The Council House - weddings and conferences

Bristol's Council House

Introduction

Bristol's Council House is a unique and dignified civic centre in the heart of Bristol. The foundation stone for the The Council House was laid in 1938 and the building was opened by the Queen in 1956. It faces College Green on an ancient and peaceful corner of Bristol's old city and is opposite the beautiful cathedral, which dates back to the 12th century.

The ceremonial entrance overlooks the moat and leads into the spectacular foyer, a grand space lined with doulting stone and paved with black and white Italian marble. From the foyer you will find the stunning Conference Hall, Council Chamber and a suite of 11 elegantly furnished Committee Rooms which are available for hire for many events ranging from conferences, training sessions and student lectures to weddings and award ceremonies.

We have a friendly and dedicated Conference and Events Team with a wealth of knowledge and experience on hand from the moment you make your first enquiry to the actual day of the event to ensure that everything runs to plan.

Location

The Council House, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR

The Council House is located on College Green near the centre. It is conveniently situated only a minute's walk from Bristol's central promenade and cathedral and is close to many of the city's major attractions, hotels, university and stunning redeveloped harbourside.

Conferences and meetings

Our dedicated staff can help you plan your conference, meeting, training or launch event here at The Council House and make sure it runs smoothly.

The Council House is in the heart of the city centre and is walking distance from Cabot Circus shopping centre, a large selection of hotels and restaurants as well as being in easy reach of the city’s main transport links.

We have a range of stunning rooms of all sizes to meet  both large and small-scale events:

• Conference Hall.
• Council Chamber.
• Committee Rooms and Lord Mayors Reception Room.

In addition to the rooms available for hire, The Council House foyer is ideal for pre-dinner drinks, as a meet and greet area or as an information and exhibition display area.

View our Events Photo Gallery (pdf, 3.7 MB).

Conference Hall

This is the largest room in the building and is ideal for exhibitions, conferences, formal dinners, receptions, musical and other cultural events. It has natural daylight and can accommodate 500 people in theatre style and 250 in banquet style.

It has a unique fine painted ceiling and internet, telephone and power points situated around the room.

Council Chamber

The formal, grand Council Chamber is perfect for formal meetings, student lectures and presentations and can accommodate up to 200 people.

It also has a built in PA System with microphones at each place setting making interactive debates possible.

Lord Mayor's Reception Room, Committee Rooms

Both rooms are available for hire in the evenings and at weekends or as seminar break out rooms for larger mid-week conferences. Each room is individual and layouts can be adapted to suit various meetings or events. They can accommodate between 15 and 70 people and are elegantly furnished and well suited to training sessions and smaller group meetings. The Lord Mayor’s Reception Room, is panelled in English walnut to give a warm and luxurious feel and the walls are decorated with the names of famous Bristolians in gold leaf.

Although the building is grand, it is very versatile and a sociable and friendly place with a great atmosphere. In addition, we can accommodate a range of technical requirements to achieve state-of-the-art conferencing. Both the Conference Hall and Council Chamber have a built in PA System and a great deal of other equipment available for hire.

We aim to offer a warm welcome to all and pride ourselves on the service we provide. Please contact us for an informal discussion regarding your next event.

Facilities and accessibility

Please contact us should you require further information on the facilties listed below and we will do all we can to help.

Accommodation

There is an impressive variety of accommodation ranging from guesthouses to the most opulent boutique hotels within easy walking distance catering for all tastes and budgets. If you are visiting Bristol, check the Visit Bristol's website for more information.

Car parking

There are extensive parking facilities nearby. Disabled parking spaces are available on the ramp in front of the building.

Creche

Arrangements can be made for a licensed creche using our dedicated children’s room.

Office services

Your telephone, photocopying, and faxing needs can be easily met by our helpful staff.

Audio-visual equipment

Projector screens and flipcharts are available for all rooms. Separate arrangements can be made for more sophisticated audio-visual, PA and video-conferencing requirements, prices for which can be found on our rates of hire section further down this page.

Internet

The Council House offers a free wi-fi facility to event organisers and their delegates, please ask for more information if this is required. We can also offer a secure connection.

Accessibility

There is level access into the building and adapted toilets on the same floor. There are induction hearing loops in all conference and meeting rooms. Disabled parking spaces are available on the ramp in front of the building. Additional arrangements can be made to meet most needs.

Weddings

Everyone wants their wedding day to be perfect and choosing the right venue for your big day is crucial. We are delighted that you are considering using The Council House as your chosen venue. With its exquisite rooms, sumptuous dining and your own dedicated Events Organiser, this is an ideal setting for weddings and civil partnerships.

As one of the West’s most distinguished venues, The Council House offers an exceptional location for your special day. Situated at the foot of Park Street, the long graceful curve of the building borders College Green, which is an oasis in the centre of the city.

Here at The Council House we want to help you make it one of your most memorable days. We will work with you every step of the way in the planning process of your wedding, offering advice and support. Our aim is to help you tailor your day so that it is truly wonderful and enjoyed by all.

View our Wedding Photo Gallery (pdf, 19.0 MB).

Rooms for hire

Each of the stunning rooms in The Council House available for your ceremony can be booked separately or combined with the Conference Hall to provide an adjoining reception space and dining area for your wedding breakfast and evening celebrations, creating a wonderfully impressive feel.

The elegance of the unqiue rooms will enhance any wedding or celebration, from the moment you walk in through the magnificent entrance leading into the foyer you will feel the buildings grandeur.

