As anyone who has ever attended a wedding will know, the choice of venue is by far the most important element in setting the tone for the big day. However, it’s often the little details that help make the day more memorable for everyone involved. We’ve asked one of our happy couples to talk us through the choices they made at our beautiful Edwardian venue and why they think it worked so well.
Which spaces to choose
“One of the main reasons we love No.4 Hamilton Place so much is that it has the perfect mix of period charm, contemporary facilities and outside space. We chose to get married in the fantastic Argyll Room and took our vows in front of the grand, bow windows which look stunning in our photographs. The room needed very little dressing as the original features of the space create an elegant, romantic feel. We thought about hiring in our own chairs, but in the end used the those supplied by the venue as they worked perfectly with the room.”
“As we had a summer wedding we decided to serve drinks and canapés on the Terrace straight after our ‘I dos’. This was probably our favourite bit of the day as it was a really relaxed atmosphere and the sun shone all afternoon! There’s a really stylish stretch tent which covers half of the outside area and meant our guests could enjoy the sun or shade depending on what they wanted. If you’re having live music at your drinks, it’s a good idea to position them under the awning so they don’t melt in the heat!”
“We had more guests to the reception than at the ceremony, so we chose to move downstairs to the Bill Boeing Room for our wedding breakfast. We loved how this event space had a completely different feel to the rest of the venue as it was a real surprise for our guests as they were led into it. It was also ideal for the speeches as the microphones and speakers meant everyone could hear perfectly and the best man used some sound effects and the projector in his speech. The AV technician was on hand to ensure that all the tech ran smoothly too so we didn’t have to worry about a thing.”
“Lots of the other venues we looked at were scheduled to have multiple events taking place at the same time as our wedding would have been and we didn’t like the idea of that. 4HP gives all its couples exclusive use of the entire building for weekend dates and it really felt like ours for the whole time we were there.”
Tips for your photographs
“There are so many brilliant backdrops for wedding photos that its well worth deciding beforehand where you want your pictures taken. The lovely wedding team at the venue know all of the best spots for your pictures and they gave our photographer lots of ideas.”
“The steps outside the venue are a great place to stage some pictures as it really shows off the grandeur of the whole townhouse. The amazing staircase in the main entrance is also a brilliant spot and is a perfect chance to showcase the train of a bridal dress as it flows down the stairs. You can also fit your whole wedding party on the staircase which is a fun one to coordinate! We asked our photographer to shoot upwards, towards the first floor as it gives you a sense of the proportions of the space. The groom and groomsmen had some shots in Hyde Park beforehand which were fun too – it is just over the road from the venue so makes the most of being in such a central London location.”
Where to stay for you and your guests
“We stayed in the Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel (the venue receives preferential rates here), and lots of our bridal party stayed here too. The hotel has a boutique feel to it and the staff were so friendly and helpful. If you’ve got guests on a limited budget, there are so many affordable hotels in the area, so don’t worry about Mayfair price tags. Paddington is just across the other side of the park and will have options for all of your guests.”
Food and drink recommendations
“So many of our guests went out of their way to tell us how amazing they thought the food and service from Blue Strawberry was at our wedding. We’d advise anyone to take full advantage of the complimentary tasting menu once you’ve booked! As well as it being a really fabulous meal, it allows you to make any small tweaks to ensure that the menu is ideally suited to your preferences The only thing is that it’s hard to choose between the dishes!”
Music and dancing
“We moved back to the Argyll Room & Terrace for the disco and dancing and made sure we still had some seating in there for people to take a break, as well as get some fresh air on the terrace. As with most weddings, we had guests of all ages – from toddlers to grandparents – and we loved how 4HP provided all the options so our guests could take some time out from the dancing if needed or space to chat and catch up with old friends.”
Say yes to help
“We would advise any couple getting married at No.4 Hamilton Place to really lean on the venue’s brilliant wedding team. We had no idea where to start sourcing a florist so they recommended one and she was fabulous. Because she’d work with the venue before, she knew exactly what would suit the event spaces and worked with our colour scheme and style. The team were also invaluable on the day. We really felt like we got to enjoy every moment of our own wedding day as we could trust that all the little details that were important to us were taken care of.”
Getting in touch
If you have any questions about dates, suppliers, prices or facilities, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the dedicated No.4 Hamilton Place wedding team. You can reach them on 020 7670 4314 or you can visit the wedding page on the website.
