London is not short of gardens, but being surrounded by green space and having a garden you can actually use for a wedding are two different things. Some venues offer lawns for ceremonies, others have terraces for drinks, and a few allow a larger marquee celebration.
These garden wedding venues in London offer different ways to bring the outdoors into the day. The details worth checking are where guests can go, how private the garden will be and what happens if it rains.
Kew Gardens, Richmond
Outdoor drinks with a choice of indoor wedding spaces | Orangery dinner and dance: up to 200 on round tables
Kew is an obvious choice for couples drawn to plants and glasshouses, but the wedding works through several distinct spaces rather than taking place throughout the gardens indiscriminately. A ceremony in the Nash Conservatory may be followed by drinks on the Lawn or in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, then dinner in the Orangery or seasonal Temperate House.
The gardens themselves remain a public attraction during opening hours. Ask which areas will be private, how guests move between them and what access suppliers have before the event.
Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens
Royal gardens and historic interiors | Orangery: up to 120 for dinner and dancing
Kensington Palace offers several interpretations of a garden wedding. The Orangery has lawns that can accommodate a marquee by arrangement, while the palace itself brings the royal State Apartments into the celebration.
The Sunken Garden is available for only a small number of private events, and a ceremony or reception on a lawn is not the same as taking over Kensington Gardens. Get clarity on the exact area being hired and whether guests can move into the palace for photographs.
Chiswick House & Gardens, Chiswick
Historic courtyards and a garden pavilion | Pavilion dinner and dance: up to 200 guests
At Chiswick, the grounds are as important as the house. The courtyards work for a ceremony or drinks reception, and the Garden Pavilion offers a covered setting for dinner and dancing without losing the connection to the gardens.
Your hired spaces are reserved for the wedding, but the wider gardens remain open to visitors. This works well if you love the setting; it is less appropriate if you expect the entire estate to be closed to the public.
The Hurlingham Club, Fulham
A club terrace and gardens alongside indoor rooms | Broomhouse Suite dinner and dancing: around 280
At The Hurlingham Club, the terrace connects directly to the Broomhouse Suite. That makes a drinks reception outside feel like part of the celebration rather than an extra journey for guests. The Palm Court and Sunken Garden also provide different settings for the ceremony.
The grounds remain in use by members beyond the privately hired areas, so check what access and privacy your booking provides.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Knightsbridge
Hyde Park views from an outdoor terrace | Around 120 standing
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park offers something rare in Knightsbridge: drinks outdoors with direct views across the park. The terrace can connect a Carlyle Suite ceremony to dinner in the Ballroom, but its guest capacity needs to be considered separately.
The events team indicated around 120 standing on the terrace when we visited. Confirm that figure for your date, because terrace hire is seasonal and a larger Ballroom booking does not automatically provide outdoor space for every guest.
Explore Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.
Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey
A riverside palace with garden options | Outdoor receptions: up to 700 in a marquee
Hampton Court can accommodate a very different scale of outdoor wedding from a hotel terrace. The Orangery opens towards the Privy Garden; elsewhere, the Garden Room has its own private walled garden, and a larger marquee celebration may be possible in designated grounds.
A garden with that much history comes with restrictions on structures, access and the effect of weather. Ask the events team about the exact proposal and whether a suitable indoor alternative exists for your number of guests.
Before choosing an outdoor venue
A venue’s garden may be attractive in photographs without being licensed for ceremonies, private throughout the day or covered in bad weather. Ask whether your outdoor space is for the ceremony, drinks, dinner or photographs, and make sure the indoor alternative works for the same guest numbers.
For more about where to marry across the capital, read our London wedding locations guide. If you would rather stay in a hotel, see our guide to hotel wedding venues in London. For palaces and other historic settings, see historic and royal wedding venues in London.
Outdoor capacities and access depend on the approved layout, season and hire arrangements.