Where to go after your Islington Town Hall wedding ceremony

So you’ve booked one of London’s most iconic Town Halls for your wedding, you’re thinking about the guest list, you’ve got a date… But where on earth are you going to go afterwards for a great big knees up? If you’re looking for Islington Town Hall wedding reception locations ideas, then read on…..

8 Best Wedding reception locations in North or East London

I had an Islington Town Hall wedding too (in the Council Chamber) and have faced the same decision process – did I want a proper ‘venue’, a restaurant for a foodie feel or a pub (because I really liked pubs). In the end we opted for the, now sadly defunct, 06 St Chad’s Place (I believe it’s now a branch of Meat Liquor) because it had everything we needed – no hire fee but a reasonable minimum spend, flexible space and industrial stylings. I looked at loads online, scoured so many directories of venues and so I’m here to list some of my favourite reception venues for ceremonies at Islington Town Hall and to share some more from them, so that you don’t have to do that.

One of my criteria was that it had to be reasonable striking distance from Upper Street – Kings Cross, Hackney, Highbury, even down towards Holborn and Smithfields but I didn’t want to recommend anywhere that meant you’d be stuck in crawling London traffic on a Saturday on a routemaster bus as you attempt to take your guests across Tower Bridge. Most of the venues I’ve mentioned below aren’t legally licensed to hold ceremonies which makes them a perfect pairing for your Islington Town Hall wedding.

The streets around Islington include loads of epic photo locations – I’m a fan of a simple walk around taking in some of the beautiful Georgian Houses, but equally you have iconic destinations like Camden Passage, the Screen on the Green and the Regent’s Canal.

Hints & Tips

Before I get onto the venues themselves – I thought I’d share some thoughts and tips for weddings at Islington.

• The registrars are super laid back, but they are used to running the place like clockwork. Something I found, and this has been echoed in feedback from some of my lovely couples, is that they are almost too relaxed. They simply tell you to turn up 15 minutes before you allotted ceremony time. Cue couples in a panic – will my guests see me beforehand, where will I go, how will they know it’s me? In short – they just make it happen. So try not to worry about lack of info. It helps too if you have a photographer who knows the deal and can make sure everyone is inside before you arrive (if indeed that’s what you want – I work with plenty of couples who are happy to see their guests beforehand.)
• It gets busy! Especially on Summer Saturdays when they hold big ceremonies every 30 minutes – one in the Council Chamber and one in the Richmond Room, and often ceremonies in Room 99 at the same time too. For this reason I recommend, when you come out of the ceremony, throwing some confetti, maybe using the opportunity to get a big shot of all your guests on the stairs and then leaving for your reception. You can do other group shots at your chosen reception location.
• An old routemaster bus is an understandably popular way to get your guests from the Town Hall to your reception venue but I’d think twice about throwing in a scenic tour between locations, unless you really need to kill some time (in which case let your bus company take the lead and suggest a route). They can be a bit hot and bumpy, can’t travel down roads with width restrictions and you can sometimes find it cutting into your cocktail hour at your chosen venue if you get stuck in traffic.
• Assign someone to be in charge of making sure everyone is loaded before you go. In case anyone has wondered off into the Vineyard.
• Wedding reception locations do not need to be licensed as wedding venues – it can be anywhere that you can throw a party. For clarity, they will need an alcohol license if you want a paid bar. But most venues will take care of this for you. You can hold a reception anywhere you could hold a party.

The Venues – Islington Town Hall wedding reception location ideas

Pub reception venues near Islington

The Depot, Carpenters Mews, London, N7 9EF

The steps at Islington Town Hall make the perfect spot for epic confetti photos, though Mirza & Elliot forgot those, so we did it at their reception venue.

A spacious and light industrial bar near Caledonian Road. One of the nicest things about this venue is the distinct areas – you’ve got a mezzanine for drinks, outdoor space fringed with bamboo if it’s nice and an area that can be dedicated to dining, which means there’s no time waiting around for the room to be changed over, and it can become a big ol’ dancefloor. It’s wonderfully atmospheric for a winter wedding too.

See some weddings at The Depot

Sian & Auto’s summer wedding

Rachel & Nick’s October wedding

The Peasant, 240 St John Street, London, EC1V 4PH

This is a bit of a classic if you love a really pubby pub – with deep red walls, eclectic collection of posters and the mosaic floors, it really looks like it has some stories to tell. Plus the food is incredible!

See a wedding at their sister venue – The Londesborough in Stoke Newington

The Anthologist, 58 Gresham St, London EC2V 7BB

Owned by Drake & Morgan – they run a whole slew of stylishly decorated pubs and bars in the City, most of which, for obvious reasons, are closed at the weekend. Though you could probably pick any of them as a great base for a wedding or event, this bar isn’t far from City Rd, so only a hop, skip and a jump away from Islington Town Hall, is very pretty inside and is super spacious too. Visit during the week and it’s definitely very ‘city’, but at the weekend the streets empty. You’re also super close to being able to nip across to the Guildhall for drinks etc.

Warehouse reception venues near Islington

Core Clapton, 161 Northwold Road, London, E5 8RL

If you’re keen for something a little more elegant than a pub, this space is a real treat. It’s dry hire (but don’t be frightened of dry hire, there are plenty of businesses that can help you with that!) which means you can make it look just the way you want.

See more from Lucie & Tommy’s wedding at Core Clapton

Shoreditch Studios, 37 Bateman’s Row, London, EC2A 3HH

A photo studio during the week, you can either hold your ceremony here or you can use it as an epic reception venue. Unusually for central-ish London it actually has some outdoor space too. So it’s perfect in the summer. The space comprises two arches – one with an infinity cove at it’s end that’s perfect for dining, and another that’s just right for a wild party when the sun goes down.

See more from Connie & Matt’s wedding at Shoreditch Studios

Restaurant reception venues near Islington Town Hall

St John’s Bread & Wine, 94-96 Commercial St, London E1 6LZ

St John’s is an icon of the London food scene. They have two restaurants, both of which are perfect for a reception after an Islington Town Hall ceremony. The original restaurant looking out over Smithfield Market, and this restaurant in Spitalfields. But have a stylishly austere interior which allows the food to shine and works well with lots of elegant greenery or other florals.

Hackney Coffee Co, 503 Hackney Rd, London E2 9ED

An utter delight of a venue – usually a coffee bar by day and switching to offering cocktails by night, this is a little gem of a venue – all glorious industrial styling and hanging plants. It’s not huge, so it’s perfect for around 40-50 guests. In fact it would be an excellent stand in for our own personal choice of 6 St Chads.

See more from Victoria & Alex’s wedding at the Hackney Coffee co here

Singer Tavern, No.1 City Road, London EC1Y 1AG

And finally, a bucket list venue…. I’ve not yet had the chance to shoot here but I’m hoping we can make it work soon…. Housed in an old sewing machine factory at the Old St end of City Road this looks like the perfect space – all green gin tiles and reeded glass. The other bars and restaurants that form part of their empire are some of London’s best, so you know you’ll be in good hands.

So, hopefully a useful guide to some of my favourite locations for a post-Islington Town Hall wedding reception. If you’re looking for a wedding photographer who loves Town Hall weddings as much as you do, and knows Islington well, then why not check out my portfolio, or even get in touch.