/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Outstanding!!

Sopley Mill is a beautiful venue and I had so many compliments from our guests on how gorgeous the mill was. Lots of space to do your own theme or keep it simple as the venue is amazing just on its own. Emma and the team were so accommodating and just all round perfect. No stress, no worries and everything went smoothly. Emma was a huge help as she was there on my wedding day helping out with times and schedules. I haven’t had my photos back yet but hopefully the wedding picture I’ve attached helps with any future couples make their decision easier. Thankyou Sopley Mill xxxx
R
Rianne W. Sent on 10/11/2021
5 out of 5 rating

The best day of our Lives!

We had the best day for our wedding in November. Sopley Mill is simply stunning and no matter what time of year you get married there, the building and it’s surroundings make the most gorgeous photos. Emma and David were so accommodating and informative throughout covid and helping when having to postpone our wedding. When the day finally came, Emma was absolutely brilliant on the day, helping everything run smoothly, and putting in her ideas and helping with where is a good photo along with our photographer. We can’t thank you enough Emma! We want to re live the day again!
B
Bronte Sent on 24/09/2021
2.6 out of 5 rating

Spend your money elsewhere.

The day went perfectly thanks to Harriet and her professionalism.

However, they were incredibly unfair and ruthless when we had to change our date due to Covid. Get insurance if you book with Sopley Mill otherwise they’ll force you out of pocket if you have to change when it’s not your fault.
E
Sophie T. Sent on 20/07/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Just amazing!

We had the BEST wedding day ever thank you to Emma and the wonderful team at Sopley. They really have been tested over the last 18 months, however they made sure we had the best day and we truly did. The setting is beautiful, our photos are breath-taking. If you want a magical scenic wedding look no further!
R
Emma B. Sent on 22/09/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Brilliant day

We originally booked the mill for 2020 but due to covid we had three postponements. Everyone at Sopley as flexible and always super responsive to emails. Our day as fantastic and all the reccomend end suppliers were incredible. We booked the weekday package and it was superb value would recommend Sopley to all looking for a wonderful rustic venue: our guests couldn’t believe how beautiful it was and we were so lucky the sun shone all day to be able to enjoy all the outside space.
I
Isabelle W. Sent on 15/09/2020
4.8 out of 5 rating

Wedding Day

Sopley Mill was the most beautiful setting for our August wedding. The Sopley team and their suppliers worked tirelessly to ensure our day ran as perfectly and problem free as it could & they succeeded! A true fairy tale location.
S
Victoria C. Sent on 14/09/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Exceptional Venue

I would thoroughly recommend this venue to anyone looking to get married. The location is stunning, the staff are brilliant and nothing is to much trouble. Everything was well organised, despite getting married the weekend before Lockdown they were happy to assist in anyway they could and kept me updated with the latest government updates so I knew if it was still able to go ahead.
Truly memorable day despite what was going on elsewhere with the pandemic.
H
Heidi Sent on 05/04/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Keep doing an amazing job

we were so happy with how things have been from day one. The communication and organisation, everything!! . All staff I had spoken to either email or in person were so lovely and helpful, especially when we did not have a clue what we were doing !
With such a beautiful setting and friendly staff it really makes the difference, as it did calm our nerves and we had the best day, better than we could have possibly hoped for.
I honestly hands down can not give anything negative to say because the service and quality top class. All I can say is keep doing an amazing job .
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Badges

Sopley Mill Real Weddings

Emma & Lee
10 photos · 07/01/2023
Sarah & Kyle
35 photos · 20/11/2022
Katie & Tom
11 photos · 31/07/2022
Grace & Mike
203 photos · 14/05/2022
Bonnie & Josh
17 photos · 19/10/2021
Alice & Toby
24 photos · 11/09/2021

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Map

Mill Lane BH23 7AU Christchurch (Dorset)
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