Smaller more intimate London weddings are becoming increasingly more popular. Not only are they cool and sophisticated, but they are absolutely brimming with love and affection from the extremely close family and friends invited.

So if you are hoping to host an intimate London wedding, then you’ve landed in the right place. Here is a list of things to consider, what to do and what not to do, and a few of our favourite London venues you’ll want to visit.

WHAT SHOULD YOU CONSIDER?

To keep things easy, we’re going to start with a short bullet pointed list of things that you need to consider at the very beginning of planning a more intimate affair.

Firstly, numbers. How many people do you actually want to invite? Or what’s the minimum number of people that you can invite without offending anyone? Remember this is your day and so you can ultimately invite who ever you want to, but there will be some people that might not be worth letting slip from the net. Intimate can mean anything from 4-30 people, however if your guest list could have been 300, then I’d say 50 was pretty intimate too.
Do you want to feed everyone? Not all micro venues offer food as well, in particular London Town Halls, so you might need to consider an alternative location for a wedding breakfast after your ceremony. Restaurants can sometimes add up to become more expensive than wedding catering costs per head, so be careful not to tell anyone where you’re hoping to host until you’ve made sure the costs can be covered. Nobu for 30 people might not suit your budget.
Transport in London. If you’re travelling across London from one venue to the next, you’ll need to think about how you’re getting there. What day is it? What time of day is it? What will the traffic be like? What sort of dress are you planning to wear and would you feel comfortable travelling on the tube in it? Are you paying for everybody’s transport? Or are you close enough to walk? There is no right or wrong answer with what you choose to do, it’s just something that needs to be considered at the very beginning of the planning as it might influence where you chose to host.

WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO

DOS

do still focus on the little details. You might find you can splash out on things you couldn’t have afforded with a bigger venue and all of your guests will truly appreciate every detail

DONTS

don’t choose to plan an intimate wedding because you think it will be easier. There is a similar amount of planning that goes into any wedding no matter what the size

A few of our favourite London venues

There are so many incredible London venues, and it’s such an iconic city to get married in. Here are a few of our favourite spots that we think you’ll want to visit before making a decision.

10-11 Carlton House Terrace
A regal and iconic London location that is featured in the imagery throughout this blog post.
The Ned London
A stylish yet sophisticated affair and a definite show stopper venue for anyone familiar with the Soho House Group.
Petersham Nurseries
A hidden oasis just minutes from Covent Garden, with a relaxed country garden vibe.
Chelsea Old Town Hall
A favourite for the rich and famous and a very sophisticated spot for a smaller intimate affair.

You also should not search for a Wedding Venue without visiting the wonderful blog Coco Wedding Venues. It’s a firm favourite of ours for venue searching and really does showcase the very best places throughout the city.