Making the commitment to marriage provides couples with the perfect reason for a celebration that unites family and friends together on a day that none of them will forget. Making that happen in the most impressive way can be a challenge that involves months of planning, multiple services and inevitably hours of research into getting everything just right.
The central concern around all of this work is always the choice of wedding venue. It must accommodate the atmosphere that you want to convey, strike the right balance between personality and intimacy and create an environment of joy to share with every guest. South west London has more than its fair share of venues to fulfil this brief.
This guide is a collection of the very best to assist any initial considerations for such an important life event.
Pembroke Lodge
Richmond Park
For couples who want to capture their big day in the classic majesty of a Royal Park, Pembroke Lodge has to be high on the list. This Grade II-listed Georgian masterpiece of a mansion is a grand presence in Richmond Park with views that stretch from the Thames Valley to Windsor. It feels a million miles and a thousand years away from the modern bustle of central London, with heritage architecture, landscaped surroundings and a sense of space that supports this landmark life event with a true sense of style.
The grounds at Pembroke Lodge are a combination of formal lawns, woodland gardens and even include the world famous King Henry’s Mound that delivers a protected view of the London skyline. As a talking point, activity and photo opportunity for your guests on the day, there is perhaps nothing more impressive than this in the whole city.
The Belvedere Suite here is a contemporary venue, bathed in glorious daylight that makes the very most of its location through a private terrace. This is the preferred option for larger weddings with room for 140 ceremony guests and a capacity of around 200 for the evening reception. For more intimate events, The Russell Suite is a compact Georgian suite that overlooks private gardens, effectively getting the best of both worlds in this natural wonderland. Pembroke Lodge is everything that one could want from an English country wedding venue, all within the capital.
Grove House
Roehampton
Grove House in Roehampton is the standard bearer for elegant and graceful architecture in this beautiful neighbourhood. Built by the renowned architect James Watt in the late 18th century, it remains a celebration of the Palladian-style mansions of the Georgian era, rightly protected by its Grade II listing. It has everything associated with the country landscapes favoured by the English elite with rose gardens, verdant lawns and the ultimate backdrop of its very own lake.
One of the main attractions for weddings at Grove House is the wealth of choices within the location to suit the themes, styles and overall size of the event. The principal ceremony space has to be The Portrait Room that overlooks the lake from tall sash windows. An air of romance is carried through every fitting here with gilt-edged artworks, high ceilings and classic interior design still evident everywhere the eye can see. Up to 150 guests can be accommodated here and its connections to ancillary rooms and the grounds outside give it a pleasing flow for the day’s schedule too.
The Terrace Room is a space that has all the desired set-up for live music and entertainment to start the party when the ceremony has ended. A dance floor leads effortlessly on to the garden terrace, so spring and summer evening receptions here can accommodate dancing feet and calmer garden walks in equal measure. Grove House is refined, warm and engaging while still offering all of the facilities necessary for a big, modern and unforgettable wedding day.
Le Gothique
Wandsworth
If one is looking to make an impact on the wedding season with a unique event in a remarkable location, then Le Gothique must be a consideration. The imposing Gothic turrets and towers of the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building on Wandsworth Common were built in 1859 as an institution for the orphans of the Crimean War and are now one of the most interesting event spaces found anywhere in the city. Le Gothique is the site of the old great hall and central courtyard, complete with stone cloisters and creeping ivy-clad walls that look like a wedding photographer’s dream destination.
Although the interior of the Great Hall makes it a fine venue for the ceremony, it is impossible to ignore the allure of The Secret Garden at Le Gothique for the whole day’s events. This secluded gem can easily be partially covered, lit and heated for use all year round and the effect feels like a striking and unique fairytale aesthetic that is difficult to support anywhere else. So much so, that some couples have arranged for their ceremony to be performed at dusk when the sunlight surrenders to the glow of candles and amber lights across the arches and stone of this fascinating building. Le Gothique is a rare type of wedding venue that can inform the events of the day in a most valuable way.
Royal Botanic Gardens
Kew
The use of flowers during wedding ceremonies has been an important element for thousands of years. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome, blossoms and garlands were carried on the day to signify new beginnings, luck and life and the tradition has evolved across all countries and cultures right up to the present day. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are the perfect modern way to celebrate this tradition with a venue that offers 300 acres of landscaped beauty in a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There are plenty of options for a space here to make your own for the day too. Cambridge Cottage delivers a country house ambience for up to 80 guests, all within the walls of what was once the Duke of Cambridge’s royal residence. The Nash Conservatory is a glasshouse that uses all of its abundance of natural light to great effect for up to 200 people at the ceremony. And the remarkable Temperate House will have up to 230 guests enthralled in the natural wonder of the towering palms and exotic flowers from all over the globe that surround them. Planning the programme for the day between any of these spaces and the outstanding botanical beauty of the exterior is an essential step to take. Kew Gardens is where architecture, history and the natural world are all on show in their resplendent finest, with everything just waiting for a happy couple to join in.
From the ceremony to the wedding breakfast and on to the party in the evening, the right venue acts as the guardian of the entire programme for the day. Choosing any of these south-west London venues will make one feel confident that the biggest piece of the jigsaw has already been found. The rest is likely to fall into place very soon after.
