Hatfield House

Dating back to 1485 and once owned by Henry VIII, Hatfield House is among the grandest wedding venues in Hertfordshire. The Old Palace seats up to 280 guests, while the atmospheric Riding School offers a more intimate 100-guest setting where natural daylight floods through the mezzanine windows. Dry hire is available, so you choose your own suppliers and shape the day exactly as you want it. Events run until midnight as standard, with extensions available until 2am. With 250 acres of parkland as your backdrop, there is space here that few other venues can match.

The Old Palace

Built around 1485 by Cardinal John Morton, the Old Palace is one of the finest examples of medieval brickwork in England. Original wood beams, domed ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling tapestries create a space with genuine weight and history. This is the room where Elizabeth I held her first Council of State after learning she had become Queen, reportedly while sitting under an oak tree in the park on 17 November 1558.

For weddings, the Old Palace seats up to 280 for dinner or 200 on round tables with a dancefloor. One of the things that makes this space practical is that dining tables can stay in place alongside the DJ and dancefloor, so no room flip needed, no awkward pause while staff rearrange furniture. There is a separate bar area attached, which means guests naturally flow between the dancefloor and the bar without congestion. That separation of dancing and conversation is something I always appreciate in a venue.

From a DJ's perspective, the Old Palace is a medieval hall with high ceilings, brick walls, and heavy timber, which means natural reverb. It is not as reflective as a modern glass-walled space, but speeches still need careful microphone management to land cleanly. The room transforms once evening lighting takes over. The atmosphere shifts dramatically, and the combination of the ancient architecture with modern production creates a genuinely powerful effect.

The Riding School

Renovated in 2010, the Riding School blends its stable-yard heritage with modern architecture. A glass roof floods the space with natural daylight during the day, and a mezzanine level adds visual interest and versatility. It holds up to 120 seated or 80 with a dancefloor, with its own private bar, lift access, and an in-house sound system.

This is the right choice for weddings between 40 and 110 guests, large enough to feel like an event, intimate enough that every guest feels part of it. The acoustic character is quite different from the Old Palace, more modern, more contained, and the glass roof creates a bright, airy feel that softens beautifully as the light fades.

The Grounds

The Knot Garden sits directly beside the Old Palace and is included in exclusive hire. It is the most photographed spot on the estate and works for outdoor ceremonies, drinks receptions, and music until sundown. The Raised Lawn offers breathtaking views of the Jacobean mansion (the later house, built 1608-1611 by Robert Cecil) and is perfect for outdoor blessings and lawn games.

Beyond the immediate gardens, 250 acres of parkland give your photographer more variety than they will know what to do with. For couples wanting something truly different, George's Field is available May to September for outdoor events with capacity up to 2,500, from festival-style weddings with live bands, fairground rides, or whatever you can imagine.

Dry Hire: Complete Creative Freedom

Hatfield House offers genuine dry hire, and this matters more than most couples realise at the booking stage. You choose your own caterers, entertainers, florists, and photographers. There is no mandatory supplier list, no venue-imposed restrictions on who you work with. Corkage is included. For dry hire events, you arrange your own crockery, cutlery, and table linen, which means every detail reflects your taste, not the venue's standard package.

For me as a DJ, dry hire weddings are where the best collaborations happen. I am working directly with the couple, coordinating with their chosen suppliers, and building something that is genuinely personal rather than following a venue template.

The History

The story of Hatfield House is inseparable from the Tudors. Henry VIII acquired the estate from the Bishopric of Ely in 1538 and used it as a residence for his children. The three-month-old Princess Elizabeth was brought here in 1533 and lived at Hatfield on and off for 25 years. Princess Mary was sent here too, as punishment. When Elizabeth finally became Queen in 1558, her first acts of government took place in the very room where weddings now happen.

In 1607, James I exchanged Hatfield for Theobalds with Robert Cecil, who demolished three wings of the Old Palace and used the bricks to build the present Jacobean house, designed by Robert Lemynge with contributions from Inigo Jones. The Cecil family have lived here ever since, now in their seventh generation as Marquesses of Salisbury.

Film crews have noticed the architecture too. Hatfield House has appeared in over 69 productions including Batman, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Crown, The Favourite, Bridgerton, Enola Holmes, and The King's Speech.

Getting There

Hatfield House is five minutes' walk from Hatfield station, which is under 30 minutes from London King's Cross. By car, it is five minutes from the A1 and three minutes from the M25 (Junction 23). Free parking for approximately 300 cars. Coach parking is available near the Old Palace and Stable Yard.

For accommodation, the events team works with nearby hotels including The Comet London Hatfield, Mercure Hatfield Oak Hotel, and DoubleTree by Hilton Elstree, and can arrange group rates and transfers.