We've compiled over 50 of our favourite venues in London and across the UK in size order
The Marylebone venue’s Sainsbury Room is licensed for weddings and comes complete with ornate drapes, fireplace and chandeliers for the ceremony. The Library, with original ceiling cameos, is the place for bridal preparations, while the private balcony overlooking the tree-lined avenue of Portland Place makes a fine backdrop for photographs.
Antique chandeliers, brocade drapes and rolling lawns – this venue has all the elements in place for a classic wedding, including a spectacular courtyard space. Caterer Party Ingredients delivers menus such as wedding teas with duck spring roll canapés, traditional sandwiches, cakes and scones.
Next door to Chelsea Register Office, Chelsea Old Town Hall is a classic example of late-Victorian design. Ornate vaulted ceilings, soaring marble columns and mahogany-panelled walls make it a handsome setting for civil ceremonies and receptions.
The five-star country house hotel is set in a 130-acre estate on the edge of Hampshire’s New Forest. Its walled kitchen garden hosts ceremonies for up to 80 guests. Banquets for 140 or ceremonies and drinks receptions for 180 can be held in the Lake Suite.
This grand Victorian building is an impressive wedding location. The white stucco ceilings and Corinthian columns of the double-height Ballroom are an elegant space for sizeable gatherings. Just outside, there’s an area for arrival drinks, and nearby is the venue’s number-two space, the Courtroom.
This City restaurant has a trio of event spaces, plus a covered terrace seating 40 for ceremonies. Tandoori wedding breakfasts for up to 130 are held in the dining room, with dancing in Anise, the clubby bar space next door. Smaller parties can use the 16-seat private dining room.
One of London’s most elegant hotels, the five-star stalwart is licensed for both weddings and civil partnerships. The seven spaces range from intimate to grand, and include the Mayfair Room – the newest ballroom in Mayfair. It can seat 120 or host 200 standing.
Views of St Paul’s Cathedral, Monument and the Bank of England make weddings here pretty special. The rooftop garden, designed by Arabella Lennox-Boyd, is a fabulous backdrop for a champagne reception, while the sleek interior can host 150 guests for a wedding breakfast.
This Belgravia Hotel has a licence to hold weddings and civil ceremonies for up to 20 guests. Four private spaces can each be hired for wedding breakfasts, accommodating up to 100 guests. Our pick is the Garden Room, with a conservatory leading out to the gardens, where parties can reserve an exclusive area.
Built around a courtyard with a dancing fountain, Haberdashers’ Hall is an idyllic venue for wedding parties with up to 180 diners. Inside, vaulted ceilings and oak-panelled walls make its Livery Hall a dramatic spot for celebratory dinners.
Amid ecclesiastical foundations that date back to the 6th century, you’ll find a medieval venue ready to host wedding breakfasts for up to 126 guests. Indeed, this Farringdon site is where Henry VIII himself used to enjoy feasting lavishly. Food, wine and service is provided by the nearby Bleeding Heart restaurant.
Moored on the Embankment near Temple tube, this former WWII vessel has sweeping views of the South Bank and London Eye. It has numerous spaces available for wedding breakfasts with up to 120 guests. Meals can be taken in the Court Room, with its collection of silver and gold, and receptions can be held on the open-air Quarter Deck.
Occupying an elegant Grade II-listed building in St James’s Square, The In & Out Club hosts civil ceremonies and receptions amid sparkling chandeliers, wood-panelled walls and ornate ceilings. A central sweeping staircase makes for knockout photos.
The livery company’s Barbican home has dark wood panelling and casement windows that give it the look and feel of a historic Tudor mansion. Four rooms are available for hire, as well as a courtyard that’s perfect for summer receptions. The dramatic Banqueting Hall (featured in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) seats 168.
Recently converted from an 18th-century chapel, the Amersham venue benefits from original features and views of the Chiltern countryside. The Kings Chapel Main Hall, when combined with the Gallery, can hold up to 110 guests for wedding breakfasts.
Skinners’ Hall
Dating from 1670, stately Skinners’ Hall is one of the City’s finest wedding venues. Its Outer Hall hosts civil ceremonies with up to 80 guests, while the ornate Banqueting Hall can handle 170 for dinner. Come summer, there are three alfresco spaces.
Within the 150-acre estate’s award-winning vineyard is a 15th-century, dome-ceilinged Tithe Barn which has been restored and is available to hire for wedding receptions. Its appeal is heightened in summer by large French doors that open onto a seating area.
The 18th-century Grade I-listed mansion is a five-star treasure trove of spaces, from the elegant Ballroom to the walnut-panelled Churchill Room and the Library. With 1,000 acres of Capability Brown parkland and formal Italian gardens by the main house, there’s no shortage of photo locations either.
Styled like a 1930s Parisian restaurant, Le Pont de la Tour on Butler’s Wharf is available to hire exclusively. Receptions can be held on the summer terraces
or in the bar, while its classic French cuisine makes for a great wedding breakfast.
The John Adam-designed home of the RSA, just off the Strand, combines Georgian grandeur with contemporary touches. The Benjamin Franklin Room holds up to 150 guests, while the atmospheric Vaults are a striking setting for receptions or dinners.
Smiths’ of Smithfield
Set in a renovated Grade II-listed building next to Smithfield meat market, SOS’s decor channels a New York vibe with blasted brick walls, large windows and post-industrial furnishing. The 200-capacity Top Floor restaurant and terrace come with great views.
A wedding held high above the river Thames in Tower Bridge won’t be forgotten quickly. Floor-to-ceiling windows in The Walkways offer exceptional panoramas across London and make a striking setting for wedding breakfasts.
Trinity House
This Tower Bridge venue dates back to the 18th century and has five spaces available. The standout is the Court Room, with its intricately painted ceiling and space for 80 seated guests. The view of the Tower of London from the 120-capacity Library is hard to beat.
The two-level restaurant and bar on the 39th and 40th floors of the 180m-high 30 St Mary Axe can be hired for weddings on Saturdays and Sundays. Up to 140 guests can sit down for a wedding breakfast in the fine dining room. Alternatively 260 guests can enjoy a cocktail reception over the two levels.
On a four-acre estate five miles from central London, 19th-century Warren House is licensed for civil ceremonies. It has a smart set of spaces for wedding receptions, including a 100-capacity Dining Room, and a grand staircase for the all-important sweeping entrance.
Moored on the north bank of the Thames at Temple Pier, the 1927 steam vessel has been restored for weddings and civil ceremonies. Exclusive hire means you can have 250 guests on board, and the views from the terrace make for knockout photo backdrops.
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