Guest Post: Holding your Wedding in a Protected Building; What You Need to Know

Landmark buildings often make some of the most stunning wedding venues, but with so many also being listed buildings, what exactly are the restrictions you need to know about in advance?

Many venues will put restrictions of hanging decorations, as they can both interfere with what is already on show and will be difficult to secure. It’s also worth remembering that you will rarely be able to take down anything already hanging on the walls or from the ceiling. To be safe, don’t pick a listed building unless you are already more than happy to have all of the existing contents in-situ on the day.

Don’t let decoration restrictions put you off, though. Flowers are a safe choice and elements like bunting and fairy lights can in some cases be hung from existing building frameworks. For fairy lights, you may need ample extension cabling, as plug sockets may be limited.

In many listed buildings, there will be strict limits on the amount of people who can be inside at any one time. One of the reasons for this is because listed buildings don’t always adhere to normal fire regulations. Guest numbers are therefore based upon how many people can get through the number of fire exits available. A building has to be clearable in two minutes, so however many people can safely depart through exits is how many guests you can have.

Also on the topic of fire safety, listed buildings don’t always have fire alarms, smoke detectors and extinguishers. For this reason, naked flames in the form of candles often cannot be permitted. A further practical consideration is that of heating your venue. Many buildings of this nature don’t have any central heating and won’t allow electric heaters, meaning alternative and safe methods of keeping guests warm will need to be sought for a winter wedding.

You should also consider whether or not anybody in your wedding party would need disabled toilets and access. New buildings have to have this by law, but listed buildings don’t. Finally, remember the clear up afterwards. Some venues will require you hire a dedicated in-house cleaning team, who know how to handle the very specific materials and objects inside properly. Confetti and glitter may not be allowed, but increasingly venues will permit the use of biodegrable confetti for use outside.

Your venue or event organiser will provide you with all the details well in advance, so you’ll know all the facts before making this big decision. Good luck!