planning
Weddding Venues: Modern Love
If an elegant country house or a rustic barn is not your idea of chic, you might look to one that offers a more contemporary way of celebrating in style.
Stories of a bygone era… houses with history are all very well, but what if you have always dreamed of having your wedding celebration in a thoroughly modern venue, which drips cool from every orifice? Of course we are blessed with some beautiful ancient, historical buildings in the UK, but if you look behind the elegant Edwardian façades, you will find a plethora of venues that offer chic on a stick.
Take, for example, the iconic Aviator in Hampshire. Aviator’s stunning interiors make it unique, and their weddings ooze modern love. Unlike some of the more traditional wedding venues, Aviator is something of a modern marvel, for the most memorable of days. Outside, Aviator has sleek and curvaceous contours, inspired by the shape of a propeller. At the same time, inside wedding guests are met with the imposing yet impressive central rotunda – the perfect spot for that star shot. The sleek interiors continue with the ground-floor Wright room, a stylishly intimate space with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the spectacular fourth-floor Sky Lounge boasts panoramic airside views and makes the perfect space for a wedding breakfast with a modern twist.
Sometimes venues like Aviator bring cool to the countryside, but equally, it’s often the city that brings the chic. Jesmond Dene House is set within a leafy suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne. Although just minutes from the city centre, its grounds house a vast woodland, picturesque waterfall and winding river. Jesmond Dene House prides itself on putting on a fantastic party: “A wedding is all about celebrating the love between you and your partner, but that doesn’t mean you can’t turn the event into an amazing party for your guests, too. Adding fun elements like a cocktail house or festival-style evening food with gourmet burgers and a retro pizza van always goes down well,” says Christina Wood, Wedding and Events Manager at Jesmond Dene House.
Jesmond Dene House also claims that food is very much at the heart of what it does, and they place emphasis on creating delicate, flavoursome dishes inspired by the seasons, and produced from predominantly local and organic sources, so even from its very own garden. There is no doubt that modern couples spend a lot of time thinking about food, and indeed spend a lot of their budgets on it, so if food is a focus, you will need to find somewhere to meet your expectations.
2024 appears to be the year for outdoor ceremonies – secret lakes, decorated woodland thickets, enchanting gardens and hidden courtyards… Jesmond Dene House are tapping into this trend by offering an outdoor wedding structure, nestled away in the privacy of leafy trees, overlooking the side of the Dene. Hosting ceremonies for up to 100 guests, complete with an outdoor bar to carry on the celebrations, having a weather-dependent outdoor option is definitely something to consider for the years to come.
Of course, accommodation at your venue is an important issue for many, especially if they are not marrying locally, and have guests travelling from afar. If you are looking for a modern London wedding venue, The Marylebone is a hidden gem situated in the heart of Marylebone Village, just minutes from Bond Street station. The hotel has 257 guest rooms, including 44 suites, the biggest of which is 860 square feet, with a separate dining area with access to a private bar. The awesome spills outside, with a spectacular terrace boasting its own fireplace, outdoor TV and retractable roof, making it the perfect space, whatever the weather.
The Marylebone Rooms at The Marylebone offers flexibility in layout, with facilities and an atmosphere akin to a private member’s club, furnished with oak panelling, leather upholstery and bespoke furniture, tinted mirrors and open fireplaces. The marketing manager for the hotel said: “All of these elements work together, creating a club-like, contemporary environment, urban in character but with all the glamour and luxury of a penthouse apartment.”
The Rooms boast a weather-proof outdoor space with an open fire and retractable roof. The huge courtyard offers a sense of tranquillity and wellbeing despite being in the middle of the city – a truly romantic setting for a wedding.
Staying in the city, we have been beguiled by the prospect of an intimate celebration while cruising the Thames in style, passing landmarks like the London Eye and iconic Houses of Parliament while vows are exchanged. Hop on board The Silver Sturgeon – the largest passenger vessel to cruise central London, sailing between Westminster and Greenwich. The large open-top deck gives guests an unrivalled vantage point to take in the sites and it’s a majestic venue for 50 to 550 guests.
Leaving London behind, British weddings appear to be stealing some Stateside style in pre-wedding events, with engagement parties and rehearsal dinners becoming de rigour. Modern wedding venues embrace the idea of the ‘weekend wedding’ where the couple invite their guests to stay with them until Sunday evening, incorporating Sunday brunch and Friday evening’s formal get-together.
A venue doesn’t need to be in the city centre to be cool – oh no! Tuddenham Mill in Suffolk (60 day guests and 120 in the evening) is super-chic, but: “definitely a venue more suited to a more relaxed and intimate wedding,” says the Wedding and Events Co-ordinator at the venue near Newmarket. Years of history and a sympathetic refurbishment have created this elegant, chic and oh-so versatile wedding space. The surrounding 12 acres of enchanting countryside lend themselves to the most beautiful photographs, too.
Talking of spectacular ‘outside’ space, what about getting wed at the Eden Project? The Eden Project is hailed as the world’s largest indoor rainforest, where you can benefit from spectacular photographs, whatever the weather. You can choose from the Rainforest or the Mediterranean Biome; your day’s details can include sustainably sourced flowers and food. The sights and smells of the Mediterranean Biome are perfect for a truly modern wedding celebration – surrounded, as you are, by bright blooms and fragrant aromas; herbs and citrus trees. As the sunsets, the Mediterranean Biome starts to shine, with twinkling low lights that reflect on the ceiling to create the illusions of thousands of stars. A magical setting for a magical day…
Whatever your wedding venue of choice, get yourself inspired with our wedding venue ideas and inspiration.
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