By Rosalyn Wikeley
Couples who are looking for wedding venues in Marylebone are in good company. From Paul McCartney to Liam Gallagher, this leafy London neighbourhood has hosted a roster of A-listers weddings, and for good reason. Within its labyrinth of Georgian, Victorian and art-deco buildings lies an abundance of wedding venues for all styles of nuptials and celebrations, from the elegantly understated to the wow-factor wedding of the decade. In fact, a curation of high-end bridal boutiques and radically independent restaurants and wine bars (excellent planning spots) renders this delightful district an engaged couple’s one-stop-shop – keeping all the important tenets and trappings of wedding planning within easy reach.
But back to where you’re going to get married. From the Bridgerton-grade splendour of Home House to the endearing quirk of The Zetter Townhouse, here are the best wedding venues in Marylebone.
The Zetter Townhouse
Flaunting its Georgian good looks along Seymour Street, Zetter Townhouse Marylebone is a jewellery box of Victoriana – a grandy, quirky backdrop for more intimate weddings. With just 24 bedrooms, the sibling of equally eccentric Clerkenwell townhouse is painted in yesteryear noble strokes and filled with various curios and trinkets for guests to marvel at. This Dickensian backdrop calls for lavish wedding banquets, though the hotel’s signature eclecticism takes the edge off any stiff formalities. Between the resplendent Seymour’s Parlour and the Bar and Lounge area, couples can tailor the spaces and layout to their vision of the day, working in step with an incredibly personable and diligent events team. The best part? The striking interiors require little-to-no decoration, leaving you with more budget for the cocktails.
Nobu London Portman Square
If the plan is to steer clear of imposing Georgian interiors and Chintz, and if exquisite food is high on the agenda, Nobu London Portman Square is a stellar spot for an alternative and thoroughly chic wedding reception. Building on Nobu’s Park Lane legacy, this hotel takes its interiors as seriously as its food, with potential wedding spaces engulfing up to 700 guests and seizing on Nobu’s trademark: Japanese minimalism. The modern lick far from deprives these spaces of romance, in fact, the sleek, art-clad rooms feel at once calm and cosmopolitan, while the terrace’s clever lighting sets a smooth and sultry tone. Nobu’s fabled slick service also translates for events in the form of a dedicated, on-site wedding planner for couples to lean on and liaise with throughout the process. This is the hospitality group responsible for setting new standards on the world’s food scene, and now tips its gastronomic wand over wedding parties. Few guests will be able to resist the siren call (and euphoric taste) of Nobu’s infamous black cod miso, Chilean sea bass and kaleidoscopic sushi platters, while the traditionalists can lean into the British banqueting fare. And with sake substituted for Champagne and canapés consigning all that preceded them to the dustbins of memory, there is little competition for the food-first couple.
The Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill
For the classic London wedding with bells and whistles service and large guest lists, The Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill performs on all counts. Seating up to 180 people, this Marylebone hotel can conjure up couples’ visions spanning grand, blow-the-budget city weddings to more intimate celebrations, with a licence for civil marriages to boot. Its trump card is undeniably access to the bucolic gardens of Portman Square – a pretty location for newlywed photographs. This elegant hotel’s expert wedding planning team guides couples through all the steps, while bespoke ‘bundles’ allow the betrothed to tweak, perhaps skipping the rehearsal dinner concept and maybe going for a post-wedding brunch… Wedding guests’ stays are generously reduced, courtesy of the wedding bundle which also features a complimentary night stay to the bride and groom. Three rooms speak to different styles of weddings or, when combined, parts of the day. A refined and rather cosy library, washed in dark green with Winston Churchill’s private photographs lining the walls, can hold up to 50 guests (perfect for services or more intimate banquets). The opulent Chartwell Ballroom wows up to 180 guests with its panelled walls and chandelier-studded ceiling, while the Gallery is quite the antithesis, with its pared down pastel-blue walls and contemporary, light-filled spaces.
