Hayling Island Sailing Club occupies one of the better addresses on the south coast: a sandy peninsula at Sandy Point, right at the mouth of Chichester Harbour, reached by its own causeway and looking out across the water to the South Downs. It has been here since 1921 and is one of the leading dinghy clubs in the country, an RYA recognised coastal centre of excellence, which is not usually a sentence that appears in a wedding brochure — but it explains the slightly salty, unpretentious feel of the place.
The clubhouse is modern and glassy, built to make the most of the view, with a restaurant, two bars and balconies that hang over the harbour. It takes around 170 to 180 for a seated meal and up to 250 in the evening, and it’s licensed for ceremonies, so the whole day can happen here. Then there’s the private sandy beach, which is the reason most couples fall for it: drinks on the sand, photographs with dinghies going past, and if you want to be theatrical about it, an arrival by boat at the pontoon.
Catering is done in-house and leans towards fresh, seasonal and homemade rather than hotel-formal — canapés through to a full sit-down, or a buffet if the mood of the day is looser. Club chalets on site sleep a sizeable chunk of the party, so people can stay put and wake up next to the harbour, and there’s plenty of parking.
Where the band plays
A clubhouse is not a ballroom, and that’s worth saying plainly. Glass, hard floors and a low ceiling over a bar make for a bright, reflective room where sound travels further than anyone expects, and a band that sets up as though it were playing a carpeted function suite will be too loud in the opening bar of the first song. The acts worth booking for a room like this know to come in lower and build through the set. The upside is that a bright room is a lively one; once the dancing starts it feels full very quickly.
How the evening runs, and a word about the weather
This is one of the more dependable late finishes in Hampshire — evenings here generally run to midnight, which gives a band two proper sets with a break in the middle, the thing most people actually picture when they imagine live music at their wedding. An 11pm curfew quietly removes a third of that, so the extra hour is not a small gain.
The other local factor is simply that Sandy Point is exposed. Carrying a drum kit and a PA across an open apron in a south-westerly is a different job from a sheltered courtyard, so build a little extra time into the afternoon for load-in and let the band know what they’re walking into.
Bands available in Hampshire and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Hampshire.
- Hampshire Wedding Bands
- Events Bands in Hampshire
- Tribute Acts in Hampshire
- Hampshire Wedding DJs
- Corporate Entertainment in Hampshire
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.