If you’re planning a winter wedding for next year, you can’t beat London for a vast choice of truly magical locations. The UK capital has such a great selection of amazingly beautiful buildings, historic venues, contemporary arts spaces, quirky theatres and cosy pubs that you’ll be hard pressed to make a decision. It’s a nice problem to have!
Here, Dakota Murphey, independent content writer working alongside one of Britain’s premier luxury floral design companies, Larry Walshe gives you seven of the most glorious and wedding venues to get you tingling with anticipation.
- One Canada Square
A wonderful Art Deco-inspired venue that will grab at your heart is One Canada Square. In the centre of buzzing Canary Wharf, this gorgeous building has two magnificent, sweeping staircases (perfect for wedding photographs), sumptuous leather furnishings, massive floor-to-ceiling windows, and a beautiful baby grand piano. It’s everything you could want in a wedding venue.
Your celebrations could kick off with some expertly crafted cocktails before the guests sit down to a divine dining experience. With a licence until 2am, the party can last long into the night. One Canada Square can be booked for weddings on Saturdays and Sundays and has a seating capacity of 72 in the main dining room, or up to 100 if you take over two floors, including the Mezzanine.
- The Globe
Weddings are a one-off theatrical experience, so why not make yours in The Globe, where the theme of your wedding could be all things Shakespearian … ‘If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully.’ Have you always dreamt of a wedding venue with a difference? Well, at The Globe there’s a tree in the reception room! The Balcony hosts wedding ceremonies and receptions for up to 70 guests and has unrivalled views of St Paul’s Cathedral and the City. Larger evening events for up to 350 seated guests are held in the Underglobe. The Globe’s packages include full catering, styling, comprehensive drinks packages, and music. Weddings have been specifically designed to make yours the perfect experience. [image]
- Strawberry Hill House
Lovingly restored, Strawberry Hill House in leafy Twickenham is an 18th century Gothic building, where you can say ‘I do’ in a lavish and ornate gallery with golden canopy curtains, vaulted ceilings, and deep crimson walls. Other rooms can be used by your guests and wonderful photo opportunities abound. To ensure your event is exclusive, they only take bookings when the house is closed to the public.
- London Zoo, Regent’s Park
If marriage is the ultimate adventure, why not start yours off at one of London’s most unusual and exciting wedding locations – London Zoo! You can book the Grade II listed Mappin Pavilion and the Prince Albert Suite for your wedding day for up to 300 guests.
- Natural History Museum
The magnificent Natural History Museum in South Kensington is a wonderfully unusual place to get wed. It offers several galleries for a range of evening events, from the Darwin Centre to the Earth Hall. Guests and family are given exclusive access to the Central Hall and the upper galleries, where they can enjoy the thrill of travelling through time and space. This is a wedding venue that won’t disappoint.
- The Gherkin
This iconic landmark truly offers the wow factor. With a breath-taking, 360-degree view of London, delivering your vows takes on extra special meaning. Wedding ceremonies at 30 St Mary Axe, aka The Gherkin, are held on Level 39 with panoramic views of the city. After the serious business, you and your wedding party can make their way 180 metres up to the glass dome where food and drinks are served. The venue hosts 140 seated people, or 260 standing guests. Once darkness falls and your guests can dance the night away in a room filled with the twinkling lights of the City far below.
- Hampton Court Palace
You’re spoiled for choice at Hampton Court Palace, one of the most beautiful and memorable civil partnership and wedding venues. Within the castle there are 10 magnificent indoor spaces in which to hold your winter wedding ceremony. Why not have your wedding banquet in the atmospheric medieval Coningsby Hall’s, or spend the evening dancing and sipping on champagne in the ballroom filled with glinting crystal chandeliers? [image]