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Member since 2020

Bodleian Libraries

From £2,500
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Whether a small and intimate ceremony or a jubilant celebration with all your friends and family, the Bodleian Libraries provides a stunning setting that cannot be rivalled.
Key Info
Bodleian Libraries
Broad Street
Oxford
OX1 3BG
Website: visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Tel: 01865 287 199
Email: weddings@bodleian.ox.ac.uk
 
 
Capacity
Ceremony:100 - 150
Dinner:120
Standing:150
Facilities
Licensed For Marriage:Yes
Accommodation:No
Exclusivity:Yes
Food & Drink
Catering:Preferred supplier
Bar:Preferred supplier
Licensed Until:n/a
Other
Pets Welcome:Yes
Disabled Facilities:Yes
Child Friendly:Yes
Contact venue for late availability and exclusive offers
Pricing
From £2,500
  • Venue hire
  • Experienced Wedding Coordinator offering venue and supplier guidance and support throughout the process
  • Dedicated venue staff on the day
  • Private entrance to the Bodleian for your guests
  • Audio set-up and uplighters for your Band or DJ (reception package)

Please contact the venue for detailed prices.

About
Setting

Set in the heart of the ‘city of the dreaming spires’, the Bodleian Libraries are a historic venue steeped in romance and elegance. Surrounded by prestigious colleges and museums, the Bodleian Libraries are based in the centre of Oxford and have many transport links into the city via bus or train.

Vibe

In the Old Bodleian Library, the grand Divinity School and classic Convocation House are available for private hire, allowing couples to enjoy these spectacular spaces on the most special day of their lives. Whether a small and intimate ceremony or a jubilant celebration with all your friends and family, the Bodleian Libraries will provide the most magnificent backdrop to your wedding day.

Upon entering the Old Bodleian, you are welcomed by the warm stone walls surrounding the Old Schools Quadrangle. With their intricate detail lit up by the beaming natural sunlight, this provides the perfect setting for any drink reception.

Leading in from the Old Schools Quad is their distinguished Divinity School: their grandest room that can be used for both ceremonies and wedding receptions. Completed in 1488, it is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture with a magnificent stone-carved ceiling. The great arched windows down both sides create shafts of light, giving a dramatic effect to any celebration.

Adjoining the Divinity School, Convocation House was added in 1637 to provide a distinguished meeting place for the University’s supreme governing body. The wooden tiered seating arranged around the room creates a chapel-like setting. Complemented by the excellent natural acoustics, this room is ideal for civil ceremonies and partnerships.

The Bodleian’s Events team recognises that every wedding is unique and will help provide friendly and professional service. They help tailor your day to suit your budget and tastes.

“

As a couple who’d met at the university, the Bodleian Library was the perfect and most personal venue for us. It was a magical setting for the most beautiful day, and the support from the Bodleian team meant that we could focus on enjoying every moment. The support throughout the pandemic was exceptional, with Kate, Megan and the team working seamlessly to arrange everything. We genuinely had the most spectacular and memorable day – thank you!

N & M

It’s hard to visit Convocation House and not sense an atmosphere of expectation and ceremony – both qualities that we were looking for in a wedding venue. The history of the space as well as the beautiful details (stained glass, inward-facing pews) are truly memorable and we’re delighted we chose to host our ceremony at the Bodleian Library.

A & J

The Bodleian is such a beautiful and special venue, and so easy to plan around, being right in the heart of Oxford. On top of that to have exclusive hire of the venue for the evening, and to be able to have some time in the Duke Humfrey Library for photographs was wonderful! Oxford Fine Dining are also an excellent catering partner, and did a brilliant job of visualising the reception, and it was so streamlined to have them and That Event Company already included when choosing a date.

H & J

Bodleian Library was the first venue we viewed and we did not look any further. It is absolutely beautiful and located in the very heart of Oxford. We loved to have our micro wedding there. The flowers and the lights made the space amazing and outdoor area was perfect for drinks, cake and photos.

I & J

We had an incredible wedding day at the Bodleian Library. We held both the ceremony and the reception there and heard so many glowing comments from the guests about how beautiful the venue was. Hannah and her team were brilliant – responding quickly to every question we had in the planning phase and helping everything run smoothly on the day. We felt totally relaxed and didn’t worry about a thing.

Faye & Greg

We had our ceremony in Convocation House in The Bodleian. All through the process, The Bodleian staff were extremely helpful, and took a lot of the stress away. The space was absolutely gorgeous, and on the day, everything went to plan. As a non-religious couple, we were thrilled The Bodleian could provide the gravitas of a church venue, but without the religious overtones.

