How to find a wedding venue in or near London that matches some pretty specific criteria?
January 6, 2012 2:38 PM Subscribe
How to find a wedding venue in or near London that matches some pretty specific criteria?
A relative of mine plans to get married in Oct 2012 and has been having trouble finding a venue that matches their requirements.
The requirements as I understand them are....
- They have a specific date in mind, so venue must be available then
- They envisage circa 700 guests
- It will be a traditional Hindu wedding, which entails a ritual around a small central fire. (Apparently not all venues have the requisite clearance to allow such fires.)
- In London, or at least within easy traveling distance
Aside from that they also would like a venue that is memorable, and maybe a little unusual. The couple are successful young professionals, so venue costs can be in line with that.
Venue suggestions are very welcome, but what could be even more useful are suggestions for resources or processes that would allow for efficient searching. (Given that any individual venue has a pretty high chance of being unavailable on the required date.)
So, hive-mind, what are your thoughts on how best to conduct this search, and what some suitable venues might be?
A relative of mine plans to get married in Oct 2012 and has been having trouble finding a venue that matches their requirements.
The requirements as I understand them are....
- They have a specific date in mind, so venue must be available then
- They envisage circa 700 guests
- It will be a traditional Hindu wedding, which entails a ritual around a small central fire. (Apparently not all venues have the requisite clearance to allow such fires.)
- In London, or at least within easy traveling distance
Aside from that they also would like a venue that is memorable, and maybe a little unusual. The couple are successful young professionals, so venue costs can be in line with that.
Venue suggestions are very welcome, but what could be even more useful are suggestions for resources or processes that would allow for efficient searching. (Given that any individual venue has a pretty high chance of being unavailable on the required date.)
So, hive-mind, what are your thoughts on how best to conduct this search, and what some suitable venues might be?
Here is a list of Indian wedding venues in and around London. This place looks spectacular.
posted by essexjan at 2:46 PM on January 6, 2012
posted by essexjan at 2:46 PM on January 6, 2012
If the couple are shopping for other Hindu-oriented wedding vendors (caterers, photographers, etc.) they'd probably be able to suggest venues, too.
posted by mskyle at 4:03 PM on January 6, 2012
posted by mskyle at 4:03 PM on January 6, 2012
Look around Southall. I know many, many Indian (Hindu, Sikh and Muslim) people who have done the same, starting their week-long weddings in a hall in Southall before moving to venues elsewhere. Ealing council are offering a wedding festival atm too. Look at www.ealing.gov.uk.
posted by goo at 5:30 PM on January 6, 2012
posted by goo at 5:30 PM on January 6, 2012
And if they want a really lovely Hindu wedding they should look at the loveliest temple outside India (and possibly the loveliest anywhere) in Neasden ( http://www.mandir.org/).
posted by goo at 5:35 PM on January 6, 2012
posted by goo at 5:35 PM on January 6, 2012
I went to a gorgeous Hindu wedding at the Bhaktivedanta Temple in Watford. It's a short trip out of London; the bride and groom schlepped all the guests there in a bus. It's ISKCON owned, but the bride and groom (and priest) were NOT Hare Krishnas. Reception was held elsewhere, at the Royal Naval College.
Bonus cool points: the temple, which looks like a Tudor mansion, used to be George Harrison's house!
posted by artemisia at 6:16 PM on January 6, 2012
Bonus cool points: the temple, which looks like a Tudor mansion, used to be George Harrison's house!
posted by artemisia at 6:16 PM on January 6, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, I'll pass some on.
Btw, just to clarify... the venue doesn't have to be at all associated with Hinduism or be Indian-themed in any way. It could be completely secular and thoroughly English, so long as it has permission to have the fire.
If that spurs any further thoughts, please do add them.
I guess in my imagination there should be some central site where you could search for venues matching parameters, like capacity between X and Y, available on date Z.
posted by philipy at 11:37 AM on January 9, 2012
Btw, just to clarify... the venue doesn't have to be at all associated with Hinduism or be Indian-themed in any way. It could be completely secular and thoroughly English, so long as it has permission to have the fire.
If that spurs any further thoughts, please do add them.
I guess in my imagination there should be some central site where you could search for venues matching parameters, like capacity between X and Y, available on date Z.
posted by philipy at 11:37 AM on January 9, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by essexjan at 2:43 PM on January 6, 2012