London wedding venues I actually know
London has an absurd number of places in which to get married. Some are beautiful, some are strange, some are both, and quite a few look much better in photographs than they do in a brochure.
This is not a definitive list assembled from other people’s websites. These are venues I’ve worked in: town halls, hotels, warehouses, old music halls and rooms that appear to have been designed after a particularly good lunch.
The useful question is not which venue is “best”. It is which one feels most like the wedding you want to have.
Contents
20 London wedding venues
20 venues · personally reviewed by Nick Tucker
— 1. Wilton’s Music Hall, East London
Wilton’s is on Grace’s Alley in Whitechapel. The balconies, worn surfaces and music-hall stage give the room a character that is hard to manufacture.
It can be dark. That is part of the atmosphere, and I’d rather work with it than light the place until it looks like somewhere else. See my Wilton’s wedding photographs and the music hall’s own website for more.
— 2. The Chainstore
The Chainstore at Trinity Buoy Wharf is a warehouse on the Thames, with brick walls, wooden beams and a riverside terrace. It has a very different feel from the smaller Electrician’s Shop.
The river, the lighthouse and the space to move around are part of the story here. There are more photographs in my Trinity Buoy Wharf guide. The venue’s current wedding information sets out the Chain and Buoy Store options.
— 3. The Electrician’s Shop, Trinity Buoy Wharf
The Electrician’s Shop is the smaller, more intimate counterpart to the Chainstore. I’ve photographed its bright upper room and its atmospheric basement: two very different ways of using the same building.
These photographs reflect weddings I’ve shot here. For current availability and the spaces now offered, ask Trinity Buoy Wharf directly. There are more photographs and first-hand notes in my Trinity Buoy Wharf wedding stories.
— 4. MC Motors, Dalston
MC Motors in Dalston has the texture of an old working building: industrial doors, brickwork and plenty of things that make a photograph interesting before anyone has decorated it.
See Gareth and Dave’s wedding for a day I photographed here. These photographs are from an earlier celebration; check current wedding-hire availability with Castle Gibson.
— 5. Asylum Chapel, Peckham
Asylum Chapel stands in Caroline Gardens, Peckham. The “asylum” was a refuge for retired licensed victuallers, not a psychiatric hospital. The chapel’s surviving stained glass and weathered interior are part of a building with an ongoing conservation programme.
It is a ceremony venue, so the reception needs a separate home. The texture and light are the reason I keep coming back to these photographs. See the chapel’s own history and conservation notes for the story behind the room.
— 6. Town Hall Hotel, Bethnal Green
Town Hall Hotel is on Patriot Square in Bethnal Green. The former town hall has become a hotel, but the staircase, ceremony rooms and architectural detail still give it a very particular identity.
It works as a setting for photographs of people moving through a building, rather than simply posing in front of it. The hotel’s wedding information explains which spaces are currently available.
— 7. Claridge’s, Mayfair
Claridge’s is on Brook Street in Mayfair. The ballroom, staircases and chequered entrance hall make the place immediately recognisable, but a wedding here can still be a very personal affair.
There are photographs from a Claridge’s ballroom wedding and a smaller winter wedding elsewhere in the Journal. Ask Claridge’s about current room and reception arrangements.
— 8. The Standard, King’s Cross
The Standard sits on Argyle Street, opposite St Pancras. Its interiors give a London wedding a very different feel from a traditional hotel ballroom: strong colour, concrete and plenty of visual character.
Isla and its terrace are separate from The Rooftop on the eleventh floor; Decimo is on the tenth. Which spaces are available for your celebration matters more than a general hotel capacity. Check the hotel’s restaurants and terraces when planning the day.
— 9. Bourne & Hollingsworth, Clerkenwell
Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings is in Clerkenwell. The botanical interiors and the movement between dinner and the party give it a different rhythm from a wedding spent in one large room.
See the Zetter Townhouse and Bourne & Hollingsworth wedding for the photographs, and Bourne & Hollingsworth for current hire details.
— 10. Rochelle Canteen, Shoreditch
Rochelle Canteen is at Rochelle School, by Arnold Circus in Shoreditch. It is a place to consider when the meal is central to the celebration, with the school setting around it giving the day room to breathe.
See my Rochelle Canteen wedding photographs. The school’s private-hire information is the place to check the spaces, timings and arrangements currently offered.
— 11. 2 Temple Place
Two Temple Place is just off the Embankment. The carved wood, staircase and richly detailed rooms give the photographs a strong setting without much being added to them.
