Autumnal Weddings are absolutely becoming more popular year and year, and why wouldn’t they be? More couples are realising that warm and dry weather lasts well into September, and if you’re lucky October as well. Plus, by looking outside of the peak wedding months of June – August, more couples can also make their big day work within their budget.
At the Bodleian Libraries, what we see is that both the Convocation House and the Divinity School look absolutely beautiful with autumnal warm palettes of oranges, golds, and sunset pinks, in addition to all of the perks mentioned above as well! We’ve decided to collect all of the stunning images of our past Autumnal Weddings to create a lookbook for this Journal entry, alongside some reasons why an Autumnal Wedding might be ideal for you. So, find a nice, comfy chair, relax and do read on about how the Bodleian Libraries could be your alluring and atmospheric venue.
Outside of University of Oxford Term Times
Quite often, the University of Oxford does not start its first term of the academic year until almost the middle of October. Unless you’re a current University student, you might be thinking why this matters to you, but that could not be further from the truth! Many University of Oxford alumni can get married at their former colleges, making use of their unique and ancient chapels. However, colleges generally only offer dates for weddings outside of the Academic term times. Why scramble for a date in July or August, when September and part of October can also be booked?
At the Bodleian Libraries, with its’ central location and walking distance between many of the historic colleges, many couples book a chapel at their alumni college, then come to us for the Wedding Breakfast and Reception. Even if you are not an alumni, during the Academic breaks, many of these colleges allow individuals and groups to book rooms for accommodation. What could be better than giving your guests the opportunity to stay at a real and true Oxford Blue college? To see when and what college accommodation is available, do get in touch with Conference Oxford – they’re a network of all the University of Oxford Colleges.
Duke Humfrey’s Library
One of the most iconic and picturesque parts of the Bodleian Libraries is the Duke Humfrey’s Library. Named after the studious Duke Humfrey, the fourth son of King Henry IV who donated his collection of academic manuscripts to the University in the 1400s – this ancient heart of the Old Bodleian has seen countless students come and study within its space.
The lowlight (to preserve the books) gives it a warm and comforting feeling, and the rich colour tones of the space take you back in time, or perhaps to a fairy-tale Kingdom. Although Duke Humfrey’s Library is known as the “Harry Potter Library” due to its use as the restricted section in the first film, you could also make comparisons to other magical libraries in other films such as Beauty and the Beast. If you’re thinking of couples’ photography for your big day, we cannot think of a more alluring and atmospheric space than the Duke Humfrey’s Library.
Also, if you’re thinking of holding a very small (some might even say micro) declaration of your love, we can even hold celebrant-led ceremonies in the Duke Humfrey’s Library. These weddings can even be as tiny as just yourselves and the celebrant, creating the ultimate intimate celebration. The Duke Humfrey’s Library does not have a wedding license, so whilst you might not be a married couple in the eyes of the law, that doesn’t make your ceremony any less significant. As The Duke Humfrey’s Library is also a working library, we can only run these ceremonies outside of working hours, so do get in touch to see what we can do!
Seasonal Food
Autumn is of course the harvest season, which means an incredible choice of delicious food for your Wedding Breakfast. How could anyone say no to roasted root vegetables or a scrumptious fruit crumble? What’s even better is that our Exclusive Wedding Caterers, Oxford Fine Dining; use seasonal menus to truly make best of what mother nature has to offer. If you’re curious, do have a look (you can also take a peek at other months as well if you would like!).
Embracing the Night-time
We all know that the Autumnal months are when the days start to get shorter, the clocks go backwards in anticipation of the Winter Solstice. But don’t think of it as doom and gloom, but rather an opportunity to see the Divinity School under full illumination. As part of your standard reception package with us, you will also have a set of uplighters from THAT Event Company included in the venue hire fee. Whilst you can pick any colour you wish, we do think that warm tones such as orange or amber really do look the best in this space. Additionally, do talk to THAT Event Company about extras you might like, such as a ceiling wash or disco balls to really get the party started later.
Off peak for Weddings
As mentioned earlier, the classic peak season for weddings is June – August. Whilst we charge the same venue hire fees throughout the year, the same might not be the same for your suppliers…yet. Before you’ve even picked a date or booked your venue (hopefully the Bodleian!) do shop around and grab quotes for your florist, photographer etc. Some suppliers might charge slightly less than they would do in the peak months, making the Autumnal months a much more budget-friendly option.
Wedding fatigue isn’t just something that can affect married couples, but guests too. The average amount of weddings a person attends a year in the UK is three, if you’re within a certain age demographic (30-somethings) this can easily be more. Once guests add on the costs for clothes, transport, gifts, and stag/hen parties’ multiple times over within a few months – this can really leave your guests dreading than looking forward to your big day.
So why not buck the trend and pick an Autumnal wedding instead? Not only would you be giving your beloved guests some peace of mind, but you would also be giving them a fun day to look forward to once the weather gets cooler and the days get longer.
Off peak for Tourists
With schools breaking up for the summer, the peak months for tourism also directly overlap with peak months for weddings too. It wouldn’t surprise you that with its iconic University and centuries worth of history that Oxford is one of the top tourist destinations in the UK. But, that does also mean that during the warmer months the city does become a lot busier.
Not only does that mean a lot more tourists to scootch around as your trying to arrive at your venue, but also that means that finding the perfect accommodation for yourself and your guests either requires paying premium rates or needing to book out far in advance. But if you go off-peak in the Autumnal months, not only will you find accommodation priced at much more budget-friendly rates, but you might also be able to snap up the ideal hotel or private lodging. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, we do have a list of recommended accommodation options in Oxford.
To further add to the Autumnal Weddings trend, we’re also holding a Weddings Open Day on 5th October 2025, where the theme is “Golden Romance at the Bodleian” so you can really see how the venue is the perfect place for your Autumnal Wedding. If you would come and meet the team, we are taking bookings on an appointment basis, so please do get in touch right away to guarantee a place – we would love to see you there.
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