Love historic wedding venues?

If you are a romantic like us, for your wedding day, you are totally considering heritage wedding venues in London, Ontario. These wedding venues are typically beautiful estates, mansions or historical sites. They range from intimate wedding venue spaces to accommodating up to 180 people. They all carry have a lot of history and are a stunning place to say I do.

Looking for more gorgeous London Ontario wedding venues? Don’t miss our free London Ontario Wedding Venue Guide!

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Your Dream Wedding Venue

Your first dance song comes on. Hand-in-hand, you walk to the middle of the dance floor as newlyweds. You wrap each other up; you can’t believe it, you are finally married!! All of your friends and family surround you. They’re all admiring what is happening—they’re all witnessing the beginning of a legacy.

Now step back; where are you? A historic wedding venue is instantly glamorous; the character and charm of these spaces create an elegant, timeless backdrop. Your wedding venue sets the tone for your day. There truly are so many amazing wedding venue option in London, Ontario but it’s hard to know where to start.

In this blog, we want to highlight some of our favourite heritage wedding venues in London Ontario that are guaranteed to add something special to your wedding day experience!

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Heritage Wedding Venues in London Ontario

Elsie Perrin Williams Estate Weddings

Elsie Perrin Williams Estate is a gorgeous option if you are looking for a historic mansion. The estate’s elegant Spanish architecture and Romanesque arches provide many options to make your wedding day feel extra special. We love how you get access to the entire estate including the gardens and forest trail.

For ceremonies, there are several options. You can have your ceremony at the Gazebo, on the lawn, or inside the estate. Elsie Perrin accommodates about 80 people for a sit down dinner indoors. You can also host your wedding outside or have a tented reception and seat up to 150 guests.

We have photographed wedding days both outside and inside at Elsie Perrin, and both are incredible! This heritage home gives you the option to have everything—including both of your getting ready, your ceremony and your reception—all at one venue. This can save you a lot of time on your timeline! We love how both the bride and groom can get ready in separate ensuites, and how there are separate stairs, too! This way, you don’t need to worry about accidentally seeing one another before your first look or your aisle moment!

View a real-life Elsie Perrin Williams Estate wedding. Learn more about other gorgeous wedding venues in our London Ontario Wedding Venue Guide!

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Idlewyld Inn & Spa Weddings

Idlewyld Inn & Spa is located in London’s Old South and is the smallest of the three estate wedding venues in London Ontario on our list of favourites. However, if you are planning a more intimate wedding, then the Idylwyld is definitely one to consider.

Idlewyld has a lot of history. It was built in 1878 as the private home for London Ontario’s mayor at the time, Charles Smith Hyman. The space has gone through some transformations over the years, but maintains much of the original Victorian features of the building.

At the Inn, you’ll have a few different spaces and rooms available to you for your getting ready, ceremony, and reception including the garden courtyard! The Idlewyld offers in-house catering and the Chef prioritizes a farm-to-table approach which we love. Big bonus: They also have a black Rolls Royce Phantom that you can access for transportation and photos!

Windermere Manor Weddings

Update: Sadly Windermere has closed as a wedding venue. It was such a gem and we hope it comes back again!

Another beautiful option when looking for a historic mansion for your wedding venue is Windermere Manor. This venue has great history behind it as well. The estate was originally built in 1925.

The grounds feature a carriage bridge tucked in the forest trails, and beautiful open areas to explore with rows of aged trees. The outside of the venue is picturesque; the Grand Hall and Hotel entrances both offer grey pillars that add to a grand estate feel. The balcony behind the Grand Hall is also beautiful with very large windows on one side, and the grounds and well-kept property on the other side.

It is always special to find venues that allow you to customize your experience and the experience of your guests based on the wedding you are envisioning. Windermere Manor does this by having many ceremony site options including the grounds, the patio and also the atrium. They also have on-site catering and customized menus.

Inside the Grand Hall at Windermere Manor is unique. Being an estate it provides a unique atmosphere as there are different spaces for your guests to enjoy and utilize. It offers the ability for some guests to stay at the hotel on the property as well and a reception space that can seat up to 120 people for dinner by incorporating their unique balcony. We love Windermere can accommodate everything at one location, which is an incredible benefit that simplifies the wedding planning process.

Have a look at this wedding at Windermere Manor to see more!

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Old Court House Weddings

The Old Court House, build in 1827, is one of those wedding venues that is incredibly unique in London Ontario. The Old Court house overlooks the river. It was actually modelled after the Malahide Castle in Dublin, Ireland!

Having a castle as the backdrop to your photos elevates your day in a most magical way! The Old Court House has smaller grounds than some of the other venues, but still provides an incredible backdrop for your wedding photos. The venue itself can hold up to 225 guests, with multiple set-up options based on your vision. The most iconic ceremony set-up for Old Court House weddings is outdoors on the outside steps. As another benefit, catering is provided by Culinary Catering, one of our favourites wedding caterers in London, Ontario.

The Old Court House is also a gorgeous spot for engagement sessions! See our top list of London Ontario engagement locations, or view a real-life Old Courthouse engagement session.

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Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre Weddings

Ivy Spencer Leadership Centre has all the charm of a beautiful Georgian Manor. If you are new to the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre, don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just a conference centre. It’s a truly elegant space to host a wedding and a definite contender if you are looking to a larger venue for your wedding day.

Ivey Spencer weddings offer historic architecture and well-manicured gardens, a perfect backdrop for wedding photos. The venue can accommodate up to 180 guests, and offers multiple lay-out options. A block of up to 125 guests can also be reserved, a real benefit when you have many out of town guests. We also love that Ivey Spencer provides shuttle service

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Choosing the perfect wedding venue

At the end of the day, the venue you select plays a special role in setting the tone for your day! We love heritage venues because they elevate the feel of your wedding day and add layers of extra timeless elegance to your wedding. They are also often equipped to host all events of your day, including your getting ready, ceremony, and reception (saving you time and money when booking wedding photography coverage).

Considering a heritage or historic wedding venue? We recommend making it your very first wedding planning step. Venues can be booked years in advance, and are generally the first thing you will want to book alongside your dream wedding photographer. The next best step is to line up as many venue visits as you can. When you find the perfect venue, you will know!

Dylan And Sandra Photography has been featured as one of the best wedding photographers in London by WeddingVenture.com.

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Wedding Planning Next Steps

Trying to make a wedding budget that works? Learn about 8 budgeting hacks here.

Thinking about pulling off a backyard wedding instead? Read our Ultimate Roundup to Planning a Backyard Wedding!