Belfast City Hall Wedding: Ceremony Venue Guide for Couples
What You Need to Know about a Civil Wedding at Belfast City Hall
If you’re after a wedding that feels classic, city-chic and a fuss free, Belfast City Hall might be your dream spot. It’s central, historic, and seriously beautiful. Let’s chat about timelines, photography coverage, and next steps.
Ceremony Setup & Booking Basics
Belfast City Hall offers civil wedding ceremonies performed by experienced registrars. You’ll need to give notice at least 28 days before your wedding date.
There are a handful of time-slots each day for ceremonies (weekday and Saturday options), convenient for flexibility.
The ceremony room can seat up to ~80 guests, so you can have a decently sized wedding without going huge.
Newlywed couple strolling past The Dirty Onion in Belfast during their city wedding photos
What Makes It a Photographer & Couple Favourite
The building itself is a stunner, Baroque-Revival architecture, marble staircases, ornate details, a grand dome, classic interiors… all giving portraits major timeless-elegance feels.
Right outside and around the building there are lawns, cobbled courtyards, classic gates, perfect for classic couple photos, group shots or a quick reception-walk before dinner.
Because you’re in the city centre, you’re close to gorgeous spots, think urban streets, historic corners, or stylish bars/restaurants for after-ceremony celebrations or photos. We can even hop in a taxi and take a 10 min ride to Botanic Gardens!
Pros & Things to Know
Pros:
Legal, official ceremony in a beautiful, central, iconic building.
No need to worry about “venue vibe” or extra decor, architecture and details are already epic.
Great for couples wanting a straightforward legal ceremony + flexible plans for reception or celebration elsewhere.
Guests & vendors are easy to reach, central location, transport links, convenience.
Heads-up / Cons to consider:
City Hall does ceremonies only, so you’ll need a separate venue for dinner/reception/drinks. Many couples pick a hotel, restaurant or local venue nearby like Margot, Cafe Parisien, The Ivy, The Waterman, AMPM etc.
With multiple ceremonies per day, you don’t get the “exclusive venue hire all day” vibe. The décor is classic, if you dream of wild drapery / floral overload / themed styling, you may need to get creative with photos/space around the city after.
Ceremonies run on scheduled slots, so transport, photography & post-ceremony plans need good coordination (especially if reception is elsewhere). Be mindful of booking the last slot of the day, as the building closes the staff does not linger and we will be rushed outside!
Interior ceremony room at Belfast City Hall ready for civil wedding
Who It’s Perfect For
Couples who want a civil/legal ceremony that’s simple, elegant, central and quick.
Those who don’t need full-day venue hire but want beautiful architecture, effortless legal paperwork, and easy celebration flexibility.
Anyone wanting to combine a classic ceremony with a reception somewhere else, bars, hotels, restaurants, or even a casual party nearby.
If you want your “I dos” in a building that’s iconic, easy to get to, timeless and doesn’t come with the insane cost or chaos of a big wedding venue, Belfast City Hall is such a no-brainer.
If you’re searching for a wedding photographer familiar with Belfast City Hall and the best nearby photo locations, I’d love to help. Contact me to check availability. Pricing starts at £250 per hour with couples usually booking 2-3h coverage of the ceremony, family photos and portraits around town.
Bride and groom outside Belfast City Hall historic building