Top Wedding Venues to Hire in London
Find and book an exclusive wedding venue to hire in London
If you’re in the midst of planning your wedding day and hoping to find the perfect venue in London, you have certainly landed in the right place.
London has a huge variety of wedding venue options that provide the perfect setting to mark and celebrate one of the most poignant days of your life. After all, with many of us only marrying once in our lifetime, it’s important that your wedding venue is everything you have ever wished for and more. And the good news is, in London, you won’t have to compromise on a single thing when it comes to finding a venue that meets your vision.
With its iconic landmarks, diverse entertainment scene and plenty of spaces to accommodate both intimate weddings and big wedding affairs, London is a city that is perfectly equipped with many wedding venues and all of the components needed to provide the perfect backdrop to your special day!
From luxury hotel venues and world famous landmarks through to waterfront restaurants and urban railway arches, the sky is the limit when it comes to exploring the eclectic mix of wedding venues in London available to hire.
What are the best wedding venues available in London too book?
Are you looking to say “I do” in London but don’t know where to start? Do not fear, we have rounded up some of our favourite wedding venues in London available to hire. But remember, once you find the perfect venue for your wedding in London, don’t delay in securing your date. Venues in London get booked up incredibly quickly and are always in high demand.
After all, there’s just something special about the capital and it’s many landscapes.
Neverland London presents Winterland
Of course, if these venues fail to take your fancy, you will be pleased to hear that there’s lots of popular wedding venues available to explore.
There’s no denying that times are tough at the moment, with everyone being forced to re-evaluate their household budget and lifestyle. And, the current economic crisis has also seen a huge rise in couples looking for more affordable ways to get married in London, without it costing the earth. And, the good news is that there are lots of affordable wedding venues in London to choose from.
Here’s a list of some of the ways you can start planning for an affordable wedding in the city:
Always explore options off the beaten path – Although central London and it’s other high profile areas have some fantastic, high profile wedding venues to choose from, there’s plenty of other exciting venues off the beaten that are just as special but don’t come with a high price tag. With this in mind, you should take the time to explore the less known venues in London, in areas that aren’t in demand.
Look at booking your wedding out of season – The time of year you book your dream wedding will impact how much you will pay. For example, if you are looking to plan an outdoor wedding during the summer months in London, expect eye-watering price tags. The good news is that no matter what season you plan your wedding in, London’s incredible landscape, buzz and exciting landscape will leave its mark on your wedding day. With this in mind, you should keep your options open when looking at the time of year you book your wedding. This is because wedding venue hire rates in London are significantly lower during the winter months and over off peak seasons.
Finely tune your guest list - One of main reasons why wedding venue costs quickly add up is huge guest lists requiring larger venues. However, if you take the time to finely tune your guest list, you will quickly discover that there are plenty of smaller and intimate wedding venues in London that are a fraction of the price including pubs, galleries, cosy rooms, intimate venues and of course, blank canvas venues where you have the flexibility to plan your event in a way that works for you.
There’s no denying that getting married is a big deal. And, if you’re about to embark on your wedding venue planning or you’re already in the midst of the planning process and are struggling to find the perfect venue, we can help.
We’ve rounded up our top tips on how to plan a wedding and your venue.
First off, congratulations! You’re getting married and can finally assuage your grandma’s fears that you’ll never make it down the aisle. Secondly - try not to panic. Remember that this wedding is your wedding, and it can be as elaborate or as simple as you’d like it to be. If you’re already freaking out about all the things you have to do, try to relax. Maybe planning a complicated wedding isn’t your thing - and that’s totally fine.
But maybe it is your thing, and you’ve spent the last decade or so imagining the perfect wedding. And that wedding is a everything that you have ever dreamed of – that’s fine too!
Whatever it is you’ve got in mind (and perhaps you’re not sure what it is yet) we’re here to help.
Step 1: Set a budget!
First and foremost, you will need to be honest with what you can afford. While you may have a vision of how you want your wedding to be, don’t be tempted to stretch your budget. Consider looking into various wedding packages that can offer great value and help you stay within your financial limits. After all, the amount you spend does not directly correlate with how much you enjoy your wedding, or how long you stay married for.
Step 2: Pick an estimate date and location
Give your definite guests as much heads-up as you can, especially if they need to travel overseas. It can be as simple as “Next September, in London” - it’s helpful to set expectations. If you’ve got overly enthusiastic relatives who keep bugging you about minor details, letting them know it’s not going to be for another two years can help put them off a bit, too.
Step 3: Choose a venue
If you want to find a wedding venue in London for the next year, here’s where it’s important to keep that date an estimate. Some of the best venues get booked up quite far in advance, especially for peak wedding weekends over the summer. If you can be a bit flexible, you’ll stand the best chance of snagging your dream venue.
Step 4: Agree on a guest-list
This is the most political part of planning a wedding – but remember, it’s your wedding! You don’t have to invite your Great Uncle Basil if you don’t want to. You’ll know the capacity of your chosen venue by now, so you’ll have an upper limit of how many guests you can invite. Just remember you don’t need to max out the space, and it’s nobody’s business but yours who you invite.
Planning a wedding can be a daunting task, with so many traditional options available for venues. However, for couples looking to inject some personality and uniqueness into their special day, unconventional wedding ideas for their venue can be the perfect solution. There are a plethora of unique wedding venues to choose from that will surely wow your guests. Think outside the box and consider venues that speak to your individual style and vision for the perfect wedding day. With a bit of creativity and flair, your venue can truly set the tone for a memorable and one-of-a-kind celebration.
