Finding a blank canvas wedding venue can be a tricky business. Many are warehouses and barn conversions, and often something of an eyesore from the outside. They often don’t have the facilities needed for a reception – enough toilets, kitchen etc., so we at Best Venues London have complied a list of three venues which we think make ideal blank canvas spaces for themed weddings, while also offering everything you need to execute a seamless and successful event.

Holborn Works is often used as a filming location. Here, you have a beautiful grand entrance hallway consisting of stone arches, a stunning tiled floor and large windows bringing in plenty of light. Inside, you have a completely empty space with a maximum venue capacity of 500 people. There are 3 rooms here – two are warehouse-style, with double height ceilings and a shabby chic interior, but the other is a stunning domed space with a large glass skylight. This room only has one obstacle – a large pillar in the centre – but other than that, this is a perfect room to use to create and build your dream reception and can seat 100 for dinner in cabaret style. The polished wooden floor is perfect for dancing, and the flexible lighting rig means you can create light and shadow where you please. Catering needs to be brought in externally, and while the facilities may be slightly on the sparse side, there’s enough room for your professional caterer to prepare a meal for your guests.

Conway Hall provides you with a theatre-style space than can be stripped bare to leave just a stage and a huge floor space. It’s accessed from a stylish Grand Foyer, and is an ideal place to hold a movie, music or theatre themed wedding. All the sound and lighting equipment is already in place to guarantee you a brilliant party with good quality AV effects, and there are also comprehensive kitchen facilities and toilets within easy reach of the Hall. The entire space is able to hold around 400 people, but this includes the balcony seating. You could host a reception for around 250 people on the floor of the theatre, and the venue has an abundance of mobile seating and tables which you can set up in whichever manner you please. Catering, again, needs to be sourced externally, but this is a fantastic and affordable venue which can be modified to suit your requirements.

For something a little more high-end, 8 Northumberland Avenue provides you with an opportunity to take a grand, traditional space and execute your ideas on a larger scale. This spectacular venue was built in the late 1800s as a grand hotel, and evidence of aristocracy is everywhere. Ornate ceilings, tall arched windows and rich materials are just a few of the details that make this venue so desirable, but as a blank canvas, it is utterly brilliant. There are several rooms available to hire varying in size and price, but all compromise white walls, the option to black out the windows, and wide empty spaces that are accessible by either a small set of stairs or a lift. Facilities are endless and catering is available on-site, as well as accommodation and professional staff – which is something you’d usually have to sort out yourself in a blank canvas venue. The Grand Hall is more of a traditionalist’s space, with chandeliers and intricate plaster mouldings, but the smaller function rooms are perfect for themed weddings and offer you spaces with all the practicalities needed for a successful reception, whilst allowing you to let your imagination run riot.

Call Best Venues London to learn more about the above venues, or to discuss others in your area that are available to hire for wedding receptions.