HOW TO HAVE A NON-CITY LONDON WEDDING
A non-city London Wedding, is that even possible? A few weeks back I had the immense pleasure of spending a night at The Bingham in Richmond. It was such a change to the typical London hotel experience I’m used to. Those grand revolving doors, hundreds of guests shuffling in and out on a well presented but ultimately impersonal conveyor belt system. You can picture it can’t you? It got me thinking about the problems brides and grooms face when planning a wedding in the city and whether it’s possible to do things without the hustle and bustle. Lots of food for thought below.
1. It all starts with the Venue
Converted homes and boutique spaces are going to be so much more intimate than huge purpose built establishments. You want to feel that your Wedding is the biggest thing happening so avoid venues that host multiple events at one time. If you are planning to have children in attendance, ensuring your venue is family friendly will also be a priority.
2. Green spaces
Having a garden area is a rarity in the heart of London so having any green space immediately achieves that non-city wedding vibe. If you’re lucky enough to find a city Wedding venue with outdoor space you can consider having a civil/ humanist ceremony, drinks reception, marquee, lawn games or even your Wedding breakfast outdoors.
3. Eat with your eyes
Thanks to Instagram, Pinterest and the popularity of shows like MasterChef and Bake Off we’re all foodies now. They say you eat with your eyes so incorporate some showmanship into your Wedding Breakfast and canape reception. Again if your venue has a beautiful garden you could even consider a BBQ!
Something that’s really popular with my brides this year is having cocktails instead of just champagne for the drinks reception. Mixologists at your venue can come up with custom creations that combine your favourite flavours or perhaps incorporate elements of your wedding styling.
4. Catch some zeds
This is again where boutique hotels come into their own. At The Bingham you can exclusively hire the whole hotel with its 15 bedrooms for your Wedding celebrations. A homely feel is often a key factor when looking for non-city venues. That idyllic dream of having your closest friends and family sharing the night before excitement and then spilling tales over a post-Wedding brunch.
5. Do you feel special?
You’ll want to build a relationship with your venue so it’s key to get along with the whole team and feel they support your ideas. It’s fun if you can return to enjoy anniversary weekends, Sunday lunches or even pre-Wedding planning sessions over Afternoon Tea.
Special thanks to The Bingham hotel for all these pretty images. To find out more about their new Wedding packages and the fabulous team, head to – www.thebingham.co.uk