When the world is your oyster, why get married in London?
Well, why not? Seriously. London has to be one of the greatest cities in the world to get married in – there’s so much more to the capital than just red buses and red telephone boxes. London offers heritage & culture (great theatre, opera, every possible kind of music and dance), historic sites and buildings, a rich and royal history, dating back to the Romans, meticulously preserved traditions like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. And besides all this, London has romance. Westminster Abbey, the site of so many glittering coronations and fairy-tale weddings, will rise to the occasion once again on 29th April, when it’s the turn of Prince William, the future king and his long-standing sweetheart Kate Middleton.
Add to this historic richness the wealth brought by a hundred minority cultures ––think of the astonishingly grand and beautiful Hindu temple at Wembley, or the riot of colour and sound that is the Notting Hill Carnival––and the range of possibilities trebles.
If you live in London, and you are planning to get married in the city, you’ll already know something of the rich variety at your disposal. If not, the likelihood remains that you’ll have family and friends who also live in London, who can give you their insights and recommendations. But there are other sources of help. This will be needed, if, as is most likely, you plan to make London the scene of your wedding, honeymoon and main holiday of the year.
Research shows that last year the average wedding in the UK cost £21,000. London weddings are slightly dearer, costing the bride and groom closer to £32,000 and upwards. Careful planning will be required.
First comes your choice of venue. No matter whether you are planning a traditional white wedding, civil partnership or civil ceremony registry office wedding, London has an extraordinary range of potential wedding venues, some truly surprising. Apart from the usual luxury hotels, there are, for example, ancient guild halls and other historic buildings, magnificent country houses, castles even. Or why not consider something really unusual that reflects your own unique personalities.
More, much more, is possible than you might at first imagine. Often, you have only to ask.
Here are just five of our own suggestions:
1. How about tying the knot at the geographic centre of the Earth –– or at least at Greenwich, the prime meridian of the world. When you get married at the National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House and Royal Observatory – your guests can enjoy spectacular views across London and gaze at the stars with a private telescope viewing after dinner in the original Meridian Line courtyard.
2. Tie the knot on one of the great historic rivers of the world? Winding from lovely Hampton Court in the West, past dozens of iconic buildings such as the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge, the Thames is the perfect background for your triumphal wedding cruise, or even just a memorable drinks reception afloat. The photo album will be really memorable. Or to go literally over the top, just your guests up and round the London Eye, before inviting them on that very special cruise.
3. Or again, if your bloke is into sports, he might even talk you into the holy of holies ––the Emirates Stadium, or Stamford Bridge (he will explain, but make sure he goes for the right date, or =you might have company). Also available are Twickenham (rugby), Lords (cricket), and glamorous Wimbledon (Tennis).
4. Fine-dining for your wedding breakfast or reception? London is home to some of the world’s greatest restaurants (238 Michelin starred establishments) and super-chefs Raymond Blanc, Gordon Ramsay, Anton Eldermann, Gary Rhodes, Giorgio Locatelli, Jamie Oliver, or Richard Corrigan, to name just a few. If this seems a bit conventional, throw in a superb view, with Galvin at Windows, The Oxo Tower, The Gherkin, or the Paramount Restaurant.
5. London is the birthplace of some of the world’s greatest writers ––John Keats, Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for starters, and Shakespeare’s original Globe Theatre has now been reconstructed. Plenty of scope there too.
But yes, yes and yes––you will need specialist help. Someone on the ground, with the experience and skills to make this special day happen. In short, you need a wedding planner. Why not sound out Kim Rix, a member of a reputable consortium of Destination Wedding Planners – called ‘ExtraOrdinary Destination Weddings’.
As a Destination Wedding Planner, Kim represents London, UK and Ireland. The consortium gives Kim access to a global resource of Award-winning wedding planners and Wedding Destinations worldwide. So if you decided to stay at home after all … she could still provide help.
But do give London a thought!
