Your dream kent wedding
Welcome to The Historic Dockyard Chatham, if you’re looking to tie the knot in Kent, we can offer you a spectacular, exclusive use wedding venue full of history and charm.
Weddings
It all starts with tying the knot
Nestled within our private estate we have 4 timeless ceremony venues and a breathtaking reception setting, complete with its own secret garden.
The Commissioner’s House, Britain’s oldest naval building, is an elegant Georgian-style house with a choice of beautifully restored rooms to suit all party themes and sizes. The surrounding Commissioner’s Garden provides an unforgettable setting for drinks receptions and photographs.
Not many people can boast they were married on a ship. If you’re looking for a venue with a difference, at The Historic Dockyard Chatham you can say your vows aboard the elegant and romantic, HMS GANNET, a sloop of the Victorian Royal Navy.
If you’re seeking a venue that combines historical significance, elegant surroundings, and impeccable service The Historic Dockyard Chatham is an amazing choice of venue.
Key Details
Your planning starts here
Stunning maritime location
Exclusive venue use for every wedding
We can accommodate from 15 – 250 guests
Licenced for ceremonies
Dedicated wedding coordinator offering personalised service
Incredible backdrops for your wedding photos
Wedding Suite (for the bridal party to get ready on the day)
In-house Bar and recommended caterers
We work with only the best, explore our reccomended caterers
Getting here
The Historic Dockyard
Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TZ
There is free, onsite parking for all guests.
Need to know
- Child Friendly: Yes
- Late License: 12AM
- Accommodation: No
- Disabled Facilities: Yes
HMS GANNET wedding cerEmonies
This beautiful Victorian sloop is the most unique ceremony venue in Kent. The Captain’s Cabin, seating up to 40 guests for intimate ceremonies or the main deck, perfect for up to 100 guests.
Combine with drinks on board before your party makes its way to Commissioner’s House to enjoy the rest of your big day. Need we say more?
Reimagined Commissioner’s House – Coming Soon
The Queen Anne style Commissioner’s House, built for Captain George St Lo in 1704, is Britain’s oldest intact naval building. Steeped in over three centuries of maritime history and serving as the grand residence of the Dockyard Commissioner, little has changed since its original construction.
Thanks to a transformative grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), Commissioner’s House is going through a remarkable refurbishment in 2025. By summer 2026 this iconic historic building will reopen as a beautiful new space for all to enjoy.
what’s new?
- A venue like no other: From weddings and parties to corporate events and meetings, this beautifully restored historic house will offer a unique and inspiring setting for any occasion.
- Enhanced public access and richer experiences: Discover the grandeur of the Commissioner’s residence like never before through enhanced interpretation of its past.
- Sustainability first: Energy efficiency upgrades will ensures it is preserved for future generations – balancing a heritage asset against environmental responsibility.
Be among the first to experience the reimagined Commissioner’s House. Enquire today to plan your 2026 event.
Your reception
Wedding Breakfast & Reception
Mentioned by Wedding Ideas Magazine, in the top ’16 Britain’s Best Wedding Venues’
With three fantastic caterers to choose from, there are plenty of options to consider for your wedding breakfast – from a traditional three course sit down meal to grazing tables and nibbles, the choices are endless. Why not try a BBQ or Hog Roast? A perfect choice for the patio.
And so, the party begins, it’s time for evening guests to arrive and party with you until Midnight! From bands to DJ’s, your evening entertainment can be anything you like.
Your Perfect Backdrop
Memories that last a lifetime
If you’re able to leave your guests for a short time, the 400 year history of the Historic Dockyard makes for some unique and spectacular backdrops for your wedding photos.
What will be your ‘perfect shot’?
Don’t just take it from us
Look at some of our happy couples
We will be on hand every step of the way, from the moment you enquire until you leave at the end of your wedding night. Your wedding co-coordinator will work with you during the planning process, to make sure it is stress-free and fun.
On the day of the wedding, you will be in the safe hands of our Event Manager, who will be on hand to assist with anything you may need, including calming nerves.
Overall we had the best wedding day we could of hoped for. It was stress free and we were able to enjoy every moment of the day. I would highly recommend the venue to anyone else as it’s such a beautiful venue but also you could decorate it with it reason with whatever we wanted and were continually told it was our day we do with it what we want
Quite simply the best day of our lives. Unique location steeped in Naval history offering an authentic unique wedding venue. Facilities are all well looked after. Staff are very friendly and relaxed and extremely helpful. No pressure and they go over and beyond to make your day special and hassle free. They catered for all our requests and helped us with last minute things and emergencies. Thank you so much to Chloe & Lisa and the rest of the team to making our day simply the best ever .
Chloe was wonderful and made everything simple, she kept in regular contact and was happy to ask any question! We had the best celebration of our marriage with so many happy memories! So thank you x
Many thanks to both of you for giving us the info, and then getting everything in place for our Wedding last Saturday, especially to everyone involved in setting up HMS Gannet – and for arranging the good weather ! It was a great day for us in all sorts of ways, and this very special setting in such beautiful weather was just the icing on the cake! But we have to make a special mention of Lisa, Alison and everyone else involved on the day. We cannot thank them enough for their calm presence, for catering for our every need, for making everything run so smoothly and for making our guests feel so relaxed and happy throughout the day. One of our guests said they would rate your guys as 10 stars out of 5!
RECOMMENDED SUPPLIERS
ONLY THE BEST
If you need some advice on who to choose to help with your day, then we’ve listed our recommended suppliers that we’ve worked with over the years. These are our honest recommendations from previous couples and with our seal of approval too.
Don’t forget we’re here with you every step of the way to help build your dream day.
Type
Location
@commissioners_houseweddings
Inspired by your moments
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Hitched Wedding Awards 2024
The Historic Dockyard Chatham has been named as one of the winners of the annual Hitched Wedding Awards 2024.
More than 23,000 wedding vendors registered on the site have all been in the running to win this acclaimed industry title. The Historic Dockyard Chatham is one of the Hitched Wedding Awards 2024 winners in the Wedding Venues category, making us one of the most recommended professionals by newlyweds on Hitched.co.uk
Key Details
Your planning starts here
Stunning maritime location
Exclusive venue use for every wedding
We can accommodate from 15 – 250 guests
Licenced for ceremonies
Dedicated wedding coordinator offering personalised service
Incredible backdrops for your wedding photos
Wedding Suite (for the bridal party to get ready on the day)
In-house Bar and recommended caterers
We work with only the best, explore our reccomended caterers
Getting here
The Historic Dockyard
Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TZ
There is free, onsite parking for all guests.
Need to know
- Child Friendly: Yes
- Late License: 12AM
- Accommodation: No
- Disabled Facilities: Yes
Tell us a little about your dream wedding
Please use the form below to tell us as much as you can about your wedding requirements and a member of our team will contact you to discuss your plans in more detail.
Telephone
Or complete the enquiry form below:
Blogs & Articles
Wedding stories
Dive a little deeper in to weddings at the Historic Dockyard with our blogs and articles.
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