Guides for Brides: The UK's Original Wedding Directory
Guides for Brides is a UK wedding directory and media platform established in 1995 that helps engaged couples find wedding venues and suppliers, and provides wedding businesses with the tools to reach couples actively planning their wedding. Operating continuously for over 30 years, Guides for Brides is the United Kingdom's original online wedding planning resource, with over 31,000 listed businesses and more than 280,000 couples using the platform each year.
Guides for Brides' Story
Guides for Brides was founded in 1995 by Alison Hargreaves following her own experience of planning a wedding in the UK. 30 years on, it remains the country's most established online wedding directory - independently run, UK-focused, and built around the needs of couples and wedding businesses.
Read the full history of Guides for Brides"Guides for Brides helped increase our visibility and brought in more genuine enquiries from couples looking for a venue like The Oaks in Eltham... It’s a trusted platform that brings in real leads and helps connect you with couples planning their big day."
Jana, The Oaks Wedding Venue
What Guides for Brides Does
Guides for Brides serves two distinct audiences. For engaged couples, it provides a searchable directory of UK wedding venues and suppliers across every major category - venues, photographers, caterers, florists, wedding planners, bridal wear, entertainment, stationery, hair and make-up and more - alongside planning guides, real wedding features, special offers, and late availability listings. For wedding businesses, it offers directory listings, advertising solutions, educational events, and marketing services that connect venues and suppliers with couples at the point of decision.
The platform has been operating since 1995, making it one of the longest-established resources of its kind in the UK. The directory covers businesses across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland with some Overseas clients, and is supported by a network of related platforms including Pride Guide, which serves LGBTQIA+ couples, and Beyond Weddings, which focuses on luxury wedding experiences.
Key Facts About Guides for Brides
| Founder & CEO | Alison Hargreaves founded the company in 1995 and is the current CEO |
| Business Type | Wedding directory, media platform, and industry events organiser |
| Headquarters | Oxfordshire, England |
| Registered Company | Guides for Brides Ltd |
| Listed Businesses | Over 31,000, including over 9,000 wedding venues |
| Annual Users | 280,000+ wedding consumers per year |
| For Couples | Venue and supplier search, planning guides, real weddings, special offers, late availability, wedding fairs, podcast |
| For Businesses | Directory listings, advertising, marketing services, industry events, webinars, Customer Service Awards |
| Platform Network | Guides for Brides, Pride Guide, Beyond Weddings, Big Day Agency, Weddings for Less, Champagne Weddings |
| Annual Events | 30+ events per year across the UK, including: UK Wedding Conference; wedding industry networking events; wedding fairs across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and Hampshire; Customer Service Awards |
Recent Awards and Recognition
Guides for Brides and its founder Alison Hargreaves have been recognised across multiple national business award programmes in recent years.
| Award | Category | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses | Alumni Champion - Winner | 2025 |
| Enterprise Oxfordshire Awards | Innovation in Customer Experience - Highly Commended | 2025 |
| Enterprise Oxfordshire Awards | Business Leader of the Year - Highly Commended | 2025 |
| British Entrepreneur Awards | Pivot Entrepreneur of the Year - Finalist | 2021 |
For Wedding Businesses
"We couldn't have had the success we have had with our business without Guides for Brides."
Sam & Steve Photography
For Couples
"Provided us with details for weddings that we didn’t even think about, which is helpful for the beginning of the wedding planning process! Lots of options with the wedding vendors, giving a full view of what is to expect with a wedding."
Ollie, Groom
Frequently Asked Questions about Guides for Brides
Guides for Brides is a UK wedding directory and media platform founded in 1995. It lists over 31,000 wedding venues and suppliers across the United Kingdom, and is used by more than 280,000 couples each year to search for and compare wedding businesses.
Guides for Brides was founded in 1995 by Alison Hargreaves, following her own experience of planning a wedding. Hargreaves remains CEO and is also the founder of the UK Wedding Association, established in October 2025.
Yes. Couples can search the directory, browse articles and planning guides, read real wedding features, and use the venue availability checker at no cost.
Wedding businesses can create a free basic listing on Guides for Brides. Enhanced paid listings are available from £14.50 per month (+VAT), with additional advertising and marketing options for greater visibility.
The Guides for Brides Customer Service Awards are an annual recognition programme for UK wedding businesses. Awards are determined by the quantity and quality of verified client reviews left on Guides for Brides listings.
Yes. The directory covers England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with regional and county-level search across all areas.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Guides for Brides has formal commitments across four areas of corporate responsibility: environmental sustainability, ethical practice, charitable giving, and economic fairness. This includes an eco-friendly venue category, diversity and inclusion targets reviewed annually, and a website hosted on green energy infrastructure.
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