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Member since 2021

Blackfriars Priory

From £4,235

Based on a weekday wedding in October. Includes 2-night venue hire and accommodation.

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Nestled in the heart of historic Gloucester City, sits the hidden gem Blackfriars Priory. Crowned gold in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards and multi-award-winning, Blackfriars Priory is an iconic venue with an unrivalled history.
Key Info
Blackfriars Priory
Via Sacra
Ladybellegate Street
Gloucester
GL1 2HN
Website: www.gloucesterblackfriars.co.uk
Tel: 01452 396 372
Email: blackfriars@gloucester.gov.uk
 
 
Capacity
Ceremony:200
Dinner:180
Standing:230
Facilities
Licensed For Marriage:Yes
Accommodation:Yes
Exclusivity:Yes
Food & Drink
Catering:Preferred Supplier
Bar:In-house
Licensed Until:12am
Other
Pets Welcome:Yes
Disabled Facilities:Yes
Child Friendly:Yes
Pricing
From £4,235

Based on a weekday wedding in October. Includes 2-night venue hire and accommodation.

Starting price includes:
  • Two night stay in luxury boutique apartment accommodation The Judges Lodgings.
  • Access the day before your wedding to setup decorations and the day after to collect.
  • Exclusive use of the whole site, including two wings and the Medieval Scriptorium.
  • Fairy lights to decorate the space and highlight its periodic features, plus uplighters.
  • Their specialist event team to look after you and your guests to ensure your day runs smoothly.
Additional costs:

These items are not included in the price above but can be added for an additional fee:

  • Ceremony fees.
  • Food and drink.
  • Guest accommodation available with 10% discount.
  • Night before and morning after access available for multi-day celebrations.

Please contact the venue for detailed prices.

About
Setting

Blackfriars Priory is a remarkable historic landmark situated in the heart of Gloucester City. A stone’s throw from the iconic Gloucester Docks, this award-winning venue blends ancient architecture with a sense of timeless elegance. Its North Range boasts a 65ft scissor-braced ceiling crafted from 13th-century oak beams gifted by King Henry III, while the Scriptorium is considered the oldest standing purpose-built library in Northern Europe. Guests will discover a peaceful cloister garden enclosed within the Priory’s walls, offering an array of picturesque backdrops for photography.

Due to the historic importance of the venue, Blackfriars can only accommodate a limited number of weddings each year. For this reason, couples receive the VIP treatment every time. You will be allocated a dedicated wedding coordinator, who will keep in contact and meet with you during the planning stages of your special day. They will also be there on the day itself, so you can sit back and relax, knowing everything is taken care of.

Ceremony

Blackfriars Priory offers various ceremony options to suit tiny to large gatherings, whether you would like a ceremony for just you and your partner or a grand affair with everyone you know.

  • North Range: Ideal for up to 200 guests, featuring soaring ceilings and a glazed wall overlooking ancient ruins.
  • Upper East Range: A mid-sized, intimate space for up to 60, with warm wooden floors, ancient stonework, and delicate fairy lights.
  • Old Kitchen: Perfect for micro ceremonies of up to 14 guests, with unique features such as a herringbone fireplace and 16th-century bread oven.
  • Cloister Garden: Outdoor ceremonies for up to 100, with a medieval cloister-style setting.

Licences are available for civil ceremonies, blessings, and symbolic rituals such as handfastings.

Reception

Reception options are equally flexible, with bespoke spaces to suit your vision.

  • North Range: Hosts up to 150 seated guests, with an upper-level dance floor and a custom-built bar serving local drinks.
  • Upper East Range: A private dining room for up to 50, with a modern adjoining bar and space for a DJ or solo performer.
  • Scriptorium: A stunning historic space for welcome drinks, canapés, or indoor entertainment.

Every reception includes fairy lights, security staff, and the option of a candlelit garden after dark.

Accommodation

Couples booking a North Range reception receive a complimentary two-night stay at The Judges Lodgings. Saturday weddings include Apartment 8, a spacious self-catering suite with a king-size bed, balcony, and space for additional beds, ideal for getting-ready photos.

Weddings from Sunday to Friday include Apartment 12, a Regency-style apartment with a king-size bed, a double bed, an ensuite, a family bathroom, a sofa bed, and parking. Couples can upgrade to Apartment 8 for a small fee.

Guests enjoy a 10% discount at The Judges Lodgings. The 16 apartments can accommodate up to 74 people, perfect for pre- or post-wedding celebrations.

