Wedding Ceremony

The wedding ceremony will take place at the Bristol Registry Office, and will start at 3:45 pm in the Lantern Room. Their address is as follows:

The Register Office
The Old Council House
Corn Street
Bristol
BS1 1JG
[map]

Guests are strongly recommended to arrive at the registry office 15-30 minutes before the start.

Dress code is summer cocktail dress and suits.

We anticipate the ceremony to end at 4:30 pm after which the reception will be held at the Hotel du Vin.

About the Old Council House

The Old Council House was designed and constructed under the supervision of Robert Smirke between 1823 and 1827, and served as the City and County of Bristol's council chamber, offices, and court until the 1950s, when the current Council House on College Green became the seat of local government.

Following a £1.65 million makeover, the Old Council House is one of the UK’s finest register office buildings. Set in a 19th Century neo classical Grade II* listed building, it boasts a spectacular staircase with brass inlaid treads and balusters set amidst a striking marbled tiled front entrance, a beautiful internal courtyard and a number of ornate rooms in the Greek Revival style. The Lantern Room, formally the Old Council Chamber, has been brought back to its former glory offering the unsuspecting visitor something of a 'wow factor'.

Much of the original furniture is still in place alongside a number of oil paintings dating back to the 19th century. Many of the paintings were specially commissioned for the building, depicting scenes from Bristol's historic past.

The building is located on one of the most important historical sites in the city; archaeological work during the restoration uncovered medieval walls below the existing building and unearthed a medieval gold ring, which is now being cleaned ready for display at the City Museum and Art Gallery.

In addition, a ‘Time Capsule’ containing documents dating back to 1907 was discovered under the floorboards in one of the offices. The time capsule was reburied with a memento from 2007 and documents to mark the building’s official opening as the city’s Register Office in February.

Wedding Reception

The wedding reception will be held at Hotel du Vin immediately after the ceremony, and is a 10 minute walk from the registry office. Their address is as follows:

Hotel du Vin
The Sugar House
Narrow Lewins Mead
Bristol
BS1 2NU
[map]

Tel: +44 (0)117 925 5577
Fax: +44 (0)117 925 1199
E-mail: info@bristol.hotelduvin.com

Order of events - *30/07/07 Please note new schedule!

About Hotel du Vin

This stylish Anglo-French run hotel is one of Bristol's best examples of recycling. Six Grade ll-listed 18th-century sugar-refining warehouses, lying in the vicinity of the docklands, were taken over and sensitively restored into this inviting small hotel.

As much as possible, the original industrial features of the warehouses have been retained for dramatic effect. Even if you're not a guest, you may want to visit for a drink in The Sugar Bar or a first-class meal in the contemporary French restaurant. For such a small hotel, the wine cellar here is most impressive, and specially staged wine tastings and dinners are a frequent event throughout the year. It's very apt that a former sugar warehouse in Bristol has morphed into an boutique hotel offering irresistible sweet temption to wine lovers.

What is there to see within walking distance? The rejuvenated waterfront, with dockside cafés and restaurants, the Watershed media centre and, over the footbridge, the Arnolfini art gallery. Also, the newly-opened science museum, at-Bristol.

What is there to see within a 10-minute drive? The bijou shops and tea shops of Clifton Village, the stunning Suspension Bridge, Cabot Tower, the Downs and Ashton Court.