Funky Wedding Venues

Venue Review

Character: English renaissance masterpiece with 18th century neo-classical makeover; Airy and light but intimate and sumptuous too.

Funky Features: Grand cobbled courtyard with 55 jet fountains; temporary and permanent shows of art and objects; once a royal residence.

Location and History

Somerset House announces a new wedding and civil partnership service. From April 2009, Somerset House, the most spectacular eighteenth century palace in London, will for the first time, become available for weddings and civil ceremonies. Situated on the North bank of the River Thames, Somerset House has views across the whole of the South bank and Palace of Westminster. The building’s grand neo-classical architecture and rich history will lend a priceless setting to these special events.

Built by Sir William Chambers in 1776, the current Somerset House was constructed on the site of an earlier Royal Palace. Since the sixteenth century, the site has been a Queen’s Royal Residence, the workplace of Charles Darwin whilst writing his theories of evolution, and home to the Royal Academy.

Interior and Spaces for Hire

On the big day, entrances will be made through the dramatic Strand Vestibule into the public Edmond J Safra Fountain Court, an Italian-style piazza and stunning location for photographs. The Portico Rooms provide a flexible space for a bespoke pre-ceremony reception, followed by the service in the main Portico Room.

After the ceremony, the party can be invited to The Navy Board Rooms, the historic office of Admiral Lord Nelson, for a magnificent champagne reception. In the Portico Rooms there will be the opportunity for a seated wedding breakfast, with access to two balconies offering uninterrupted views of the River Thames on one side, and the Edmond J Safra Fountain Court on the other. For a beautiful evening reception, The Seamen’s Hall can accommodate up to 150 guests with a dance floor and private use of the stunning River Terrace.

Somerset House is able to accommodate up to 80 guests for a ceremony and wedding breakfast, and up to 150 guests for an evening reception with dancing.

Catering and other event elements are provided by the venue’s list of accredited suppliers, chosen to provide a variety of styles to suit all tastes, with Leith’s having sole catering rights for evening receptions in the Seamen’s Hall.