This page is about the place rather than the venues. Licensed venues, prices and capacities change constantly and are the venues’ own to publish — what follows is the part that does not change: what the setting offers, and what a guest list spread along a long bay actually means in practice.
What the geography gives you
Four quite different settings sit within a few miles of each other.
The clifftops. High ground above the bay with an uninterrupted sea view, on both the East Cliff and the West Cliff. This is the classic Bournemouth setting and the reason many of the grander buildings are where they are.
The gardens. The Victorian planting running inland from the pier through the Lower Gardens, and the sheltered chine valleys cutting down to the sea, which hold planting that would not survive on the open clifftop.
The beach. Seven continuous miles of sand. Photographs here are as good as anywhere on the south coast, particularly late in the day when the light comes along the bay rather than down onto it.
The old towns. Christchurch to the east, with its Norman priory and harbour, and Poole to the west with the quay and one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Both are a different register entirely to the resort between them.
The practical part: your guests
The single thing worth planning around is that this bay is long. Guests booked at opposite ends of seven miles will spend the weekend in taxis and will not meet each other.
Cluster the accommodation. Something central keeps everyone within walking distance of each other and of the seafront, which matters more than any individual room. Serviced apartments work well for families and groups travelling together, since a kitchen and separate living space make a multi-day stay far easier than a set of hotel rooms.
The neighbourhood guide sets out how the areas differ, and the accommodation section lists what is across the bay.
Seasonality
June and September are the strongest months — good odds on weather, long evenings, and availability that is not fighting peak summer.
Late August is the one period to actively avoid: the Air Festival brings the largest crowds of the year and accommodation across the entire bay tightens for that week.
Winter weddings here have their own case — the light is better, prices are lower and the seafront is empty — but it needs a plan that works indoors. When to go breaks the year down.
Things guests will ask
Whether they need a car (usually not, if everything is central), how far the beach is (from most central accommodation, minutes), and what there is to do the following day. For that last one, your first 48 hours is a reasonable thing to send them.