A New Chapter for Barts North Wing as Historic Venue Secures Wedding Licence – Event Industry NewsEvent Industry News
Barts North Wing, the iconic event venue located in the grounds of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, has been granted a licence for civil ceremonies and civil partnerships, meaning couples can now marry in the Grade I listed venue for the first time since the building was completed in 1734.
The new wedding licence marks the latest chapter in the £9.5 million restoration and revival of Barts North Wing, which reopened its doors for public and private events last autumn. Following the restoration, the building’s sweeping staircase, opulent chandelier and distinctive touches of British grandeur are now available to hire for private celebrations for the first time in almost 300 years.
A wedding at Barts North Wing begins at the foot of the inspiring Hogarth Stair, beneath the two beautiful paintings of The Pool of Bethesda and The Good Samaritan, creating a striking backdrop for wedding photographs. From there, the awe-inspiring staircase rises into the Great Hall, which can accommodate ceremonies for up to 150 guests. Here, couples can exchange vows beneath an ornate plasterwork ceiling, surrounded by the names of more than 3,000 patrons who have supported the hospital over three centuries.
With Bridebook’s 2026 UK Wedding Report finding that more than eight in ten (83%) UK couples are making a sustainable effort in at least one element of their wedding, Barts North Wing is responding to demand for more considered celebrations. The venue works with a range of local, sustainability-focused partners, including certified B Corp Lettice Events for catering and The Rookery in nearby Clerkenwell, where guests can stay in beautifully restored Georgian townhouses.
This approach extends to what guests wear, with Barts North Wing recently partnering with fashion rental app By Rotation to embrace circular fashion. Couples, their wedding parties and guests will receive an exclusive reduced rate on wedding and occasion wear, giving them the option to rent a look for the celebration and return it to circulation afterwards, rather than buying an outfit to be worn just once.
Barts North Wing is operated by Barts Heritage, with income from weddings and other events supporting the charity’s creative health and wellbeing programme for patients and staff at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. Couples celebrating at the North Wing are therefore helping to support the building’s future as well as creative health and wellbeing work at the hospital around it.
Speaking on Barts North Wing’s latest offering, Will Palin, CEO of Barts Heritage, said: “Our wedding license comes at an exciting time for Barts North Wing, marking the latest chapter in what has been a significant restoration. Everyone that steps foot into the venue, whether for a private event or public tour, is instantly in awe of our interiors, and we’re excited to now offer such a breathtaking backdrop to couples tying the knot.”
Find out more about weddings at Barts North Wing by visiting https://bartsnorthwing.org.uk/venue-hire/weddings-at-barts-north-wing/