Food & Drink

A curated list of six caterers ensures flexibility, quality, and inclusivity:

  • Berry Blue: Seasonal produce and diverse options, from fine dining to street food.
  • Cater Cater: Bespoke packages with a variety of menus.
  • Epic Caterers: Premium, tailored catering.
  • Mesa Catering: Unique offerings such as pies or colourful curries.
  • Poco Culina: Plant-based menus with Mediterranean and Eastern influences.
  • The Cotswold Caterer: Local and seasonal indulgence.

The bar features competitively priced local beverages, including Gloucester Brewery’s renowned range.

Sustainability

The venue is committed to sustainability:

  • Certified as carbon literate by 2025.
  • Pollinator-friendly planters support local wildlife.
  • Catering partners demonstrate strong environmental policies.
  • A blog provides sustainable event ideas.
  • On-site recycling and a prop store reduce waste.
Local Area

Blackfriars Priory is located in the heart of Gloucester City Centre, opposite the historic Docks and within walking distance of public transport links and hotels. The area offers a vibrant mix of dining, shopping, and accommodation options, with independent businesses and local favourites providing everything from coffee to cocktails. The nearby Gloucester Quays features a variety of restaurants and shops, making it a convenient and lively destination for you and your guests to explore.

Getting There

If visiting the venue by car, Gloucester is situated on the M5, Junction 11 from the North and Junction 12 from the South. Plenty of parking is available around the city. Gloucester Railway station is a 10 to 15-minute walk away from the venue or a 7-minute journey by taxi. For those travelling by bus, Gloucester Transport Hub is a 10-minute or a 7-minute car journey by taxi. Local bus links and National Express Services run to and from the hub, and ample taxi services are available.

“

I don’t think I can sing this venue’s praises enough. We hosted our wedding at Blackfriars Priory and it was just stunning! The team were so helpful to us, including the multiple times we had to re-organsie the day due to lockdowns, to my stress induced frantic emails about the smallest details. Ryan in particular could not have been a better team mate in organising this day! We absolutely loved every second, and the buildings and architecture made the most stunning backdrop. If you’re planning a wedding, or even just for something to do whilst in Gloucester, then look no further!

Julia W.

We got married at Blackfriars Priory. We can’t thank Hebe and the Blackfriars team enough for all of their help and support, both on the day itself and in the months leading up to our big day. The day ran so smoothly. All the logistics were taken care of without us having to worry. We had a bagpiper in the morning and a Ceilidh in the evening, which were so much fun and, again, easily accommodated by the team.

The venue itself is stunning and lots of our guests commented on how impressive it was. Obviously, as a large and very old building, it can get chilly in the Autumn/Winter, so we did prep our guests to bring layers!

One perk for us was being able to set up the venue the day before. Seeing it take shape and not being rushed at all meant we could really enjoy the build-up to the big day.

Thanks again, Blackfriars team!

 

Married October 2023

F & M

Can’t thank your team enough

Can’t thank you and your team enough for organising the day. It was the perfect balance of ceremony and fun. Everyone was blown away by the beautiful building and the way it lends itself perfectly to the occasion. Your attention to detail and relaxed approach helped the day go perfectly.

Happy Couple

Absolutely stunning wedding venue! All staff so friendly and helpful and nothing is too much trouble for them. The most incredible venue for the most incredible day!

 

Married July 2024

N & A

Absolutely amazing people, Holly and Ryan were brilliant, COVID-19 made us miss to dates for our wedding, and them and registry was amazing allowing us to marry the day before lockdown 2 began, it was a lush day, sun shining was making the day even more special.

Thank you guys for making our wedding day truly amazing.

Samantha C.

We can’t thank Sue and the team at Blackfriars enough, we had the most amazing wedding day in September. The venue is so beautiful and we really couldn’t have asked for a better day. Everything in the run up and right throughout the day went so smoothly and Sue was always around to answer any questions. We had catering from Cater Cater who were also just as amazing! Thank you!

 

Married September 2023

Charlotte

Danielle, Holly and everyone at Blackfriars, thank you all so much for your hard work, dedication and creativity with all of our wedding planning and on the day itself. Blackfriars was our perfect venue and we had a dream day. Please pass our thanks onto all staff that helped us, they are much appreciated. Thank you for all your help Danielle.

James & Jo

A hidden gem!!!!

