Stationers’ Hall, Weddings in London
Stationers’ Hall, in the City of London, is home to the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers. When it’s not hosting members of the publishing industry, it doubles up as a beautiful wedding venue. Perfect if you want to get married in a Grade-I listed building in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral. In fact, the venue is so pretty it once featured on an episode of reality TV series Don’t Tell the Bride.
Not surprising, really, when you consider the history of this place. The building was originally constructed a few years after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and, later in 1800, it was remodelled to its current state by architect Robert Mylne (who first made his name designing the nearby Blackfriars Bridge). The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers (one of the City of London’s many livery companies) has occupied it from the very start.
There are two large rooms available for civil ceremonies. The smaller of the two is the Court Room, with capacity for up to 120 seated guests. “It’s wonderfully bright, richly carpeted and with rococo ornamentation in gold adorning the walls,” explain the weddings team. “It’s dominated by an 18th-Century carved mantelpiece.”
The larger room, with capacity for up to 200 seated guests (or 450 standing), is the Main Hall. “This has many features such as gleaming oak flooring and carved oak panelling originating from the 1600s,” the weddings team add. “The huge stained-glass windows give this room an impressive ambience during the day in natural daylight or in the evening when backlit. The use of permitted candles throughout adds to the ambiance.”
There’s certainly no lack of stunning wedding photo backdrops at the venue. As the weddings team explain, the happy couple can pose in front of the Court Room fireplace, the stained-glass windows in the Main Hall or at one of the “incredible landmarks just nearby – St Paul’s Cathedral, for example, or the Millennium Bridge”.
A lovely courtyard garden makes the venue perfect for summer weddings. There are also wooden floors in both function rooms – just what you need for dancing once the speeches are over. The weddings team say they are happy for live bands or DJs to perform, and they point out that there’s a late licence available until 1am. Although there’s no overnight accommodation, this is central London many hotels are located within walking distance. Some offer preferential rates for Stationers’ Hall guests.