In London, exclusive use does not always mean the whole property belongs to one wedding. The phrase covers a hotel taken for the day, a historic house hired for fixed hours, a set of named rooms and a restaurant on a minimum spend, and each brings different costs, hours and rules. Knowing what a venue means by it is the difference between a quote that fits a wedding and one that surprises.
Of the 50 London venues listed on 5 Star Weddings, 23 are recorded as offering exclusive use, a further 14 as offering it in part, 2 as not offering it, and 11 have no recorded answer. Those 23 are a defined group: the venues whose records say yes.
Venues recorded as exclusive use, each with a showcase where an enquiry about a date can be made, are listed under Discover exclusive-use wedding venues in London.
What the flag means, and what it does not
A record marked yes means the venue says it offers exclusive use. It does not mean every date, every space or every package qualifies. Partial means exclusive use applies only to some spaces, dates or packages, and a blank means the answer is not published. Treat the flag as the start of a conversation with the venue.
What exclusive use covers, according to the records
The venue records say more than the flag does, and they show at least three different arrangements.
- The whole building. Claridge's says the whole hotel can be taken for exclusive use. The Londoner can be taken for exclusive use, with 350 rooms included. Corinthia Hotel London records exclusive use of the building for larger celebrations, available on enquiry. At 116 Pall Mall the whole building is hired exclusively at weekends, from 12pm to 12am with an extension to 1am, and at Tudor Barn Eltham the whole venue is hired exclusively from 10am to midnight, with an extension to 1am available.
- Named spaces. Gray's Inn records exclusive hire of the Domus Building: the Hall, the Large and Small Pension Rooms and the Benchers’ Library. At Spencer House weddings are held on an exclusive-use basis with all eight State Rooms given to one celebration, and the price is on enquiry.
- Exclusive use as one option among several. At The Landmark London exclusive use and dry hire are both listed, catering is in-house and private catering is also permitted. Bulgari Hotel London records exclusive-use and buy-out options.
Not every record gives this detail. For many venues the flag is all that is published, which is why the date, the spaces and the hours need to be confirmed in writing.
What exclusive use usually changes
- The price basis. Exclusive use is often priced as a hire fee or a minimum spend, with food and drink added, rather than as a per guest rate. Per guest and hire figures measure different things and should not be set side by side.
- Timing. Hire windows are fixed, and the stated hours may be shorter than the day a couple has in mind.
- Other guests. No other event or diners share the space during the hire window.
- Access. Suppliers, set-up and rehearsal depend on the venue’s own rules and, in some places, on an approved supplier list.
The London wedding guide notes that the City is quieter at weekends, when offices around the livery halls are empty, which helps with hiring a hall for one party.
Seven venues, read closely
| Venue | Type | Published figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity House on Tower Hill | Historic hall | From £2,500 | Venue hire, caterers from a preferred list |
| Strawberry Hill House | Historic house | From £10,000, plus VAT | Dry hire, exclusive 9am to 5pm |
| The Wallace Collection | Museum | From £18,000, including VAT | Dry hire of named spaces, evening |
| Gray's Inn | Historic hall | From £188 per guest, including VAT | Wedding package; the Hall alone is hired from £3,150 |
| The Greenhouses | Restaurant | From £2,500 | Minimum spend, up to 40 guests |
| Corinthia Hotel London | Hotel | About £220 per person | Sample wedding; Ballroom hire from £5,000 is separate |
| Plaisterers' Hall | Livery hall | £80 per guest, excluding VAT | Set menu, food only |
Units differ, so the figures describe each arrangement and are not ranked.
Trinity House on Tower Hill: the house and glassware, with food separate
Trinity House on Tower Hill, a historic hall, publishes venue hire from £2,500. The ceremony package is exclusive use of the house, two waiters and all glassware, with no corkage on drinks the couple brings. Catering comes from a list of preferred caterers, so food is a separate decision.
Strawberry Hill House: a fixed day, dry hire
Strawberry Hill House publishes a wedding hire fee from £10,000 on a dry-hire basis, plus VAT. The house is exclusive from 9am to 5pm, with the Waldegrave Suite for the wedding breakfast and evening party until midnight. Catering, flowers and tableware are additional, and the house takes up to 105 guests, 84 at the ceremony.
The Wallace Collection: out-of-hours use of named spaces
The Wallace Collection is a museum offering out-of-hours use of named spaces from £18,000, including VAT. It is dry hire, with catering, flowers, lighting and sound from accredited suppliers charged separately. Adding a ceremony space costs £2,400, and a midnight to 1am extension £3,600, subject to availability and a Temporary Event Notice.
