Our Guide to London Affordable Wedding Venues
Venues are notoriously the most costly portion of your wedding budget. They do, after all, form the main backdrop to your wedding day. However, you don’t have to sacrifice your dream venue to keep costs down, as we know lots of tips and tricks that instantly lower the prices.
For example, you could opt for a London wedding venue with a minimum spend arrangement, which means that all of your money goes towards food and drink, rather than the venue hire. This arrangement tends to occur at bars and restaurants like The Kitty Hawk or Humble Grape Fleet Street, where the minimum spend could be under £10,000.
There are also some surprisingly great package deals at our most popular London venues. Don’t be afraid to investigate, as places like the luxurious Hurlingham Club in Fulham have starting packages from £100 per head, and the 5-star Andaz London Liverpool Street costs £99 per head. Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch can also host weddings for as low as £75 per guest.
Venue Specialist Tip No. 1: Choose Your Vibe
If you’d prefer a relaxed and informal wedding day, then this will already start to make things more affordable. Rather than opting for an expensive hotel venue or a historic palace, you could choose a pub, restaurant, or a lesser-known London venue and still have an amazing time.
For instance, couples always rave about their St Bart’s Brewery pub weddings in Farringdon, where the standing packages include hearty bowl food, a pop-up drinks station and a DJ for £85 per person. 10-11 Carlton House is another hidden gem in St James’s with ten different heritage event spaces. Their affordable Carlton Wedding package costs £97 per head. Contact our VenueCrew London Venue Specialists to discover all the best deals in the city.
Venue Specialist Tip No. 2: Be Flexible On The Date
Choosing off-peak dates and mid-week days brings the prices down significantly. Sometimes, London venues also offer last-minute booking deals or seasonal offers that are too good to miss out on! Luckily, VenueCrew keeps up to date with all the discounts available and our London Venue Specialists can share affordable venues that might be off your radar.
Let’s take Belair House, a beautiful Georgian manor house in Dulwich, as an example. If you book a Sunday, the minimum spend is just £7000 for the exclusive hire. Queen’s House is another sought after mansion house in Greenwich, that can be booked for under £4000 during off-peak months. As you can see, there are fantastic offers if you plan outside of the peak wedding season.
Venue Specialist Tip No. 3: Don’t Be Afraid to DIY
Often, the most memorable aspects of your wedding day are the personal touches that make it your own. As they say, it’s the little details that count! So, if you’re opting for a more affordable blank canvas venue, be prepared to bring your preferred decorations that suit your theme.
A lot of brides and grooms enjoy adding a traditional vintage touch as ‘something old’ on their wedding day. It’s great to look on Pinterest for inspiration, upcycle old things or get crafty with homegrown flowers or handwritten table settings. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your friends for DIY help, as they’ll be excited to play a part in planning your big day.
Venue Specialist Tip No. 4: Consider Dry Hire
Rather than a pricey wedding venue where all the food, drink and decorations are included, you could opt for a dry hire venue to save on costs. This is the basic venue hire without all the frills, so you have more flexibility to choose suppliers and caterers that suit your budget.
Some of our most popular dry hire venues include The Brewery, and its huge capacity gives it a great value at £12,000. 116 Pall Mall is another large dry hire wedding venue with a variety of elegantly appointed event spaces for £9,000. Our London Venue Specialists know their stuff when it comes to dry hire, so they’d be delighted to chat you through the options available.
Venue Specialist Tip No.5: Consider alternative rooms within your ideal venue
Do you have your eye on a particular venue but worry it could be too expensive? Fear not, as some places have alternative rooms that could work within your price range. For example, the world-renowned Kew Gardens has an enchanting house called Cambridge Cottage on-site that can be hired for £3,500, or the magnificent Grand Connaught Rooms have a collection of smaller dry hire event spaces that are under £5,000 on weekdays and off-peak dates.
Venue Specialist Tip No. 6: Contact VenueCrew For A Free Consultation
Looking for a wedding venue but finding all the prices overwhelming? Our VenueCrew London Venue Specialists will be able to find you a suitable option that ticks all of the right boxes without it costing a fortune. From affordable wedding venue advice to special seasonal offers, our team will be able to share all the knowhow in your free consultation calls.