See my Two Temple Place wedding photographs and the venue’s wedding information for the current hire options.
— 12. Victoria & Albert Museum
The V&A in South Kensington offers gallery spaces and the John Madejski Garden for private events and wedding celebrations. A wedding among the collections is a very different proposition from an ordinary reception room.
Ask the museum which spaces and arrangements are available for your event. Its venue-hire page covers the current options, including the other V&A sites.
— 13. The Organ Factory, Hackney
The Organ Factory is in St Peter’s Square, London E2, opposite St Peter’s Church. The wedding I photographed for Emilie and Matt began at the church before moving across to the reception.
The venue has several distinct spaces, including the Chapel Studio, Main Hall, Mill & Bar and forecourt. See the venue’s wedding information for the current arrangements, and Emilie and Matt’s wedding for how the day looked.
— 14. Clapton Country Club, Hackney
Clapton Country Club is at 38–40 Upper Clapton Road, E5 8BQ. A former tram shed, it has been filled with reclaimed materials and the sort of details that make a room feel inhabited rather than hired.
The photographs here are from a wedding I’ve shot at the club. For current hire options and guest numbers, use the venue’s own wedding information.
— 15. Old Finsbury Town Hall
On Rosebery Avenue, Old Finsbury Town Hall is a former town hall rather than a historic music hall. Its grand rooms and decorative detail make a very different setting from the warehouses elsewhere in this guide.
These are photographs from an earlier wedding. The venue currently states that it is unavailable for external hire, so this entry is a record of work there rather than a current booking recommendation.
— 16. ICA — Institute of Contemporary Arts
The ICA is on The Mall, beside St James’s Park. The Nash and Brandon Rooms combine Regency plasterwork with tall windows and balconies overlooking the park.
The contrast between these rooms and the ICA’s contemporary spaces is part of its appeal. The ICA’s wedding page sets out the current ceremony, reception and party options.
— 17. Farm Street Church, Mayfair
Farm Street Church is the Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair. The interior makes a strong setting for the ceremony; the streets outside become part of the day as everyone leaves together.
This is a church ceremony followed by a reception elsewhere. Contact the church directly about eligibility and arrangements for getting married there.
— 18. The Charterhouse, Clerkenwell
The Charterhouse is on Charterhouse Square in Clerkenwell. Its history includes a monastery, a Tudor mansion and an almshouse, and the rooms and courtyards carry that history into the photographs.
The building is also a living community. Check the Charterhouse’s own information for current private-event options and access.
— 19. Bobby Fitzpatrick, West Hampstead
Bobby Fitzpatrick is a bar at 273 West End Lane, NW6 1QS, with a thoroughly committed seventies interior. Think patterned wallpaper, retro rooms, cocktails and pizza.
That staircase is a fairly good indication of what you’re in for. See Katie and Barney’s Islington Town Hall wedding for the ceremony and their journey here, or the bar’s party bookings page for current hire options.
— 20. Sessions Arts Club, Clerkenwell
Sessions Arts Club occupies the old judges’ dining room at Sessions House on Clerkenwell Green. It is a restaurant, bar, art and performance space, with terraces around the dining room.
The room has enough character without inventing any more for it. See Victoria and Richard’s wedding at St Bartholomew the Great and Sessions Arts Club for a complete day, and contact Sessions for current private-event arrangements.
For a smaller celebration in Chelsea, see Will and Kate’s Petyt Hall wedding: courtyard conversations, red walls and a ceilidh.
Before you book
Visit the room, ideally at the time of day you’ll be using it. Ask where everyone goes between the ceremony, dinner and dancing, what happens if it rains, and what is included in the hire. Guest numbers, access, catering and finishing times are questions for the venue directly; they can change.
A dim room isn’t a problem in itself. Some of my favourite wedding photographs were made in places with very little light. What matters is how the day feels, and how the photographs tell that story.
If a town hall feels more like you, there are photographs and practical notes from Old Marylebone Town Hall and Islington Town Hall. You can also see my wedding photographs for days that move between several London places.
I’m based in Hastings and St Leonards, photographing weddings in London, across the UK and further afield.
Guide revised: October 2026.
Planning a London wedding?
Tell me where you’re getting married and what you have in mind. I’d love to hear about it.
Links to my blog posts on these iconic London wedding venues:
TRINITY BUOY WHARF – ELECTRICIANS SHOP
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY · WEDDING ON 35MM FILM · CHECK MY AVAILABILITY