Gray’s Inn: a package or the room alone
Gray's Inn is priced two ways: a wedding package from £188 per guest including VAT, with minimum numbers that apply, and room hire alone. The Hall is from £3,150 on weekdays (6pm to 11pm) and from £4,950 on Saturdays (12pm to 12am). The £1,800 difference buys a longer window as well as a weekend date. The summer marquee in The Walks is from £25,000 per day at weekends.
The Greenhouses: a minimum spend, no hire fee
The Greenhouses, a restaurant for up to 40 guests, has no room hire fee, only a minimum spend from £2,500 for ceremony and reception. A discretionary 12.5% service charge is added, and registrar fees are paid separately.
Corinthia Hotel London: an experience and a space, priced apart
Corinthia Hotel London gives a sample wedding at about £220 per person, and separately Ballroom hire from £5,000. A minimum spend applies to the ballroom and varies by season. The two figures describe different things, one a per guest experience, the other a space.
Plaisterers’ Hall: food only
Plaisterers' Hall, a livery hall for up to 550, publishes £80 per guest for a three-course set menu, food only and excluding VAT. Venue hire, drinks, staffing and VAT are not in that figure, so it is not a total.
Discover exclusive-use wedding venues in London
A selection of properties recorded as exclusive use, each with a showcase where an enquiry can be made.
- Trinity House on Tower Hill, a Georgian house on Tower Hill with views of the Tower of London.
- 116 Pall Mall, where the records say the whole building is hired at weekends, from 12pm to 12am with an extension to 1am.
- Spencer House, where all eight State Rooms are given to one celebration.
- One Marylebone, a former church by Sir John Soane, hired exclusively for weddings in central London.
- Claridge's, where the whole hotel can be taken for exclusive use.
- The Wallace Collection, a museum available for evening celebrations out of hours.
All 23 venues recorded as exclusive use
Recorded as yes in the venue records, grouped by type. Each venue page is the place to ask about a particular date.
- Hotels: Claridge's, Corinthia Hotel London, The Goring, The Langham London, Bulgari Hotel London, Hilton London Syon Park, The Landmark London, The Londoner, The May Fair, St. James' Court, A Taj Hotel.
- Historic halls, houses and clubs: Gray's Inn, Trinity House on Tower Hill, Strawberry Hill House, Spencer House, Plaisterers' Hall, The Wallace Collection, Tudor Barn Eltham, 116 Pall Mall, One Marylebone, Carlton Club.
- Restaurants and other venues: The Greenhouses, 60 Great Queen Street, Silver Fleet.
A further group is recorded as exclusive use in part, meaning only for some spaces, dates or packages: Kimpton Fitzroy London, Sofitel London St James, The Chelsea Harbour Hotel, Eltham Palace, Fulham Palace, The Hurlingham Club, InterContinental London Park Lane, The London EDITION, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, One Aldwych, The Ritz London, Shangri-La The Shard, London, Sheraton Grand London Park Lane, Syon Park. Two venues are recorded as not offering it, and eleven have no recorded answer. All London venues are on the London page.
How types of property compare
Historic halls and museums tend to sell the space for a fixed window and leave catering to approved suppliers. Restaurants usually work on a minimum spend, which can suit a small guest list. Hotels are more varied: several records say the whole hotel can be taken, some publish a per guest rate, and others leave the detail to an enquiry. The 23 venues recorded as exclusive use include hotels, historic halls and houses, a museum, a restaurant and a club, so the flag alone says little about the arrangement.
What to ask a venue to confirm
- Does exclusive use apply to the date and package being considered, and which spaces does it cover?
- What are the hire hours, including set-up, supplier access and any extension, and what does an extension cost?
- Is the figure a hire fee, a minimum spend or a per guest rate, and are VAT and service charge included?
- Are catering, drinks and suppliers tied to a list?
- Do other guests, events or public access share the building or garden at any point?
- What numbers apply to the ceremony and to the meal, and are there minimum guest numbers?
A written answer for the specific date is worth more than the general record.
Choosing and confirming
The best exclusive-use arrangement is the one confirmed in writing for a particular date, hours and guest list. Read the London wedding guide to see how the areas and venue types differ, browse all London venues, and open the venue pages above to make an enquiry about a date.
Where the figures come from
Each figure is as published by the venue and recorded on 5 Star Weddings. The sources are below. A check date is not recorded for these figures, so each should be confirmed with the venue before it is relied on. 22 of the 50 London venues listed publish a wedding price.
- Trinity House on Tower Hill: published price information
- Strawberry Hill House: official website
- The Wallace Collection: published price information
- Gray's Inn: published price information
- The Greenhouses: official website
- Corinthia Hotel London: official website
- Plaisterers' Hall: published price information
Updated 23 October 2026
