The 5 Most Beautiful Oxford Wedding Venues You Need To See!

Oxford is a gem of a city. Ever-budding curiosity, lofty ambition, and romanticism — of both kinds — shaped its blush sandstone walls. The city’s charms speak for themselves and, wherever you choose to tie the knot, its varied cobbled streets, stone-cut ancient walls and elegant archways could form part of your wedding photographs before and after the ceremony. Whatever the time of year, the ‘City of Dreaming Spires’, as it has come to be known, may just be the perfect place to marry the love of your life and begin dreaming together. That said, choosing the right venue makes all the difference. As a local Oxfordshire wedding photographer, here are my 5 favorite Oxford wedding venues.

Plan Your Special Day at One of These Amazing Oxford Wedding Venues

The Bodleian Library

What could play host as a wedding venue in Oxford better than the Bodleian Library itself – arguably the very pulse of this beautiful university. At the heart of the city centre, its elevated archways beckon you and your guests in to enjoy your once-in-a-lifetime occasion in this historic space.

You can hire Convocation House, one of the first meeting rooms of the university’s council and the space that housed King Charles II’s parliament during the English Civil War, for wedding ceremonies seating roughly 100 guests. Its dark wooden details, pew-style seating, stone vaulted ceiling, and ceremonial atmosphere creates the perfect place to exchange vows amongst loved ones.

Immediately next door (and on ground level making it accessible to all), celebrate your reception in the beautifully lit Divinity School which is known as an exquisite example of late gothic style architecture. The stunning detail of this room, especially its ornate ceiling, is highlighted by the sheer amount of natural light pouring through its palatial glass windows.

Just across the street stands the picturesque Hertford Bridge, better known as the “Bridge of Sighs”, offering an iconic backdrop for Oxford wedding photos.

The Perch

If you’re looking for something a little different, have your guests enjoy a 20-30 minute walk away from the city centre and through Port Meadow, a lush and vast wild-space dear to many, to the Perch, one of Oxford’s own treasures. The Perch is also accessible via a short drive up the meandering, poplar-lined Binsey Lane beloved by Gerard Manley Hopkins himself.

This sprawling, generous country gastro-pub once welcomed Lewis Carroll of Alice in Wonderland fame, as well as C.S. Lewis, but has been a sanctuary for many dreamers and storytellers alike. Nestled just next to the River Isis (Oxford’s word for the Thames), it has space flexible enough to host both large and small weddings, and both wedding ceremonies and receptions. You can easily erect a marquee in the grounds, tucked away enough for guests to enjoy the lush outdoor seating area, dotted with wooden picnic tables and shaded by beautiful old willow trees. A ceremony under the trees, perhaps?

The spacious pub itself sports a classic country style with English heritage elements – low hanging ceilings in parts with dark wooden beams set against white plaster, as well as tastefully decorated newer rooms fit with natural light, greenery, and fresh pops of colour. A short walk through a romantically lit garden tunnel will lead you to fantastic photo opportunities along the Thames.

Oxford Town Hall

Oxford is more than just its university, and one of the city’s grandest offerings is its own Town Hall. Capable of hosting weddings and receptions in smaller rooms for 40 guests all the way up to 500 guests in its largest settings, this historic building will wow you and your guests with its delicate romanticism. It’s hard to imagine a wedding venue with more fairytale-like charm than the grand hall, with its pale blue walls and white lacy, latticed trimmings, highlighting the impressive pearly gate-like organ at the front. Smaller spaces on offer include traditional rooms with classic English fireplaces and dark wooden panelling. Whichever room you choose for your wedding, photo opportunities abound in the vaulted stone corridors of the building, lined with carefully set frosted windows.

The Ashmolean Museum

If it’s Oxford’s cultural richness you’re after, then nothing could compare to getting married in its oldest museum – in fact the world’s oldest museum which is still open to the public. The Ashmolean boasts various classically styled rooms which serve as options for both ceremonies and receptions, often painted in rich blues and reds. Surround yourselves with half a million years of artifacts and treasures, and create your own treasured history together. Guests can enjoy dining amongst Greek and Roman statues or romantic oil paintings. The building itself is worthy of the jewels it contains, boasting stunning chandeliers, imposing staircases, classic parquet flooring, and a Greek façade reminiscent of the acropolis itself.

Christ Church Cathedral

Last but certainly not least is the majestic splendour of what many consider Oxford’s flagship college. Famed for its grand dining hall that inspired the ‘Great Hall’ in Harry Potter, as well as its enormous stone staircase and dark academic archways used in the films themselves, this college offers nothing short of a magical setting for your wedding.

You can hold your ceremony in its spellbinding cathedral, which also serves as the City of Oxford’s cathedral, surrounded by breathtaking stained glass windows, impossibly high ceilings, and stone as old as the city itself. Guests could amble easily across its grandiose courtyards to a reception venue fit for kings – think traditional, old stone walls set on dark wooden flooring, lined with imposing windows and hung with portraits which tell a thousand stories, as you begin your own together.

Photography opportunities extend far beyond its beautiful archways and halls — just outside the college lies the sprawling Christ Church Meadow. A 10 minute walk through its primary tree-lined avenue will take you to the Thames River itself, gently flowing on as you commemorate your special day.