The Venue

Brunel's SS Great Britain The Ideal Unique Wedding Venue

Every bride wants a unique wedding day. With traditions from older generations no longer being the 'norm'. Brides and grooms are searching for a different way to celebrate. Many couples in recent years have selected stately homes and country hotels as the setting for their ceremony.

We are delighted to introduce a truly unique wedding venue for couples looking for somewhere special to celebrate their day. The breath taking Brunel SS Great Britain located at the great western dockyard in Bristol. Offers brides and grooms the uniqueness they have been craving!

Firstly can we just say the ship is amazing! Tell us about the history of the ship.

What are the costs involved for maintaining a beautiful and historic ship?

"The process of conserving the historic ship can never stop and costs more than £1 million per year. The SS Great Britain Trust receives no funding from central or local government and relies on visitors, venue hire, and weddings held on board, as well as the generosity of members and supporters to fund work which also includes educational programs for children and young people."

Tell us more about the wedding hire. What can a bride expect when having her wedding on board Brunel's SS Great Britain?

What service couples can expect when they choose to get married at your venue?

"From the moment the couple arrives to first view the ship we begin to plan and build a bespoke wedding day for them. We talk through all the ideas they may have and even offer a few suggestions of our own, where input is requested. There are no fixed packages that restrict creativity. Our wedding stewards are exemplary, and in addition to providing on-the-day support, they offer guided tours of the historic ship if of interest to the bridal couple and their guests. Wedding reception guests are also able to return the following day to explore Brunel's SS Great Britain during the daytime at their leisure. The couple have an intimate ceremony below a beautiful skylight on the Promenade Deck, with its restrained Victorian elegance. Wedding receptions take place in the opulent First Class Dining Saloon – a space which impressed a young and fashionable Queen Victoria. Evening parties are held in the adjoining Hayward Saloon with its dance floor and bar. The bridal couple and guests can explore the historic dockyard, descend below the stunning glass 'sea' surrounding the ship, and discover the beautifully recreated spaces on board."

"The historic ship also benefits from a PA system on two decks; MP3 compatibility; a sophisticated air-cooling system in the First Class Dining Saloon; extensive chilling for champagnes, wines and flowers; newly refurbished Victorian-styled toilets, suitable for 'First Class' passengers; and award-winning access, with a lift in the funnel. The delicious food is cooked on board in the state-of-the-art galley, next to the First Class Dining Saloon. Waiting staff are highly professional and friendly. Brunel's SS Great Britain is close to hotels and serviced apartments, to suit all budgets; there is a car and coach park; and is close to rail and bus stations. Some bridal parties even decide to travel between the hotel and wedding venue by ferry."

How many guests can a couple have?

"We can have anything up to 150 guests for the ceremony and the reception, with capacity for an extra 100 evening guests, we can have 250 guests. "

What packages to you offer your Brides?

"We don't have packages. We believe every one of our couples should be able to create a tailored and original day that reflects what they personally want to achieve. Our menus and wines lists showcase the very best produce and we are all very proud of the memories we have created for people. What still amazes the bride is also how little this service costs for what they receive. "

So if you don't have packages, then what can they have?

"We have venue hire costs and then the food and drinks costs – no hidden extras. We have an extensive menu and a trained team who can talk through the whole process of creating the menu that suits them and their day. If the couple requires something truly unique or have a favourite dish, we will endeavour to recreate it for them. "

Ideal Bride Magazine would like to thank Bronwen and the rest of the team at Brunel's SS Great Britain for their time and contributions.

Interested in hiring the Brunel SS Great Britain for your wedding? Contact the events team through the website www.ssgreatbritain.org/venue/Enquiry/. Help support the ship with maintenance costs at www.ssgreatbritain.org/support/. Calling all brides and grooms, if you have married at this venue we would love to speak to you, contact us at editor@idealbridemagazine.co.uk.

images courtesy of David Noton, Graham Wyles, Venetia Norrington/Fire Top Photography

11th July 2011