The Old Royal Naval College

About

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Baroque architecture meets the River Thames. For a smaller wedding, Admiral's House has natural light, river views and rooms for 18 to 90 guests. For something grander there is the Painted Hall, with soaring ceilings covered in some of the finest painted decoration in Europe. You can arrive by boat and take exclusive photographs in the grounds with the river and architecture behind you. Company of Cooks handles the catering and every couple has a dedicated wedding coordinator.

For a wedding of 50 or fewer, the part of the college to look at is the Admiral's House rather than the Painted Hall. The Painted Hall wedding package needs at least 100 guests and cannot be booked just for a ceremony, so smaller parties are pointed towards the Admiral's House. This is the oldest building on the site, commissioned by Charles II in 1660 as a royal palace, and it is closed to the public, which means the house can be yours alone for the day. Its rooms are panelled, double height and full of daylight, with windows facing the Thames.

The rooms scale neatly to the size of your guest list. The Hawksmoor Room seats 18 for dinner, the Webb and Wren Rooms each seat 50 and the Hardwick Room takes 60, while the whole house holds up to 90. You can book a single room or the entire building. Food comes from Company of Cooks, the college's contracted caterer, and catering, production and floristry suppliers come from the approved list. Worth knowing for styling: candles and other naked flames are not allowed, and the first floor is reached by stairs only.

If you would like a religious service, the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul is still a working church, and weddings there are arranged with the Chaplain. The college's pages do not spell out which rooms in the Admiral's House are licensed for civil ceremonies, so ask the events team early about where your legal ceremony can take place.

Getting guests here is easy without a car. Cutty Sark DLR is a few minutes on foot, Greenwich station is about 11 minutes' walk, and the Uber Boat from Tower Pier takes around 20 minutes to Greenwich Pier. The college has no visitor parking beyond access needs, though there is paid parking at Park Row and Cutty Sark Gardens. Couples who marry here also get a free annual pass to the Painted Hall, valid until their first anniversary, which makes a lovely excuse to come back.

What makes it special

• UNESCO World Heritage Site Baroque buildings on the Thames, with the option to arrive by boat for a dramatic river entrance
• Choice of the opulent Painted Hall or the intimate Admiral's House with rooms for as few as 18 dinner guests
• Exclusive permission to photograph in the grounds with the River Thames and Christopher Wren architecture as your backdrop

Features

Venue style