5 Beautifully Historic Royal Palace Wedding Venues
With all the pomp and ceremony that descended on the capital last weekend as we celebrated the King’s Coronation, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to celebrate some of the very best royal palaces that you can get married in. With many of them still used by royalty, if it’s a fairytale wedding you’re after, one of these wedding venues might just be the one for you!
1. Hampton Court Palace
The former home of Henry VIII, it’s fair to say the stunning and well-loved Hampton Court Palace is filled with history and grandeur from this former monarch. Surrounded by acres of manicured gardens, roaming grounds and courtyards, this Tudor palace has an abundance of lovely spaces to host your wedding in and celebrate those special moments. Their Little Banqueting House is perfect for intimate weddings and is one of their most picturesque locations, with views over the Thames and lots of intricate Tudor and Baroque architecture. For larger weddings, their Garden Room is a pretty light, airy and spacious area designed in the style of a 1920’s orangery, or if you want lots of grandeur, consider hosting your wedding within the Great Hall, which was originally designed as a feasting chamber for Henry VIII. The space is licensed for ceremonies too and can host up to 200 guests.
2. Kensington Palace
The birthplace of Queen Victoria, Kensington Palace is a firm favourite with the royal family and still remains a private residence for a number of the royal family today. Set within the tranquil Kensington Gardens, it has a lovely timeless elegance to it and only hosts a limited number of weddings each year. With the ability to host weddings both large and small, their King’s Drawing Room is a lovely light and warm room with amazing views over Queen Victoria’s statue, the Round Pond and Kensington Gardens and can host up to 70 guests. Their Cupola Room is perfect for intimate weddings and is in fact where Queen Victoria was baptised. The room can seat 30 guests and has pretty views over the Wiggly Walk and the Sunken Garden and Pavilion. Finally, for larger weddings they have the Kensington Palace Pavilion which is a glass fronted building overlooking the Sunken Garden. It’s a really versatile reception space and can host up to 300 guests for dinner and dancing.
3. Kew Palace
Set within the unspoilt grounds of Kew Royal Botanical Gardens, this beautiful grade I listed palace was originally the home of George III and Queen Charlotte. As a beloved family home, the venue is equal parts regal and intimate, and ideal for a more off-beat and relaxed wedding day within royal settings. Ideal for smaller weddings, you can host your wedding in the King’s Dining Room which is furnished almost identically to how it was back in the day when King George III hosted lively dinners. This space can host up to 40 guests for a standing reception or 30 for a seated dinner. You can also make the most of the King’s Breakfast Room too which is filled with lots of knick knacks and curiosities and can seat 24 for a reception. If you fancy something a little alternative, why not host your reception in the Royal Kitchens, surrounded by copper boilers, charcoal stoves and colourful brickwork with up to 40 of your nearest and dearest. Finally, if you’d like to embrace the botanical setting, the Queen’s Garden can host up to 40 guests and is laid out in 17th century style, complete with a gazebo, Florentine sculpture and sunken garden.
4. Hillsborough Castle
A stunning castle location that is Northern Ireland’s only royal residence, Hillsborough Castle is where all the royals choose to stay when visiting the area. Located just 20 minutes from Belfast, this Georgian mansion is surrounded by 100 acres of beautiful gardens and is a very pretty backdrop to your wedding day, with an abundance of spaces to choose from. For larger weddings, they have two garden marquee sites on their South Lawn and West Terrace that are surrounded by ornamental grounds, peaceful woodlands, waterways and manicured lawns. Licensed for civil ceremonies too, these spaces host up to 350 guests. Alternatively you can host your wedding in the State Rooms and follow in the footsteps of royalty, presidents and peacemakers. Host a dinner in the Throne Room where the late Queen received guests at a coronation ball in 1953, or in their elegant State Dining Room surrounded by priceless oil paintings. Their original library which is now known as the State Drawing Room is their show-stopping event space, featuring pretty and delicate colours that were favoured by the Queen Mother. With light filled French windows that open onto the garden, this space can host up to 80 guests for dinner.
5. Osbourne House
Bought by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1845 as a seaside retreat in the Isle of Wight, Osbourne House has been home to an abundance of lovely royal family memories. The venue gave the couple a lovely private home away from court life for 50 years and in that time they entertained myriad of foreign royalty and visiting ministers and provided a safe haven for Queen Victoria during times of strife. Whilst feeling elegant and classic in design, many of the rooms still feature the original furniture and works of art of the family, along with the gardens having been planted to Albert’s design. They have a number of spaces inside in which to host your ceremony and reception, along with their Durbar Lawn Marquee site. Perfect for larger weddings of up to 300 guests, the spot has amazing views of the house and grounds, with views all the way down to the Solent.