Bodleian Libraries

(6)
£2,100 - £9,300 for Venue Hire
Up to 120
Bedrooms
Exclusive Use
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Description

In the Old Bodleian Library, both the grand Divinity School and classic Convocation House are available for private hire, giving couples the chance 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 of 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 receptions. Leading in from the Old Schools Quad is our distinguished Divinity School: our 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. Complimented by the excellent natural acoustics, this room is an idea setting for civil ceremonies and partnerships. In conjunction with the Old Bodleian, the Weston Library across the road offers a smooth stone floor, high ceilings and visible gallery of books. Blackwell Hall in the Weston Library provides a modern and flexible space which is perfect for larger wedding receptions. For smaller drink receptions, there’s also the roof terrace with an amazing view of Oxford’s ‘dreaming spires’. The Bodleian's Events team recognize that no two weddings are the same and will help to provide a friendly and professional service. We help tailor your day to suit your budget and tastes.

Personal Message from the Manager

Name of Wedding Contact: Kate Del Nevo
My role is to lead the team in the sales and marketing of the Bodleian as a Wedding Venue. I love meeting wedding couples and helping them create their dream wedding in the truly unique setting of the Divinity School. Every time I walk into the room it never fails to put a smile on face and I feel so lucky to work at the Bodleian. We also get to work with amazing local wedding suppliers and seeing what they do in the space is truly inspiring!

Experience

Year Business Was Established
1487
No. of Weddings Hosted
More than 50
Public Liability Insurance
Yes
No. of People In Team
3

Overview of Bodleian Libraries

Wedding Venue Type
University
Wedding Venue Capacity
Dining Capacity
120
Reception Capacity
200

Wedding Ceremony & Reception

Church within walking distance
Wedding license

Wedding Venue Details

City View
Grade I/II Listed Building
Exclusive use
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Wedding Catering

External catering permitted
Alcohol license

Pricing for Bodleian Libraries

Wedding Venue Hire Only
£2,100 - £9,300
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What's Included?
Exclusive use
Wedding coordinator available on the day
Ceremony only package from £2100, which includes venue hire, experienced Wedding Coordinator offering venue & supplier guidance, dedicated venue staff on the day and a private entrance to the Bodleian for your guests. Ceremony & reception OR reception only packages from £7100. This includes venue hire, experienced Wedding Coordinator offering venue & supplier guidance, dedicated venue Staff on the day, private entrance to the Bodleian for your guests and audio set-up and uplighters for your Band or DJ These are our recommended packages, but we do have other options available upon request.
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Reviews for Bodleian Libraries
(6)

Occassion Queens
Wedding: July
July 2020
Supportive, sensitive and compassionate

One of our lovely couples had to postpone their wedding due to the current pandemic. Megan and the whole team were fantastic during the process of finding a new date that worked for everyone. They kept us totally informed and were thoroughly supportive, sensitive, compassionate and really lovely. We feel very lucky to be working alongside such a wonderful team.

Constance
Wedding: July
July 2020
A dream team!

Working with the Wedding Team at The Bodleian has been exceptional. As a Wedding Planner I have had to rearrange a number of weddings for this summer and for my couple who were due to get married at The Bodleian it couldn't have been any easier. The Wedding Team were proactive, made suggestions and made postponing my couple's wedding really easy. Thank you for being a dream supplier in the wedding planning process!

Faye & Greg
Happy couple married in November
January 2017
Beautiful Venue, Brilliant Team

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.

Alex
Happy couple married in September
January 2017
Fantastic Oxford Reception Venue

We had our wedding reception in the Divinity School at the Bodleian and we could not recommend the venue more highly. The building itself is absolutely stunning and needs very little doing to it in the way of decoration - the architecture speaks for itself! So many of our guests told us how much they loved it. Hannah made the whole planning process easy and seamless. She was always responsive and assisted with suppliers and timings. Planning our wedding was much less stressful knowing we could rely on her advice and expertise. The team also made sure things ran smoothly on the day so that my husband and I could just enjoy ourselves. Hannah even helped me with my veil! Overall, we had a fantastic wedding reception at the Bodleian and are so grateful to Hannah and the team for all their efforts.

Abi & Gavin
Happy couple married in October
January 2017
The venue on the day was perfect

My husband and I had our wedding reception at the Bodleian Library in September 2019. We visited the Divinity Schools on one of their open days and absolutely fell in love. The staff were brilliant to work with and made everything super easy for us. As expected, the venue on the day was perfect. The Bod staff worked really well with the rest of the suppliers (including caterers, florist, furniture hire etc.) so that the day went perfectly smoothly. We had such a fabulous time in the perfect setting and wouldn't have changed a thing!

Kate & Don
Happy couple married in October
January 2017
Fantastic Wedding Venue

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.

Location & Contact Details for Bodleian Libraries

Wedding Venue Address
Broad Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3BG, England, United Kingdom
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FAQs
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Describe the best wedding that happened at Bodleian Libraries?

'We had a truly magical winter wedding. The ceremony was conducted in the Divinity School and guests were seated on beautiful French Louis style chairs. The reception drinks were held in the Sheldonian where a string quartet played & whose roof had been decorated with metallic balloons. Guests then walk through the beautifully lit quad and back into the Divinity school, which had been transformed with long tables and amazing floral displays forming ‘puddles’ at the end of each row of tables. After dinner the guests went back to the Sheldonian to party and enjoy themed cocktails.' - Kate, Venue and Marketing Manager

What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?

'Be creative and enjoy the process' - Kate, Venue hire & Marketing Manager /// 'Lists! Make a ‘Master wedding list’ so you can tick things off when you have planned them. (This is a great feeling)' - Megan, Wedding Coordinator

What’s your favourite personal touch you’ve seen at a wedding?

'Table names: A different location on each table to represent a place where the couple have travelled together.' - Megan, Wedding Coordinator /// 'Booked themed table centres' - Kate, Venue and Marketing Manager

Describe Bodleian Libraries in 5 adjectives

Unique, magical, intimate, historical, atmospheric

Where’s the best photo spot at Bodleian Libraries?

'The wren door, or walking through the Divinity School doors' - Megan, Wedding Coordinator

Have you had any celebrity guest or wedding at Bodleian Libraries?

Yes (lips are sealed though!)

What’s your favourite canapé?

'Honey glazed, mustard cocktail sausages' - Megan /// 'Fish & chip cones' - Kate

What’s your favourite midnight treat?

'Cake!' - Megan /// 'Cheese' - Kate

What is Bodleian Libraries most unique feature?

'The ceiling!' - Kate & Megan

What part of your business are you most proud of?

The team’s incredible work ethic and the ability to engage with the couples in a professional manner but always with a personal touch!
Press & Awards
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