116 Pall Mall is both a commanding and inspiring wedding venue in one of the most well regarded areas of London’s West End. Designed by John Nash, and home of the Institute of Directors, the stately facade and elegant interiors absolutely lend themselves to your special wedding in the City.
The addition of a private garden which can be hired separately in the summer months for photos and drinks receptions simply adds to the glamour of this stunning venue.
116 Pall Mall is also a wonderfully flexible venue. You can have exclusive use of the building for the day, or hire a selection of the ten stylish function rooms.
Add to this the personal touch that the dedicated wedding team who will work with you to plan your special day and you’re all set to enjoy the most beautiful, bespoke celebration that we’re sure you will look back on fondly long after the day itself. Over to the team now to offer us a further unique insight into their gorgeous venue.
Tell us about your venue
116 Pall Mall is a stunning Georgian venue in the heart of London. Originally designed by John Nash, the architect behind Marble Arch and Brighton Pavilion; it dates from the early 1820s and is Grade I listed.
Originally the home to the United Services Club, the building contains many of the clubs original treasures.
In recent years Downton Abbey has been filmed in the building, as have scenes in The Dark Knight, Gandhi and Foyle’s War. James Bond author Ian Fleming was a regular diner at 116 Pall Mall during WW2 when he was a member of naval intelligence.
As well as the function rooms, the ornate and sweeping grand staircase and the gallery can also be personalised for a special wedding day. It is sure to make a stunning statement for any bridal party.
We also have a private garden which provides the perfect backdrop for your photographs and can be hired in the summer months for drinks receptions of up to 300.
Do you offer civil marriage and civil partnership ceremonies?
Yes, four of our beautiful function rooms at 116 Pall Mall are licensed to hold the wedding ceremony itself, whether religious or secular, as is the grand staircase.
Do couples & their wedding party have exclusive use of your venue?
Yes, we are closed to club members at the weekend, meaning couples can hire the venue exclusively for their wedding party. Along with the functions rooms, we have a brick vaulted wine bar and art deco café that can be incorporated into your wedding plans.
Venue capacity – How many guests can attend the day ceremony, if applicable, wedding breakfast & the evening reception?
Our main room the Nash seats 250 for a ceremony, this can then be transformed into the wedding breakfast for 250 while guests enjoy a reception in the adjacent Waterloo room. For receptions the Nash will accommodate 400 guests.
Tell us just a little about any wedding packages you offer
Here at 116, we have found that couples have become much more knowledgeable about organising weddings and are keen to create a bespoke event for their wedding day. We have an introductory wedding package of £120 (ex-vat) per person, this includes the venue, drinks reception, three course dinner, toast and drinks package. We use this as a building block for the couple to personalise their day without the costs running out of control.
Do you have in-house catering, or preferred suppliers or are couples free to choose their own caterers?
Our catering partner is the wonderful team from Benugo . They have many years’ experience in providing delicious food and friendly service.
They also have an event catering arm – Clerkenwell Green who provide a premium event catering offer. All couples are invited to a tasting and we are happy to accommodate menu requests. For Asian or Kosher catering we have a list of preferred suppliers.
Can couples supply their own alcohol for the evening? Is there a corkage fee?
We do allow couples to supply their own drinks. The corkage rates are £16 for still wine, £17 for prosecco, £21 for champagne.
Are couples completely free to choose their own wedding entertainment & do you have a specific sound system?
Yes couples are free to choose their own wedding entertainment. We do have a dance floor and there is a sound limit set at 90db, other than that we welcome all different ideas.
Do you offer accommodation on site? If so, for how many guests?
We don’t have any rooms onsite but we have room deals with the Sofitel and Mayfair Hotels, both a short walk from the front door.
Do you have an in-house wedding co-ordinator?
Yes, we have two members of the team who specialise in wedding organisation, our senior wedding planner has over 20 years’ experience in the business, and we also work closely with a fantastic wedding planner to keep us in touch with the latest trends and must haves.
How far in advance can couples or their wedding stylist, florist etc have access to the venue in order to decorate it?
Access is very dependent upon the diary, if the function rooms are not being used on the Friday then the couples can have access then, if they are in use then we can open at 7am on the day for set up.
Do you have gardens or an outdoor area for wedding photographs?
Yes, we have a terrace and private garden backing onto Waterloo Place with views along the grand Carlton House terrace. The garden is available for the reception or solely for wedding photographs. There is an additional hire cost for the use of the garden for the reception.
What’s your best advice to couples when choosing their perfect wedding venue?
Choose somewhere that works for you both aesthetically and financially, don’t go into the planning process with a negative in your mind that will only get worse the further down the process. Not every venue works for everyone.
Any finally, what are your favourite moments from previous wedding you’ve been involved with?
A good question, the wonderful thing about being involved with weddings is that they are all unique and they are a couple’s private, personal day that you have helped realise.
As to the moments, it’s not always as planned – a group of ushers climbing into a private gardens on Victoria embankment to fire off an unplanned volley of fireworks in central London to see the bride and groom off, a freak storm in the middle of August turning a field and marquee into a swamp and island – nothing a quick trip to the local Asda and hundreds of pairs of wellington boots could not fix. Lastly, being flown upside down in a 1950’s Russian Yak 2-seater to get a really good view about 20ft off the roof of the potential wedding venue!
All images courtesy of The Institute of Directors/116 Pall Mall