Trinity House

A Georgian gem located on Tower Hill with direct views of the Tower of London, Trinity House is one of London’s most elegant and romantic private venues.  Available on an exclusive use basis, its spacious interiors feature light, height and space and provide an impressive setting for memorable civil weddings, receptions and celebration events for up to 180 guests standing, 130 seated. The venue’s particularly beautiful Reception Hall, with its sweeping, twin-curved staircase, houses remarkable maritime artefacts that bear testament to the prominent role played by Trinity House in the nation’s maritime history and as the home of the General Lighthouse Authority.

From the moment you arrive at Trinity House, you’ll be swept up by the sheer opulence and grandeur of this historic London wedding venue. Striking features of the house include a sweeping, twin-curved staircase and a fascinating collection of antique silver. Gold-crested red leather chairs and polished tables are included in the hire charges, and don’t forget to ask for use of their ceremonial sword to cut the cake!

Trinity House offers an array of elegant spaces for your London wedding:

• The Library. The most spacious and versatile room at Trinity House, the Library is ideally suited for wedding ceremonies and receptions of up to 130 guests seated and 180 standing. Features of this beautiful space include 16th and 17th-century stained glass windows, a Minstrels’ Gallery, exceptional views of the Tower, and an impressive collection of silverware.
• The Court Room. Overlooking Trinity Square Gardens also with direct views of the Tower, the Court Room is bathed in natural light thanks to its tall sash windows. This elegant space features an exquisite decorative trompe l’eoil ceiling and is perfect for hosting drinks receptions and private parties of up to 60 seated, 130 standing.
• The Luncheon Room. Adjacent to the Court Room, this is an ideal space for smaller receptions or lunch/dinner seating 20 and allowing for 40 standing.  It also offers excellent views of the Tower of London.
• The Reading Room. Adjacent to The Library, this room offers seated dining for 15 or pre-event drinks for 20 standing and direct views of the Tower.
• The Pepys Room. Often used as the dance area for wedding receptions, the intimate Pepys Room feels cosy yet large enough to accommodate live musicians and a dancefloor. Alternatively, the Pepys Room may be used for intimate events and seats up to 30 people for lunch or dinners.

Highlights of Trinity House London weddings:

• Magnificent views overlooking the Tower of London and Trinity Square Gardens
• Elegant wedding spaces brimming with historical details
• Exclusive venue hire offering total privacy and seclusion for your wedding
• Fully licensed for civil wedding ceremonies
• Convenient Central London location, close to public transport links
• Hire caterers from the venue’s extensive supplier list

Did you know...?

The average cost of a wedding in 2024 is now well over £20,000 and in London, increases to in excess of £30,000, (an increase of 20% year-on-year since 2021) with average venue costs ranging between £8,000 - £10,000. At the same time, the number of religious or church ceremonies has dropped considerably to under a quarter of all marriages since the turn of the 2020’s.

Trinity House on Tower Hill has been licensed for wedding ceremonies for three decades and has seen an increasing number of couples preferring to opt for this style of intimate, pared-down ceremony without compromising on romance or luxury. 

Head of Events, Zoe Turner, and Senior Events Manager in charge of weddings, Antonella Santos, have a combined track record of 40 years organising memorable wedding ceremonies at the venue and make the following comments and observations of the Joys of the Civil Wedding Ceremony:

“A civil wedding ceremony tends to appeal to couples from diverse backgrounds for whom a religious ceremony is not desired, appropriate or even relevant. What’s more important to them is having close family and friends present to witness their public commitment to each other.

The choice of venues, venue styles and budgets is vast when opting for a licensed venue, although legal regulations and procedures still need to be observed.  Although it sounds wildly romantic to be married in unusual places such as forests or mountain tops etc, they also invite a plethora of potential disasters such as inclement weather, unsafe structures and unreliable catering. It is illegal to be married in the UK in anything other than a licensed permanent structure with a roof.

The ceremony becomes shorter in nature - approximately half an hour - but can flexible and intimate, allowing the inclusion of numerous personal touches. Written vows, poems and guest readings and jokes, musical interludes and other guest participation are all viable, as long as the Registrar has advance notification and has given approval.

The decoration of the venue is paramount and sets the tone for the whole ceremony. Couples can choose to keep it simple and elegant. We find many older couples or those re-marrying opt for this nowadays. Additional flexibility and opportunities for personalising the event comes via the florists, live music and catering to make any civil wedding ceremony unique and memorable. At Trinity House, we offer complimentary use of a ceremonial sword to cut your cake, for example.

By eliminating the additional time inherent in a religious service, hosting a (non-Registry Office) Civil Wedding Ceremony can be just as momentous but dramatically less expensive, as 75% of couples in the UK seem to agree."

Exclusive use of Trinity House is available in 2024 for a two-hour Civil Wedding Ceremony at £2,500 (weekdays) and £3,000 (weekends), excluding 20% VAT and conditional to a 5pm finishing time. In addition, preferred caterers Box Clever Events have an introductory Civil Wedding Ceremony Package with sustainably oriented canapes, free corkage and including two waiting staff.