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About

On Hitched.co.uk since 2022

Last update: February 2024

Steeped in remarkable history, Old Palace Chester is a luxury riverside wedding venue set in the heart of the city of Chester. Here, you can experience a heady mix of tranquil privacy, stunning authentic architecture, and flawless contemporary style. Elegant reception spaces and exquisite gardens abound, all within view of ancient Roman ruins as the River Dee flows beautifully in front.

Facilities and Capacity

Once the home to the Bishop of Chester, Old Palace Chester has undergone a dramatic transformation to become the epitome of modern luxury. A sunlit gem, the River Room is truly a joy for the wedding ceremony rivalled only by the Garden Terrace. Private and yet incredibly scenic, this outdoor setting allows you to say 'I do', embraced by mesmerising river views. You could even arrive by boat, transforming the gardens into a breathtaking natural aisle. Afterwards, raise a glass with your guests over canapés and cocktails in the lovingly-restored Arrival Hall that overlooks the terrace. Elsewhere, the elegant Ballroom provides a fitting location for a decadent wedding breakfast for up to 150 guests, its ambient lighting and oak flooring adding a refined atmosphere. As the day draws to a close, the Palace Suite opens up its stylish, spacious interiors for you to unwind in pure opulence. As for your guests, they can also enjoy a night of luxury in one of the 23 guest bedrooms located across the first and second floors - the perfect end to your perfect day.

Services Offered

Write your names into the history of Old Palace Chester with the support of a dedicated and experienced event team who will support you every step of the way with your ideas and any carefully considered details. Such quality and creativity will weave its way into your wedding menu too, handled by expert chefs team who are no strangers to elevating fine cusine. Under their skills, you can choose from a range of menus and seasonal dishes to make your celebrations truly unique and personal.

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Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

Unusual weddings
Stately home
Historic
In the city
Outdoor license
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Alcohol licence
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Dance floor
Entertainment licence
Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities
DJ facilities

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Master of ceremonies/toastmaster
Wedding coordinator

Other features:

Exclusive use
Accessible facilities
Car parking
Confetti permitted
Pet-friendly
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4.3 out of 5 rating
5 reviews
  • Quality of the service
    4.8 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    3.8 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.2 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    4.6 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4 out of 5 rating
80% Recommended by couples
James
James Sent on 27/02/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating

Chester Wedding

We got married in Old Palace Chester in February 2022. The venue is beautiful and the service provided throughout the day was exceptional, especially during the wedding breakfast. The food itself was of high quality and they accommodated all dietary requirements with ease (the whole day was gluten free!).
We'd specifically like to thank: Gemma who kept the day running smoothly so we had nothing to worry about, Georgie who was always on hand helping out (often providing a needed glass of bubbly) and Paul who went above and beyond when one of guests needed help.
No wedding has no issues - we discovered that the lift was out of order the day before, and only when we sat down for the meal did we find out that our selected wine had not been in stock. They upgraded the wine to the next package up with no extra charge but our only comment was that we could have been updated about these things earlier.
These are only minor though and the takeaway from the day was that we had fantastic service in a stunning venue. We had an amazing day, as did all of our guests, and we would whole-heartedly recommend this venue.
Mcglennon
Gabi Sent on 12/11/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Best day of our life

Old palace is the most amazing place to get married! Everyone was so lovely and help us so much. Especially Georgie! What a super woman!
Katie
Katie M. Sent on 07/11/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The most incredible people and beautiful venue

Having our wedding at old palace was the best decision we made for our wedding. They made us feel like the most special couple and that our wedding was the best and only wedding thay mattered. They were so easy to work with from the beginning including booking guests in, picking food and options and paying for it. Georgie and Lauren are the best people you could ever wish for to be a part of your wedding and all the staff are professional polite and an absolute credit to old palace.
J
Jake G. Sent on 23/08/2022
2 out of 5 rating

Great day but beware

We've just got married at Old Palace. Firstly, the day itself was amazing - the waiting on staff were extremely attentive and nothing was too much trouble. Food was brilliant and everything we asked for was delivered. Really couldn't fault the waiting on staff at all.

Unfortunately this is probably where the positives end. Prior to the wedding, communication was extremely poor up until maybe 3/4 months before the wedding. Waiting a week for a reply via email with 'covid delays' as an excuse isn't really acceptable anymore. You're passed around the planning team at Old Palace so never feel like the person you're in contact with really knows you and your plans.

We had a few guests since the wedding come to us with a range of complaints about the rooms - broken/missing bins, windows unable to close/open or even leaking when it rained, lights not working in rooms.

Breakfast was very poor - we understood it was 'continental style' but seriously - three tables squashed into the bar and arrival hall each with a few small plates of bread rolls and pastries doesn't really cut it.

Worst of all, a couple in one room went to let staff know that a small table had broken when one person had leant on it - first member of staff to inspect accused the guest of throwing it at a wall (with no signs of damage anywhere in the room). Two ladies of the events team (one of which had seriously the worse customer facing attitude I have ever experienced) who had not at any point even been to inspect the room essentially tried to force the guest into paying £60 for a replacement (even had the cheek to say this was a reduced price) - we refused to pay given the breakage was accidental and after the disgusting accusations towards one of our guests. They eventually conceded and we did not have to pay but that experience definitely soured the whole weekend.

Other little things like having to wait until 3:30pm to checkin and a very early checkout at 9:30am, closing the gates at midnight so guests couldn't leave and breakfast being very rushed and cramped furthered my view that they were trying to get us out of the Old Palace ASAP so they could set up for the next wedding - essentially after Saturday night had finished they no longer wanted anything to do with us. The venue isn't cheap - and there's a lot of extras and add ons you need to consider to make it truly worthwhile - other venues might be better priced in the local area.

Be weary if you're planning a wedding here - it might not be worth the extra stress!
C
Collette Sent on 20/12/2021
4.6 out of 5 rating

Amazing day

We finally got married at the Old Palace Chester on the 3 December 2021- after two cancelled wedding dates, due to covid.

From start to finish the team were amazing. Starting with the reorganisation due to COVID cancellations and finally with the actual wedding. The team did everything possible to ensure that the day ran smoothly.

We had an issue with the DJ showing up late however the venue were able to sort out this issue on our behalf. By the time we were told they had already sorted out the issue! They kept all the stress away from us, which was very appreciated.

I would recommend this venue to everyone. We had the most amazing day. The venue is absolutely stunning.

We have also had feedback from our guests to say that the food was some of the best wedding food they have had.
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Badges

Old Palace Chester Real Weddings

Bethan & Ben
31 photos · 19/08/2023
Simone & Matt
75 photos · 06/05/2023
Anna & Matt
19 photos · 27/10/2022
Abigail & Alec
36 photos · 11/10/2022
Jake & Rosie
42 photos · 20/08/2022
Hannah & Luke
100 photos · 18/09/2021

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Map

Little St John Street CH1 1SN Chester (Cheshire)
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