Windsor, The Wedding Town

All eyes were on Windsor on 19 May 2018 with the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle. They will be followed in October by his cousin Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank as the town hosts two royal weddings in one year.

Wedding experts will have guided the royal couples before their marriages at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, and professional advice is available to you too.

Majestic Windsor Guildhall is the most popular ceremony venue in the Royal Borough and it is easy to see why with its grand chandeliers and royal portraits hanging from every wall.  In 2005 Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in the Ascot Room, and Prince Harry chose this royal town for his nuptials too.

The knowledgeable staff at Windsor Guildhall can check dates, show you the ceremony rooms and answer your wedding questions. 

Contact Gillian on 01628 796284 or guildhall@rbwm.gov.uk for further details about this stunning venue.
Image: www.jessicajager.co.uk

Jennet Murphy and Robert Linch, 15 July 2017
Booking the Guildhall was stress free. The staff were exceptionally helpful and really made everything very easy for us.

Carole Butler and Jamie Hewitt, 12 January 2017
Our decision to hold our wedding ceremony at the Guildhall could have not been wiser!
The guidance we were given in the weeks running up to the ceremony as we got to know the team, made the day just that little more special. 

Registering the wedding
Just like Prince Charles and Elton John, your wedding in the royal borough will be performed by one of the wonderful registrars.  A ceremony can be booked up to 12 months in advance.  The registrars will guide you through the booking process and are always on the end of a phone should you need them.

Call them on 01628 796422 or email registrar@rbwm.gov.ukImage: www.paulstott-photography.co.uk

Harriet & Sean Paynter, 15 July 2017
We are so incredibly grateful to our registrars Viv and Anne who helped with the smooth running of our wedding. Viv rang me a few days before the wedding to talk me through the last minute details for the ceremony and that phone call put me completely at ease about what to expect.
 

Official engagement photo
Celebrating your engagement with a photo shoot is a great opportunity to get to know your photographer and get used to the camera before your big day.  Less formal than wedding day photos this is a chance to capture relaxed natural photos to treasure. With the backdrop of a castle, river and beautiful park, Windsor is a unique location for your photos.

Windsor based photographer, Abi Moore explains why she believes the pre-wedding shoot is so beneficial.Images: www.photographybyabimoore.com

Do you want a weekday or weekend wedding? Summer or winter? Early or late in the day?  Venues are generally cheaper on weekdays so consider your budget when making the decision.  Are you planning a celebration on a royal scale with 500+ guests or a quiet lunch in a favourite restaurant?  Is a grand stately home your dream venue or does a marquee suit your taste. 

The Runnymede on Thames Hotel has provide seven essential tips to help you plan your perfect day.
Image: Riverside Suite

Windsor offers a vast variety of reception venues, hotels and restaurants. Visit our venues section for a comprehensive guide to finding your perfect setting.

Top Tip
By choosing a separate ceremony venue from your reception you will have a natural break in the day when the photographer can whisk you away for photos of just the two of you.

Large numbers can be accommodated at Ascot Racecourse and Beaumont Estate.  For intimate dining Gilbey’s, Caldasi and The Royal Oak, Paley Street are good options.
Ascot Racecourse

Stately Stoke Park and Cliveden provide the WOW factor. The Boatman, Oakley Court, and Sir Christopher Wren Hotel offer the Thames as a backdrop.  You could even take to the water with French Brothers, Private Boat Hire and Bateaux Windsor.
Cliveden

You might prefer a marquee that offers a blank canvas, literally, to style as you please. Wedding stylist and caterer Goose&Berry knows all about marquee receptions and offer for these six helpful points.
Images: www.gooseandberry.co.uk

The Accommodation Service at the Visitor Information Centre is a useful resource.  For a small booking fee the knowledgeable staff will source hotels to suit a variety of requirements and budgets. Your guests book their chosen hotel via the accommodation service and you receive the details of where every guest is staying. 

Call 01753 743907 or email the Information Centre team for further details.

The Visitor Information Centre staff have over 450 years of Windsor knowledge between them and can find the answer any Windsor related question. Go on, give them a challenge.

Alternatively you can browse our comprehensive accommodation listings.

After you’ve booked the registrar and venue, picked your caterer and enjoyed sampling menus the fun can really start with dress shopping, cake tasting, and designing invitations.

Image: www.gooseandberry.co.uk

Windsor Guildhall has floral arrangements in the ceremony room so you only need to plan the reception flowers and your bouquet. Familiar with local venues, Natalie at LUXE Flowers can advise on what works well and the trends for the season.

To add a touch of royal floral tradition, include Lily of the Valley in your bouquet.  The flower symbolises purity, happiness, luck and humility and can be seen in the wedding bouquet of royal brides throughout the years including the Windsor weddings of the Countess of Wessex, the Duchess of Cornwall and most recently the Duchess of Sussex.   

LUXE Flowers

Top Tip

If you are marrying in late December venues will be adorned in Christmas decorations.  Find out their colour scheme and plan your flowers accordingly.

Karen and Guy Jones, 1 October 2016
My mother in law is very proud to say that her Son and Daughter in Law were married in the same venue as the future King!