Blushing brides who baulk at tying the knot in a church or register office could soon dance down the aisle at a night club.

The Babylon Lounge on Hove seafront has applied for a civil marriage ceremony licence.

The venue is already a popular destination for receptions but is among the first night clubs in the UK to ask for a marriage licence.

Whether couples will be swapping Here Comes the Bride for pounding techno or ambient uplifting house remains to be seen.

Owner Ali Kosari said there had been a lot of interest.

"Our location is right on the seafront and we have gardens on one side and seating on the pebbles on the other so it's a fantastic venue for a wedding.

"We have two floors, with one a more colonial set-up. The top floor has a capacity of 400 people and the ground floor holds 140.

"But we can connect a marquee for another 200 to 300 people to that, so we have the best of both worlds."

Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed the Babylon Lounge was the first night club to make an application. A spokeswoman said unless there were objections it would proceed.

Today, couples can tie the knot everywhere from the London Eye to bungee jumping in New Zealand.

Pinewood Movie Studios, London Zoo and a James Bond theme pub in Nuneaton are other bizarre locations.

Brighton and Hove already has a number of unusual venues, including the Royal Pavilion and the Palace Pier.

In November, the Seven Dials Restaurant in Buckingham Place became the first restaurant in the city to apply for a licence.

Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum near Uckfield has held a civil ceremony licence since 1994.

Manager Barry Sutherland said: "We have had some very interesting weddings with helicopters landing and horses and carriages.

"The ceremonies take place in a room decorated with 96 wildfowl paintings and we have had music from wind-up gramophones to string quartets.

"Our first married couple recently came and they now have two children, which made us realise how long we've been doing this."