This exclusive traditional London venue is Grade II listed, completed in 1895 and is a neo-gothic mansion. We could write for days about why we adore the space and we couldn’t wait to share this venue with you. You may even recognise the space! This is because it has been featured is various films and television shows, such as Downton Abbey and Bridget Jones.
Image Credit: Jack Hardy
If you’re looking for traditional, this is the venue for you. It has the grandeur of a palace but the intimate feel of your home. Sitting up to 120 guests for dinner, it’s a great size for weddings. From the outside the building is stunning. The exterior has pale stonework, a gated entrance and impressive windows all making it clear that the interior isn't going to disappoint. Also, the location is unbeatable. It sits right by the Thames and is a stone’s throw from Temple tube. Yet the area feels calm and quiet, the perfect contrast.
Stepping inside, the staircase is the first thing you notice. This is a staircase meant for a wedding gown! It’s truly stunning. Carved wooden banisters lead up to the overhead stained-glass window which floods the space with light.
There are two main rooms that sit above each other. The downstairs room, The Lower Gallery, is great for receptions and later for after dinner dancing. The Great Hall, the space upstairs is where we'd suggest you’d host your wedding breakfast. Both rooms are incredible. The Lower Gallery has gorgeous fireplaces, large impressive windows and wonderful wood panelling throughout. The real hidden gem is the Great Hall complete with vaulted ceiling and stained-glass windows.
Image Credit: Barney Walters
The venue is so gorgeous for weddings especially winter weddings. Due to all the wood, the space has such a warm feel and it’s the ultimate contrast with snowy, frosty days. With roaring fires, twinkling candles and warm lighting the venue is just perfect for an inviting festive wedding. During December the venue also bring in their magnificent Christmas tree. This sits in the well of the staircase raising up almost as high as the Upper Gallery level. If you’ve always dreamed of a Christmas wedding, then this is definitely the venue for you.
Equally the courtyard at the front of the venue is a great sun trap in the summer months giving you the best of both worlds. You can host your drinks reception outdoors after your ceremony and before you sit for your wedding breakfast.
Image Credit: Kate Nielen Photography
Everything at the venue has a story behind it. If the walls could speak, we imagine they’d have some amazing tales to tell. You can even hire a guide to give you a history lesson about the space and believe us, you’ll be hooked. Every time we visit with a couple, we feel that we learn more about the venue and its secrets. Some of our favourite features include the tall green cherub flanked lampposts at the entrance. We also enjoy the drama of the secret door that hides the entrance to the Great Hall.
The house was completed in 1895 having been built for the world’s then richest man, William Waldorf Astor. The venue was built as his London estate office and rumour has it that the architect John Loughborough Pearson was given an unlimited budget! Astor was very involved with the build and design and it is said that the building reflects his personality. He was said to be secretive and prickly but with a great love of history, literature and the arts. Therefore, the exterior of the venue is imposing, formal and grand whilst the interiors filled with mahogany wood have a warm and inviting feel. The venue is now owned by The Bulldog Trust and all income generated through events supports its charitable work.
Image Credit: Kate Nielen Photography
The venue has three licensed rooms so you can host your ceremony on site. We recommend hosting the ceremony in the Great Hall. You can then have the drinks reception either outdoors or in the Lower Gallery depending on the time of the year. The wedding breakfast is then set up in the Great Hall with either long or round tables depending on your numbers. For after dinner dancing the Lower Gallery works well. We always like to note to couples that a dancefloor is an essential requirement of the hire in order to protect the historic floor.
You can hire the venue all day or even a half day if you’re looking to host a later ceremony or a ceremony elsewhere. Equally the venue can be extended until 4am so for those real party couples, this is perfect.
The capacities of the venue are 120 for a seated dinner in the Great Hall. Alternatively, you can host 300 across the whole house if you’d prefer a standing reception. If you wish to invite evening guests, the Lower Galleries can accommodate an additional 30 guests. Ceremonies can be accommodated for up to 120 guests.
Image Credit: The Curries Photography
The venue has a strict supplier list however we are lucky to know a lot of the suppliers well. When we quote for the venue, we can pull together costs for all the suppliers. The benefit of this is that we can provide one budget and set of invoices to include venue hire, catering, flowers, all technical kit such as sound and lighting, entertainment and any extras such as the cake. There is no inbuilt sound system or lighting so this is an area we can advise on specifically as well as discussing any restrictions of the space. We have great experience working within dry hire venues and love the flexibility these offer. We believe they allow you to create a truly bespoke wedding.
Advising on the differences between the suppliers and which would be best suited to your wedding style and you as a couple is part of our role. Two Temple Place is typical of a dry hire venue in that we have just 2 hours to set up however this can be extended depending on your requirements. As you’ll most likely be putting the finishing touches to your wedding outfits, hair and make-up or perhaps you’ll be travelling to your church reception, we can then oversee this set up to make sure everything is perfect for the time you arrive.
For more information about this wonderful venue and potentially hiring it for your special day, please do get in touch with Rachel or Sophie.
Image Credit: Barney Walters