City wedding
More couples than ever before are choosing to get married in the city where they live. And going local has a number of benefits! For example, your friends are more likely to be able to attend, lots of wedding venues in London are licensed for ceremonies, and many offer reception spaces, so you don’t have to worry about transporting your guests. Some couples worry about the cost of city weddings, but there are wedding venues near you for budgets of all shapes and sizes.
Themed
If you’re looking to go unique and unusual, look no further than a themed wedding. It might seem daunting at first, but some of the best weddings have a unique theme. For example, if you and your partner have a hobby or passion in common, why not incorporate it into your wedding? You don’t have to get all your wedding guests in fancy dress, but that being said - it can be a great ice breaker! There’s lots of fun elements you can incorporate with a theme, and the best part is that you don’t have to do them all to get into the spirit.
Pet friendly
Some couples have children when they get married, and some couples have pets (and some have both!). If you’ve got a furry companion you’d like to involve in your ceremony, think about opening up your wedding to your guests’ pets too. You’re likely to need a lot of outside space, and it’s good to check in advance whether every area of your wedding venue is pet friendly. But it can add a sense of fun and joy to the occasion, and your guests will be telling their friends about it for a long time.
Starting to look for your wedding locations can be a really exciting prospect. Maybe you’ve already got a Pinterest board filled with decoration ideas and potential wedding ceremony venues, or maybe you’re just excited to see what’s out there.
Either way, before you start shortlisting it’s a good idea to have a brainstorming session with your partner. They might appear to be disinterested in wedding planning generally, but dig a little deeper and you’re likely to find that they’ve got some opinions. If it turns out your future spouse has some very different ideas about how the nuptials are going to go down, you don’t want to find out once you’ve gone to visit 10 different wedding venues.
If you’re not sure how to start the conversation, try talking through this checklist:
Where?
Where do you imagine yourself getting married? Establish whether it’ll be at home or abroad, and then you can start narrowing it down. Country wedding or city wedding? In your hometown, or where you live now? Large or small wedding venue?
When?
Decided when you’re actually going to get married can be a bit complicated. Lots of couples in the UK get engaged over Christmas and New Years Eve, but believe it or not, planning your wedding for the following summer isn’t as easy as you’d think. Popular venues can get booked out a year in advance, especially for popular weekends in summer. If you’re set on a summer wedding, have a think about whether mid-week could work or if you’d be happy to hold off until the following year. For savvy couples, opting to get married in winter or spring can be a great way to snag the wedding venue of their dreams and potentially organise a cheaper rate.
What?
London has hundreds of stunning wedding venues and spaces to cater to every couple’s whims. But you’ll need to narrow down your options before you start your search. Would you like a cheap wedding venue? A private house? When you picture your wedding day, what do you see happening? Is it a grand, luxury wedding in a livery hall? Or does it have a rave-vibe in an authentic vacant warehouse? Are you planning to hire the whole venue? Whatever your little hearts’ desire, you’ll be able to find something to suit your style.
The cost of hiring your venue will depend on the type of venue you go for, its location, its size, as well as the number of guests you have. The average cost for wedding venue hire is between £3,000 and £4,000, however many venues base their prices on packages per hour or package per person. By booking with Canvas, you get to directly contact several venues at the same time. You can inform venue managers of your specifications and your budget, and see if they can be part of your dream day.
Booking your wedding venue is typically one of the first things on any bride or groom’s to-do list. You should plan to book your wedding reception venue at least a year to nine months before you date. That means you should start researching and doing the wedding tours a month of two before that to make sure you get your ideal venue on your ideal date. Once you’ve got your wedding venue and your confirmed date, then the planning really begins. You can organise your save-the-dates, wedding suppliers, entertainment, and everything else on top of that. Make sure you ask your venue manager if they have a list of recommended suppliers to save yourself some hardwork.
London is lucky enough to be filled with all types of wedding venues. From traditional wedding ceremony venues to alternative wedding reception venues, to grand Asian wedding venues, London’s got it. At Canvas, we pride ourselves on the event spaces we have on board, because we want to make it easy for event planners, including brides and grooms like you, to find the perfect venue for their big day or other celebrations. Whether you’re looking for wedding venues in East London, West London, North London or South London, we’ve got a fine mixture for you to get your hands on. Make the most of our filter system to pinpoint the area you’re looking in, the number of guests you have, and any other facilities you’ll need from the venue, and get in touch with the venue managers directly using our enquiry forms. Don’t forget about our wishlist feature if more than one catches your eye!
Hiring both a wedding ceremony and a wedding reception venue depends on the kind of day you’re planning. If you are opting for a traditional ceremony, it’s likely you will go to a church or similar for your wedding ceremony. However, some venues have a wedding license which means you can have a civil ceremony and reception in the same place. You can use our search filters to refine your search to only venues with a wedding license.If a venue doesn’t have a wedding license, you can have a religious or civil ceremony elsewhere then host your wedding reception at the venue you’ve chosen. Some choose to get legally married before the big day itself, which has the benefit of you and your guests not having to transfer between locations on the day.
Once you’ve secured your wedding venue and wedding date, you can start planning the rest of your big day. When you’ve confirmed this information, you can look at local catering companies, wedding photographers, wedding transport if you need to go to the reception venue from the ceremony, your wedding entertainment options, and of course, the wedding cake.
