10 Tips for Planning a London Wedding
London Wedding Planning
I am a HUGE fan of a city wedding, and London, home to myself and millions of other couples, is a wonderful place to get married. Many of us met here, fell in love here and live out the story of our lives here. So what better location to celebrate our love?
For other couples London is the dream location for their destination wedding celebrations. Honouring family roots, past visits, or just choosing London because it is one of the most beautiful and most exciting cities in the world.
That’s not to say a stunning British country wedding or stylish destination nuptials aren’t as amazing, they really are. But those who know me, also know that I am a big advocate of creating a wedding that is authentic to the couple getting married and for some of you that might be a wonderful London wedding.
If a slick city art gallery, chic favourite restaurant, or historic London landmark is more your vibe than a country barn or rural castle these ten tips are for you.
Photo by Elena Popa
Top Tips for Planning a London Wedding
Consider a Town Hall wedding ceremony
One thing London has in abundance is beautiful iconic town halls. The stunning Art Deco building that is Hackney Town Hall with its breathtaking Atria. Or prime city location meets period splendour in the recently restored Old Marylebone Town Hall and popular Chelsea Town Hall. And that’s just for starters! Check out the local council managed venue in your chosen borough.
Discover unique wedding venue options
One of the great perks of a city wedding is the variety of amazing buildings and unique spaces that are available for wedding hire. There are more than just your traditional wedding venues and stylish hotels. Do your research and you’ll discover so many London gems.
Think about spaces you love; galleries, museums, restaurants, bars, community spaces, historic buildings and see if they offer wedding hire. And if a stylish industrial wedding is totally you there are some awesome warehouses, urban conversions, railway arch spaces, photography studios etc.
Partner with a London based wedding planner
Just like with any destination wedding (whether you are living here or not) you cannot beat working with a local expert. And when I say local I mean someone who is a London resident and/or who plans a lot of events in London. We know the city like the back of our hand and can offer the best experience-led advice on how to best celebrate here. On top of that we' already have good working relationships with the most exciting venues and the crème de la crème of London wedding vendors.
Photo by Elena Popa
Work with local wedding suppliers
One thing I am really passionate about is the phenomenal talent we have here in the London wedding world. To date I have met and worked with some amazing wedding professionals who put so much love and energy into each and every wedding. And they know best how to manage the logistics of London roads, routes, and parking.
Many of us shop local and support small businesses in our day-to-day lives, so why wouldn’t we do the same for our wedding? I am constantly adding to my directory of trusted suppliers, so I can recommend the best London professionals to my clients.
Consider city travel
Let’s be honest one of the downsides of big city living is the mass of vehicles and the slow moving traffic. Make sure you factor this into your wedding planning, especially if you are hosting your reception in a different part of London to your ceremony. Check potential road closures in advance, put realistic travel time into the wedding schedule and think about putting on group transport for your guests, such as hiring a vintage London bus.
If you have a journey time longer than 15 minutes consider providing drinks for your guests. Canned wine, beers and pre-mixed cocktails or mini bottles of champagne always go down well with guests.
Photo by Elena Popa
Make the most of the city backdrop
The London skyline is one of the most spectacular cityscapes in the world. From the historic iconic buildings of Big Ben, Tower Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral, to the sculptural modern structures of The Shard, The Gherkin and The London Eye. You can make London the perfect backdrop to your wedding by hosting your celebrations in a renowned location or selecting a venue with a view.
The London streets with unique street art and interesting building facades also present the perfect opportunity for some great couple or group photos.
Work with London designers
The pool of talent doesn’t just extend to your on the day wedding suppliers. London is a huge hub for fashion and design in the UK and a home for many great forward-thinking creatives.
Exciting jewellery designers are popping up all over London not just in traditional Hatton Garden, and modern tailors are shaking up Savile Row. And don’t even get me started on the AMAZING bridal wear and accessories designers!
Source great accommodation
One of the great things about hosting a city wedding is the great variety of accommodation options for you and your guests. Treat yourself to your wedding night in one of London’s best hotels.
And for your guests...they can Airbnb a beautiful London Town house, treat themselves to a luxury spa hotel or perhaps check in to one of the UK’s coolest boutique hotels. Be sure to provide your guests with recommendations to suit a variety of price points.
Photo by Laura Martha
Early doors or party until the small hours
When planning any wedding you want to make sure you’ve considered the timings of your event. In London, reception venues in more residential areas or public buildings may have restrictions on how late the celebrations can run until so be sure to check. If partying until the early hours is a priority then you will want to look at venues with late licences and no after hours noise restrictions.
Also take note of access hours, buildings that have multiple uses may have less flexible hours that will affect your timings for set up and break down.
Make it a ‘weekend’ city break
Multi-day celebrations aren’t solely suited to those exclusive use rural venues and destination holiday weddings. Turn your London wedding into a weekend experience that makes the most of all the city has to offer. Consider hosting a rehearsal dinner and/or welcome drinks in your favourite London location, organise activities for out of town guests, and finish of the celebrations with one of the cities famous brunches or Sunday roasts in an amazing restaurant or pub.
If you are planning a London wedding and you’d like support from a professional who is as passionate about your London wedding as you are you check out my wedding planning services. There you can find out more about how I can help you pull off the perfect city celebration!
Photo by Elena Popa