It goes without a doubt that the Bodleian Library is one of the most unique Wedding venues in Oxford. With a history stretching back centuries, and being part of a working University Library, it’s a picturesque venue for bibliophile couples or those looking for a timeless touch to their big day.
Quite often on the big day or even on our Wedding show arounds, we fail to truly showcase what makes the Bodleian such a unique wedding venue. So please do read on to discover all of the hidden stories and histories that make the Bodleian Library a unique wedding venue.
Convocation House
The Convocation House is the magnificent space used most often for our ceremonies at the Bodleian, where it comfortably seats up to 100 guests surrounded by an ancient wooden interior. Built in the 1630s, the Convocation House is almost 400 years old, and the bench seating is original – allowing your guests to sit on a little piece of history!
This room was the meeting place of the Convocation – the original governing body of the University, made up of all the Masters and Doctors of the University. This is why the seating is placed parallel to each other, as they would be hotly debating how the University should be run.
Convocation House is often compared to the Houses of Parliament, and in a few cases it was used by the King! King Charles I used the room for his government to meet in during the English Civil War. Then his son, King Charles II used this space to call Parliament during both the Great Plague of London and the Great Fire of London. Why not give your big day the royal touch by hosting your wedding in the Convocation House?
Whilst you are getting married (and if you’ve booked a Wedding Reception with us), our catering partners Oxford Fine Dining will be setting up in the Chancellor’s Court next door – which right up until the 1960s, was a functioning courtroom for University students. Of course, dozens of students would have had to stand in the docks, but there was one young student who would become particularly famous.
When he was studying at Magdalen College, Oscar Wilde was brought into the court, as he ordered clothes from a local tailor on credit. The amount Oscar owed the tailor was about £2,000 in today’s money – so you can see why he was brought to court. As the tailor had meticulously kept a full list of what Oscar ordered (including a full set of Freemason’s regalia and a pair of “India pants”), Oscar Wilde was of course ordered to pay back the tailor.
If you are having just a ceremony with us in the Convocation House, you and your guests can walk through this very space and can enjoy a relaxed drinks reception between the two rooms – both graced with Oxfordian history!
Old Schools Quadrangle
If you’re having a 17:00 Ceremony followed by a reception with us on the weekend, your drinks reception will be in the Old Schools Quadrangle, which for your wedding will have private use. As you and your guests mill around alongside the gorgeous golden stone, do look at all the names above the various doorways.
These are the subjects that were originally taught within these spaces, and the various “Schools” also functioned as lecture spaces and examination halls. Extra points if you can translate the various subjects, as these are all written in Latin! If you also look at the tower above the Great Gate, you might notice a rather regal figure.
This is King James I who was reigning during the construction of the Old Schools Quadrangle (1613 – 1624), the King was a big fan of the Bodleian – even to the point where he once said if he had to be imprisoned for the rest of his life, he would choose the Bodleian! You might also notice another figure, the statue just ahead of the Divinity School.
We should say that this is in fact, not Thomas Bodley (founder of the Bodleian Library) but William Herbert, the Earl of Pembroke (namesake of Pembroke College) whose statue was donated to the Library and was placed in the Old Schools Quadrangle during the 20th Century. But the Earl does cut quite an impressive figure, carefully watching over your guests!
Duke Humfrey’s Library
Whilst your guests are enjoying the Old Schools Quadrangle, for a little extra you and your newlywed can come up into the spectacular Duke Humfrey’s Library for some private couples photography. But wouldn’t you like to know a little more about this wonderfully unique space?
The story of the Library dates back to the 1400s, when Duke Humfrey – the fourth son of King Henry IV decided to donate his collection of about 300 scrolls to the University of Oxford. This was a very generous gift, but the University had nowhere to store it! The Divinity School (more on than one later) was being built at the same time, so the University thought – “let’s just add the library on top”. Keeping your scrolls up high kept them away from damp and pests too!
Sadly, the Library fell into disrepair – but that was all saved by a man called Thomas Bodley (he might sound familiar). It’s all thanks to Thomas Bodley that we have such a stunningly beautiful space. The bookshelves and the decorations on the ceiling were all paid for by Thomas Bodley, and he also donated around 10,000 of his own books to form the collection.
As you can imagine, the Library has had plenty of illustrious people come and read – including royalty! During the English Civil War, King Charles I and his wife, Henrietta Maria came to the Bodleian Library to read, and they even had two private reading rooms built to give themselves a bit of privacy when reading. It’s hard to imagine that heads didn’t turn when the King and Queen walked in. Just like Charles and Henrietta Maria, you and your newlywed can have this space all to yourselves!
Divinity School
Then for the rest of your evening, you and your guests will be in our iconic Divinity School! The oldest part of the Bodleian Library, this space was first built in the 1400s – and one of very few intact Medieval spaces still left in England. One of the most unique features of the Divinity School is it’s incredible ceiling, featuring over 400 bosses (a fancy name for carvings) – each of these have their own meanings.
We’re not going to list all of them; but a couple of fun examples are the large crest in the middle with a crown on top – this is the coat of arms of King Edward IV who was reigning at the time the ceiling was completed. Around the edges of the ceiling, you might also see “WO” a few times, this is the initials of William Orchard, who was one of the architects of the Divinity School. Alongside these bosses there is some fantastic Medieval whimsiness such as the Green Man and an Eagle carrying a child (thought to be the namesake of the iconic pub J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis visited) – so do have a look when you can.
With its magical medieval atmosphere, the Divinity School really comes to life in the evenings. As part of the reception package, a set of uplighters are included via our AV & Lighting suppliers – THAT Event Company. The fantastic team at TEC can set up the uplighters in any colour you may like and perfectly highlight our unique period interior. If you really want something special, do always talk to TEC as they can also add on a ceiling wash (to even more perfectly showcase the bosses) as well as disco balls to really light up the room into the night!
Within the room are also two quite overlooked pieces of furniture which we think deserve a bit of a spotlight on them. As you enter the Divinity School via the Wren Door, on your immediate right you’ll see a very ancient chair. This chair is in fact the last remnants of The Golden Hind, the ship Sir Francis Drake used to circumnavigate the globe from 1577 – 1580. Apparently by the 1650s, the ship was rotting away at Deptford Harbour. To prevent the ship being lost forever, the Keeper of the Stores at Deptford arranged for the best wood from the ship to be saved and turned into this chair – what a fantastic case of upcycling.
Almost directly opposite on the other side of the Divinity School, you’ll also see a very big and incredibly heavy chest. This iron chest actually belonged to Thomas Bodley, and in a time before banking was ubiquitous, was the place he kept his money and precious possessions. Is it possible that Bodley at one point used the finances stored in this chest to open the Bodleian? He certainly saw a connection between the two and in his will wrote that the Bodleian was to receive “my blacke iron chest”, hence why it remains in the Divinity School.
Tucked away in a secluded historic venue in central Oxford? We can’t imagine a more perfect space for you and your beloved to start your married life together. If you think the Bodleian is your dream wedding venue, do contact the team at weddings@bodleian.ox.ac.uk – we look forward to hearing your ideas for your big day!
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