The Seagulls, cheered on by thousands of their fans in a crowd of more than 40,000, ended up well beaten 4-0 by City – but had actually been the better side for much of the first half, a half which remained goalless until City, crucially, struck twice in the 10 minutes before half-time.
They added two more late in the second half to leave Brighton empty-handed but with plenty of memories of a chance to play under the famous arch.
See pictures by Getty Images from the showpiece game on this page and those linked.
1. Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images
Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images Photo: Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images
2. Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images
Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images Photo: AFP via Getty Images
3. Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images
Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images Photo: Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images
4. Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images
Brighton v Manchester City, Women's FA Cup final at Wembley, pictures by Getty Images Photo: Getty Images