So you’ve decided to get married in the city yay!  But with so many Oxford wedding venues where do you start?  In this blog post I’ve done a little research and found 13 awesome places to get married or hold a reception.

It can be a minefield, and there are many things to consider before hiring your wedding venue.  Check if you can legally get married in the venue, in some of the venues below you can have a ceremony, but you will have to do the legal bit elsewhere – the advantages of this is that you can have the wedding you want as there are no restrictions, the disadvantages are that you’ll have to do the legal bit another day.  Also other things to consider when looking around venues is their opening hours – some city venues don’t even open until 5pm as they are open to the public in the day.

1. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – THE JAM FACTORY

The Jam Factory is a very cool art space, restaurant and bar, which has a small art gallery in what’s called “the boiler room”.  You can’t legally get married here, but it’s a stone throw away from oxford registry office or the town hall and it’s a very cool place indeed.

2. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – RHODES HOUSE

Rhodes House I would say is classically Oxford.  It also has everything so you don’t have to move around the city.  You can legally get married here, it has a massive hall, outdoor space with smaller indoor space for a dance floor room etc.  It’s a lovely venue with large dramatic ceilings and you can make the space what you want.  Ticks all the boxes in my opinion.

3. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – GEE’S RESTAURANT & BAR

This is one place I’d love to shoot a wedding.  The restaurant is set in an iconic Victorian Glasshouse!!!  (Those of you who know me know how much I love a greenhouse.)  They don’t have a wedding license so you can’t technically get married here, but their food is exceptional, and I bet they know how to throw a party.  You can walk here from the city.

4. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – THE BODLEIAN

The Bodleian is less alternative and more classically Oxford, but if you were looking to get married legally in the city before you moved onto your alternative venue, I would highly recommend this place for the wow factor.

5. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – THE OLD BANK HOTEL

The Old Bank Hotel is one of the most stylish hotels in all of Oxford with its perfectly central location and collection of contemporary British art. They’ve recently made some improvements to the hotel and created an amazing rooftop bedroom and terrace. They love to host a wedding reception!

6. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – TAP SOCIAL MOVEMENT

The story of the Tap Social Movement is amazing, do have a read here: The Tap Social Story.  They have just started doing weddings, so if you are looking for something a little difference in the city this is one venue you must look at.  It’s basically a massive warehouse, with trendy mix-mashed furniture. They are a very relaxed bunch and anything goes.  It’s also in Botley, so if you were legally married at the town hall, or at the registry office, it’s only a short distance away.  I had the honour of shooting a styled wedding shoot at Tap Social, to see more take a look at this blog post: An Urban Rock Wedding Shoot at Tap Social.

7. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – OXFORD TOWN HALL

The Oxford Town Hall may seem a little traditional, but I do encourage you go and visit it.  It’s the most magnificent building, the main hall is so grand and cool.  You can get legally get married there, so again, you can do everything under one roof which is great for winter weddings… Also, I hear from clients who have been married there that they are the most helpful suppliers to work with – so that is a big tick in my book. Have a look at these two blog posts to see what getting married at Oxford Town Hall looks like: Quirky Oxford Town Hall Wedding and Real Wedding at The Perch Oxford

8. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – CHERWELL BOAT HOUSE

I’ve not photographed a wedding here, but this beautiful riverside venue is definitely on my list. You can punt there!!

9. OXFORD BOTANIC GARDENS

You could hire the stunning walled garden for a knock out party here or just their beautiful conservatory for a more cozy drinks reception.  While this would be a lovely place to hold your wedding reception it’s definitely not one for those on a tight budget, and you need to remember that this is open to the public, so you can only have exclusive use of the gardens after 6.

10. OXFORD WEDDING VENUE – ISIS FARMHOUSE

An Isis Farmhouse wedding sounds like a dream in my opinion.  We very nearly got married here ourselves.  You can’t get legally married here, but you can get a boat from the city straight to this pub. Or because there is so much land here, you can have a ceremony in one of their fields.  Also, the owners are so super relaxed, musicians themselves, they have such a love of good music and hold music festivals throughout the summer.  They also have an outdoor stage, loads of festoon lighting, a glass sided barn, lots of green space and stunning food.

11. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – THE PERCH

What can I say about The Perch? It’s a stunning wedding venue; the beautiful garden makes it really unique. I’ve shot there a few times and the lovely outdoor space, the marquee, the food and the friendly staff really do all make for a magical atmosphere.  This is another venue where you can arrive by boat(!) and once you’ve arrived be greeted with something bubbley and walked up the fairy-lit river path to the back garden.  If you’re looking for a magical pub with a country river feel then this is for you.  Check out this interview I had with The Perch: A Chat With The Perch Inn Oxford, and also take a peek here to see a full wedding: A Real Wedding at The Perch

12. OXFORD WEDDING VENUES – MODERN ART OXFORD

This is a really special and very modern city centre venue. If you’re looking for something with a modern twist why not try partying in one of Oxford’s most distinctive contemporary art spaces.

If you are happy to go a little further afield take a peek at this blog post: “10 ALTERNATIVE WEDDING VENUES IN OXFORDSHIRE” Enjoy your hunt, this bit of wedding planning really fun, but probably the most stressful.  Once you’ve nailed your venue everything else falls into place.