Conference Hall

The Conference Hall is the largest of our rooms and is a wonderfully versatile space offering immense natural daylight, which can be tailored to suit any style of wedding. It has a polished hardwood floor and the exquisite hand painted ceiling is one of the country’s largest.

• Can accommodate sit-down dinners and banquets for up to 250.
• Space for entertainment and dancing.
• Opportunity to decorate the room to suit your celebration the Conference Hall.
• Bar hire available.
• Flexible catering options.
• Suitable for bands, djs and live music.
• Licensed for all ceremonies.

Council Chamber

With its spectacular painted ceiling, pews and dais offers a certain formality and splendour which only The Council House can offer.

• Holds up to 200 guests.
• Able to play accompanying music.
• Opportunity to decorate the room to suit your ceremony.
• Licensed for all ceremonies.

Lord Mayor’s Reception Room

The Lord Mayor's Reception Room has a luxurious feel, with it’s original period features such as English walnut wood panelling and elegant furniture.

• Offers a warm welcome and intimacy to the couple and their guests.
• Can accommodate up to 50 guests.
• Able to play accompanying music.
• Licensed for all ceremonies.

To find out more about holding your Wedding at The Council House download our Weddings and Civil Partnerships brochure (pdf, 448 KB) and view the new Wedding packages (pdf, 36 KB)we have available.

Catering

Our in-house caterers handle catering exclusively within The Council House.

Genuine Dining work hard to source the best ingredients at the right price and produce fresh, innovative food, offer exceptional customer service and are environmentally aware. They will endeavour to tailor the catering services to suit each event and pride themselves on offering delicious and unique menus at the highest standard.

Whatever your event within The Council House, they will be able to meet your catering needs. Menus can be designed to suit every occasion, from traditional to contemporary and from buffets and seated dinners to canapé receptions. The team can also help with obtaining locally sourced products, ethnic suppliers for authentic ingredients, halal meats and ingredients for special diets.

Find out more on the Genuine Dining website.

Rates of hire

Conference Hall and Council Chamber

• Monday to Friday, from 8am to 12am (Friday until 1am) £160 per hour (min 4 hours hire)
• Saturday and Sunday, from 8am to 12am (Saturday until 1am) £180 per hour (min 4 hours hire)

Please note that on evenings and weekends committee rooms are charged at 25% of the above rates when required in conjunction with either the Conference Hall or Council Chamber.

Charity rates are available for registered charities, please contact us for more information.

Committee Rooms and Lord Mayor’s Reception Room

• Monday to Friday, from 8am to 7pm  £50 per hour,  7pm to 12am  £80 per hour
• Saturday and Sunday, from 8am to 12am (Saturday until 1am)  £120 per hour (min 4 hours hire)

We also offer an executive Day Delegate Rate for a range of midweek business events including training courses, seminars, presentations, board meetings, AGMs and interviews. Please contact us for details.

Wedding ceremony rates

Lord Mayor’s Reception Room, Committee Room 1 and 15

• Monday to Friday £200
• Saturday and Sunday £480
  

Council Chamber and Conference Hall

• Monday to Friday £640
• Saturday and Sunday £720

The above rates are for ceremony only, if you wish to have both your ceremony and reception here then above ceremony rates are halved. Rates of hire for the reception are charged at the above Conference Hall and Council Chamber prices per hour.

Equipment

Forthcoming events and special offers

Forthcoming events

Big Green Week (pdf, 2.9 MB)speaker slots - Sat 9th - Sun 17th June 2012

Pink Partnerships Gay Wedding Show - Sun 8th July 2012, 10.30 - 16.00

Culture, Health and Wellbeing International Conference (pdf, 224 KB)- Mon 24th - Weds 26th June 2013

Special offers

We are now offering:

An executive Day Delegate Rate (pdf, 52 KB)for a range of midweek business events including training courses, seminars, presentations, board meetings, AGMs and interviews.

All inclusive Wedding packages (pdf, 36 KB).

Feedback and commendations

We are proud of the service we provide and as such over the years have received many letters of thanks, a small selection are shown below:

“Impressive venue and all requirements catered for by helpful team.” Kathy.
“Sarah was brilliant and made us feel so welcome! The venue itself was beautiful and had a real 'wow' factor!! We couldn't have asked for more.” Caroline and Paul Morris.
“Conference a great success and our international visitors loved the building and facilities. Good location for hotels and the centre.” Gavin Welsh.
“Very helpful staff, beautiful setting for the wedding ceremony.” Helen Murphy.
“Most liked the support given during the planning phase and the standard of service provided by the catering staff.” Ian Todd.
“Felt very confident in the staff, nothing was too much trouble.” Louise and Scott De Palma.
“Beautiful, large, flexible space.” Lorraine Whitmarsh.
“The hall itself is great and the set-up is very flexible. The service from conference office staff is always excellent.” Kellie.
“Sincere and grateful thanks to you and your staff for the excellent and professional manner in which you organised the event in the Conference Hall.  The whole event went off extremely smoothly as last year and we are very grateful for all the help you and your team gave on the day.”  Mr Powell
"I would like to thank you for your part in what turned out to be a wonderful evening. The help you provided in the planning and again on the night was fantastic.  Nothing was too much trouble.  This made the organisation of the event go much smoother.” Royal Scottish Dance Society.
“Thank you again for your efforts to make our Web Fuelled Business event a success. It really was a brilliant day!” Sarah, Douglas Richard Ltd

We are committed to continually improving our service and would appreciate your feedback. Please spend five minutes to complete our online feedback form.

How to find us

Plan your visit to Bristol's Council House with Journey Planner or view a GIS map of the area.