Rob and Bessie got married at Hotel Café Royal, on the corner of Regent Street by Piccadilly Circus. Ceremony in the Pompadour Ballroom, drinks up on the roof, dinner and dancing into the evening. Their date happened to fall the same weekend as the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations, so Regent Street was hung with Union flags the whole way down towards the Mall — not something you can plan for, but it made for a good backdrop.
The ceremony
The Pompadour Ballroom is the grand room at Café Royal — gilded, mirrored, a painted ceiling working through scenes of love overhead, fluted pilasters down the sides. There isn’t much need to add anything to a room like that. I keep out of the way during the vows and let it do the work.
Up on the roof
Marina, the wedding planner at Café Royal, took us up to the penthouse suite terrace after the ceremony — proper views out across London, and better than usual that day with the flags out for the Queen’s birthday. Not every booking gets up there, so it was a nice addition rather than something I could have promised in advance.
Regent Street
Double doors off the ballroom lead onto a pillared terrace looking up and down Regent Street, and with the Union flags out for the anniversary weekend it gave us a proper London backdrop right outside the door — no need to go looking for one.
Dinner, speeches and dancing
Back down to the Pompadour Ballroom for dinner, then speeches and cake cutting, and a live band that kept the floor full for most of the night.
Rob and Bessie
Congratulations to you both — a genuinely lovely day, at a venue that does a lot of the work for you.
Getting married at Hotel Café Royal?
I’ve written a full guide to the venue — the rooms, the roof terraces, how the day usually runs and what’s worth asking for. There’s a live date checker on the page too.
Hotel Café Royal wedding photography — prices and availability
Rob and Bessie’s dress was from David’s Bridal, flowers by Amy Bone Flowers.