Home House
For a compact dose of grandeur, where walls adorned in pillars, intricate plasterwork, cornicing and murals spin guests into an era of unfettered decadence, celebrate your wedding at Home House. Facing onto Portman Square with an unassuming entrance, this Regency beauty not only has three rooms licensed for ceremonies but enjoys the charm and soul of a grand London townhouse, as opposed to a venue. Take the Front Parlour and Eating Room – chandelier-covered but endearingly quirky, which seats up to 70 guests on round tables, or the evocative mint-green Asylum Room, which feels film-set-ready for a memorable wedding dinner for 30. For the middle ground on numbers, the crimson Octagon’s 1820s neoclassical ceiling looms above 40 seated guests, or, like the Asylum, can double up as a photogenic ceremony space. Behind this ravishing townhouse’s sky high ceilings, peachy walls and statue-studded staircases lies a seasoned events team, working tirelessly to ensure a smooth ride for the betrothed and any family or friends involved in the planning.
The Grazing Goat
Set on the land where Lady Portman’s goats once grazed, this polished pub-with-rooms is a convenient ten minute walk from Marylebone Town Hall (ideal for those choosing to get hitched there). The Georgian wood-panelled interiors may be decorated in antlers, deep greens and old-fashioned paintings, but its character is distinctly fresh, arguably helped by symmetrical sash windows filling the room with natural light. This well-dressed pub’s dining room can seat up to 70 guests, or 120 for a standing reception where a large fireplace offers a focal point for speeches or photographs. And the best part? Cosy rooms upstairs await the wedding party.
Italian Greyhound
Those wanting to channel La Dolce Vita on their wedding day would be wise to pay the Italian Greyhound a visit. Guests are treated to plates of fresh pasta, beautifully-cooked fish and seasonal produce all sourced sustainably from local suppliers, and all served in casual cicchetti style. The grey walls of Marylebone’s new bar and dining room are awash with modern art and warmed with contemporary lighting. The beauty of this venue is its flexible approach to rooms and table layout. Couples can organise large, long tables in the main dining room, in The Garden Room or smaller tables scattered around the main bar, with capacity from 36 to 100. What’s more, the subdued interiors provide the perfect canvas for brides and grooms-to-be to add their own taste and design vision to.
The Prince Akatoki London
Celebrate your wedding in sharp minimalist style at The Prince Akatoki London, a Japanese hotel peacocking the country’s renowned hospitality prowess. The flawlessly simple oasis lies right in the heart of London and takes its food incredibly seriously. Wedding guests will be wowed by delectable plates of miso-glazed black cod, hot stone wagyu beef and sushi animated with edible flowers in two spaces which both honour that simple Japanese perfectionism. The Prince Room makes for a smooth and pared down standing reception (up to 40 people), while the dark woods of the Malt Lounge are moody, romantic setting for a 30-person reception or intimate 20-person formal dinner. The best part? The bridal party, ushers and guests can book into the blonde-wooded rooms and nurse hangovers in the fresh and exceptionally fancy mid century furniture with Japanese tea rituals.
Durrants Hotel
Owned by the same family for over a century, this 92 bedroom hotel has the touch of the Gentlemen’s club. Its Georgian exterior, roaring fires, leather studded benches and grandfather clocks riff on 18th century London – where gents tipped their hats and clinked whisky glasses together till the early hours. Couples looking for that English heritage backdrop that demands little decoration, save a few bouquets, would relish the cosy rooms, the antiques and the old world silver service. Intimate banquets can seat up to 55 guests, or traditional drinks receptions can cater up to 120, with plenty of elegant and unapologetically old fashioned rooms to lay their heads (and hang their top hats) in.
Home Grown
As an ornate playground for today’s brightest business minds, Home Grown has a notably different character to its sister property, Home House on Portman Square. Located on the corner of Great Cumberland Place, the exterior of this building may feel like a Dickensian film set but inside, a thrilling conversation between new and old is at play. Arty Nordic ceiling lights look down on original stone fireplaces, elaborate cornicing is painted in bold mustards and Danish chairs skirt tables in the Montagu room, where there’s little trace of antiquity. Here, 80 people can comfortably fit into understated surroundings for dinner, though for a more intimate (and opulent) affair, 18 wedding guests can eat beneath the Portman Room’s sweeping ceilings, where a traditional theme is thrust into a more modern design-first narrative. Home Grown’s best kept secret is undoubtedly its Secret Salon, a Bridgerton-style parlour with pops of colour and gilded peacock screens. A lucky 15 can stand here for celebratory cocktails or a Champagne toast (it would make a lovely bridal party spot with comfy armchairs to perch on before the nuptials begin in earnest).
For more information on Portman Marylebone venues, visit portmanmarylebone.com
Related article: Why Marylebone Is a One-Stop-Shop For Weddings