Absolutely stunning building and the perfect wedding venue. The team at Blackfriars are so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Cannot recommend our experience working with them more highly from first contact to the wedding day itself, amazing!

Natasha P.

We were lucky enough to have our wedding at Blackfriars Priory in April 2024. From the first moment we visited the venue, we knew it was the one for us. The architecture is stunning and never gets old – each time we visited in the run up to the big day, we were in awe of its beauty and how peaceful it was, despite it sitting in the middle of the city centre.

We dealt with Matt as our wedding coordinator who was incredibly helpful leading all the way up to the wedding day and never got annoyed with all the little questions we had. He was informative and made us feel like the day was in safe hands.

The venue had everything we needed and gave us the flexibility to really design our wedding how we wanted it, rather than having very strict options as some venues do. We had complete freedom and creativity to set up the space how we wanted, choose our suppliers, and make the day our own.

One of the biggest perks for us is that they are dog friendly, which meant we could have our beloved boy with us all day too.

Thank you to everyone at Blackfriars who made our day so special. We can’t wait to visit again in the future.

 

Married April 2024

L & J

Such an amazing venue and team! We’ve had the best experience working with Hebe for our wedding in May. She’s been incredibly supportive during the planning process and made sure the day went smoothly. The space itself is beautiful and so many of our guests commented on how much they loved the venue. We’d thoroughly recommend it – thanks again Hebe!

 

Married May 2024

I & W

Absolutely Perfect!

Holly and the team were brilliant even though we cancelled and then changed everything from a full day in May 2020 to just a Ceremony in May 2021. All because of COVID. We remained in contact with Holly who was both professional and jolly throughout, so when our new plans for 2021 were thwarted, She was happy to allow us to change to Ceremony only – as it turned out it couldn’t have been better and we were both glad that we were forced to cancel the reception and evening do.

I honestly cannot fault the Blackfriars team they were great.

Stephen H.

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much for making our day so special. The venue looked amazing, and all of our guests loved it. We loved the drinks and felt as relaxed as we could have been on our wedding day. Thank you for all of your hard work.

Laura & Loretta

We used Blackfriars as our wedding venue and we can’t thank them enough for their wonderful service – it was most beautiful place to get married!

After having to postpone our April 2020 wedding due to the pandemic, we were supported and guided through this by the amazing Blackfriars team. We know from speaking to friends, that some wedding venues were difficult when postponing weddings but this can’t have been further from the truth with our experience of Blackfriars. We couldn’t have asked for anything more and would recommend them to anyone.

Thank you Holly, Ryan and Sue, you are amazing and we can’t wait to celebrate in our wedding part 2 next year!

Alice D.

Delighted!

We were delighted with the reception at Blackfriars! Practically everyone commented on the wonderful surroundings and the service you offered for the whole afternoon and evening was superb! Thank you very much!

Jane

Made us feel at ease.

We were lucky to have Kerry helping us organise our wedding at Blackfriars, she’s very professional, trustworthy and happy to go above and beyond. Made us feel at ease on our big day knowing that Kerry was there to deal with any problems. Happy to help out of hours and made it feel easy to ask questions.

Mr & Mrs Bubb
Gold Winner of Best Wedding Venue in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2023
Silver Winner of Best Wedding Venue in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards 2024
FAQs
Do we have to set up the tables and chairs ourselves?

No, our dedicated team will set up for you before you arrive to set up decorations.

What catering can we bring?

Our couples should be free to create the day of their dreams, so we work with six approved caterers to provide a selection of top-quality suppliers. Whether you would like a laid-back BBQ, pizza or a formal sit-down meal, anything can be arranged, and our caterers are more than happy to put together bespoke menus to suit your needs.

* Do you have accommodation onsite?

For North Range receptions and full-day weddings, a two-night stay for the couple is provided as part of the package at the Judges Lodgings in Gloucester. A discount code is also available for wedding guests or couples booking smaller packages that don't include the stay.

Can we bring our own alcohol?

You are welcome to provide your own alcohol and pay corkage. These costs include the provision of glassware and the team to pour the drinks:

- £22.00 per bottle of spirit.

- £12.00 per bottle of sparkling wine or champagne.

- £8.50 per bottle of wine.

- £4.00 per bottle of beer/alcopop etc.

- £85.00 set fee for soft drinks.

Is there parking nearby?

We have five spaces available onsite for the wedding party and suppliers. For wedding guests, we are conveniently located next to several city car parks.

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From £4,235
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