Selecting your perfect ceremony at the Bodleian Library

It goes without saying that the Wedding Ceremony will be the most important part of your big day. In that one moment, all your loved ones will be gathered around to celebrate the love that you and your partner share – whilst the two of you also declare your love to your cherished guests. Both the stunning Divinity School and the regal Convocation House are fully licensed for a legal Wedding ceremony with the Oxfordshire Registry Service or a perfect for a celebrant-led service as well. But what are the differences between a legal Wedding ceremony and a celebrant-led ceremony? And on top of that, which space do you pick – Divinity School or Convocation House? Don’t fret, keep on reading to find out how to select your perfect ceremony at the Bodleian Library.  

Our historic Divinity School was first built in the 1400s (but doesn’t look a day over a hundred!). For centuries this iconic Oxford space has welcomed students and academics, but in recent decades has also seen film crews be welcomed through its ancient doors. As very few rooms like the Divinity School remain in the UK, it’s highly sought after for films and TV – making it a truly unique venue for your wedding ceremony.  

The large clear windows allow plenty of natural sunlight to illuminate the room. Although the Divinity School is filled with gothic architecture, this place is not doom and gloom! With its neutral colour tones the Divinity School is the perfect canvas to in which to paint your dream wedding. Your guests will enter through the Wren Door (named after its architect, Sir Christopher Wren, famous for St. Pauls Cathedral), which is also step-free. For your Ceremony, you will also have the option to either enter through the Wren Door yourself, or enter through the Convocation House next door, creating a longer aisle.  

In the Divinity School we can comfortably seat up to 150 guests for your elegant ceremony. However, as we are a dry hire venue, you would need to factor in furniture hire for your wedding ceremony. But, if you book for a reception with us as well, you can arrange furniture hire with our catering partners Oxford Fine Dining or we do work with some fantastic local furniture hire companies if you’re thinking of just having a ceremony at the Bodleian. For a hire of the Divinity School we ask for a minimum of four hours, and for bookings to be between 9:30 – 15:30.  

The elegant Convocation House was commissioned in the 1600s, and believe it or not, all the wood in this room is original. Meaning that throughout your ceremony, your guests will be sitting on nearly four hundred years of history. That’s also not even mentioning that this room was also once used by two British Kings! As the Convocation House was originally a debating chamber, it has been used by King Charles I during the Civil War for his government and then by King Charles II during the Great Plague of London for Parliament to meet. Unsurprisingly, the Convocation House has made its appearance in plenty of period dramas, quite often as a stand-in for the House of Commons.  

With the Convocation Houses’ unique set-up of seating either side, it creates the perfect aisle for you to walk down. Like the Divinity School, the entrance to this space via the Chancellors Court is also step-free. In the majestic Convocation House we can seat up to 100 guests for a ceremony, with space in the corner for perhaps a string quartet, harpist, or even a choir. Of course, with the seating already in-situ, with the Convocation House there is also no need to hire in any additional seating. For a hire of the Convocation House, we ask for a minimum of 3 hours hire, and for bookings to be between 9:00 – 17:00.  

But, we’ve not even had a chance to mention our Small Ceremonies. For couples looking for an intimate ceremony, we can offer a special rate on the Convocation House for a two-hour hire period on either a Weekday or a Sunday. You can also book the Divinity School as well for a Lunch or Evening reception, to perfectly send off your special day.

Finally, the last point we would like to touch on is the differences between a Registrar or a Celebrant-led ceremony. For a fully legal ceremony, after which you would be a legally married couple in the eyes of the law, the ceremony needs to be performed by a registrar. For a legal ceremony, you will need to book a registrar with the Oxfordshire Registry Office as we sadly do not have any registrars onsite. Whereas if you opted to go with a celebrant-led ceremony, we do work with a very wonderful bunch of celebrants at the Bodleian. But the beauty of a celebrant-led ceremony is that you can have whoever you would like to officiate at the ceremony. This can be a close friend or a family member or even a religious figure as well. 

So, as you can see both the Divinity School and the Convocation House possess their own unique charms, it is just about what suits you best as a wedding couple! Additionally, do also take some time as a couple to think about exactly what kind of ceremony you would like. At the Bodleian Libraries we are very happy to answer any questions you might have about ceremonies, so please do get in touch!