Kate & Don

We chose Convocation House and the Divinity School for our civil partnership ceremony and celebration because we are both writers and have Oxford connections. Being able to make our personal history one small part of the river of history that runs through these beautiful places was an honour and a privilege. Being surrounded by millions of books was the icing on the cake.

The support we got at every stage of viewing, booking, planning and holding our civil partnership and celebration at the Bodleian was second to none. Kate of the Bodleian went above and beyond always to stay in touch and keep us advised and informed, despite the extraordinary times we were all living through. The Bodleian is an outstanding place and very special to us – we considered no other for our day – but it clearly also attracts the very talented staff it deserves to take care of it and the people who choose it because it is so rare.

W & D

You simply cannot get married in a better place than The Bod.

It is timeless, and breathtaking inside and out. Every single guest was blown away as they arrived, and in awe when taken to their seats. The service is impeccable. From day one, to the big day itself, you will have the best communication and experience possible. We couldn’t recommend The Bodleian any higher.

First-class honours.

S & M

Thank you for making sure our wedding day was perfect. We’re thrilled with how everything came together and appreciate your attention to all the details. It was a truly amazing day and we couldn’t be happier.

Keri & Ben

The whole wedding from start to finish was absolutely flawless. I would like to express my gratitude to the ALL the staff. All were very polite, happy, lots of smiles. It was a joy to see.

Joanne, Guest

The Bodleian Library is an incredible venue. The staff were supportive, understanding and flexible through our (Covid-related) repeated changes to the date. The Bodleian team made all of the venue logistics simple, even when changes were required.

On the day, the communication was spot on, allowing for set-up with zero worry and it provided a great start to a fantastic day. We would recommend the venue (and the incredible staff) to anyone!

A & P

From the moment we enquired with the team we felt so well informed and looked after – there is clearly a passion for what they do and offer! Planning a wedding over the past 19 months has been exceptionally challenging – lockdowns and restrictions have meant that we had to postpone twice but this process was made so simple with the support that we received from Kate and the team and we cannot thank them enough. All requests for details meetings were met with positivity and passion, even through the adverse conditions and no ask was too big.

Fast forward to our day and I have never seen a venue look as stunning as the Bod did on 22/8/21 – it was magical and met with many gasps from the guests and messages from people that saw our photos. Thank you all again, we appreciated it all so very much!

A & J

Much like the building itself, the staff at the Bodleian could not be any better. Our wedding there was the best day of our lives by such a long way that it did not feel like we had left the earth for day. The staff at the Bodleian made every little thing happen exactly as we wanted it and also stepped in with recommendations for how to do things even better, all of which they were absolutely right about. They provide top quality service incredibly quickly and really do an amazing job of tailoring the event to match the personality of the couple, one of the most special things about our day was how well it reflected our love and personalities.

What was especially impressive was that we live in Switzerland and we organised our wedding during a pandemic, but the team at the Bodleian were so good that everything was organised perfectly and the end result on the day means we are still riding the wave of happiness several days later. We cannot imagine two more lovely or professional people than Hannah and Kate. They are superhuman in their kindness as well as their incredible abilities to organise, manage and create the most amazing weddings.
In the run-up and on the itself everything was managed perfectly, we did not have to worry about a thing. We did not have to do anything afterwards, it was call taken care of.

We will be coming back to have a blessing for our marriage on one of our wedding anniversaries and we cannot wait. A huge thank you from us!

D & M

Our wedding at the Bodleian Library was perfect, from the planning to the actual day the Bodleian team were incredibly helpful and professional, we could not have wished for any more. The venue itself is spectacular, beautiful, and amazingly well suited for a wedding of any size – we would highly recommend it to anyone!

C & J
FAQs
Will the venue be exclusively for us?

Yes, the spaces you hire can be privately used by you and your guests for the duration of your hire.

What suppliers can we use?

We ask you to use our chosen catering and lighting/AV suppliers as they have worked with our venue for many events and know our venue very well. Otherwise, your other suppliers are completely your choice!

Can we have photos in the Duke Humfrey's Library?

Yes, it is possible to have a couple of photos in the library. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you want to know about this extra.

Where can we have photos?

There are lots of magnificent spots, on-site and off-site.

A few of our most popular spots are:

- In front of the Wren Door

- In the arches of the Old School's Quad

- In front of the Radcliffe Camera

Do you offer bespoke packages?

Yes, we have our recommended ceremony and reception packages, but if you are looking for something different, we are always happy to discuss and work with you to find an option to suit your vision.

From the Blog
Italy Meets Oxford
Romantic Elegance Amongst the Dreaming Spires
Editorial Elegance at The Bodleian Libraries
Sustainable Luxury at Bodleian Libraries
A Q&A with the Bodleian Libraries
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