Not every couple dreams of a stately home or hotel ballroom for their wedding reception. For those planning a more relaxed celebration with exceptional food and plenty of personality, The Griffin in Amersham offers something a little bit different. While you can't hold your ceremony here, it's an inspired choice for a wedding breakfast or post-ceremony reception, especially for couples looking for less formality.
Tucked away in the gorgeous Amersham Old Town, The Griffin blends casual fine dining with a contemporary atmosphere. Family and friends can gather for an intimate wedding breakfast before continuing the celebrations well into the evening, with exclusive spaces that feel more like stylish private homes than traditional function rooms.
The restored Mezzanine is particularly well suited to smaller wedding receptions. Seating up to 25 guests, its rustic timber beams and characterful interiors create a stunning backdrop that needs very little dressing. Whether you opt for simple seasonal flowers or add your own personal touches to the tables, it's a room that already feels effortless. Better still, couples have exclusive use from 6pm until midnight, allowing plenty of time for speeches, dinner and dancing. If you're keen to make the evening your own, you're also welcome to bring in entertainment, from acoustic musicians and live singers.
Larger celebrations are equally well catered for in The Assembly Room. Seating 30 guests or accommodating up to 60 for a standing reception, the room is stylishly decorated mixing rose-tinted walls and modern artworks with period features such as soaring ceilings and an original fireplace. Couples are welcome to access the space from 11am to decorate ahead of guests arriving and you're welcome to work with stylists, planners and florists to transform it into your perfect backdrop to the day.
You could, of course, hire both space and let guests move between. Start with canapes in the larger space, such as beef rib scrumpets with mustard mayonnaise, Baruzzo sausage rolls with smoked tomato and garlic chutney, or cod cheek tempura with lemon and parsley mayonnaise. Then, move onto a seated seasonal set menu might featuring Chalkstream trout ceviche or sweet potato, coconut and chilli soup, before mains such as barbecued chicken breast with spelt risotto, seasonal fish with braised fennel or Chiltern venison leg with red cabbage purée and blackberries. Finish with crème brûlée or sticky toffee pudding with gingerbread gelato and caramelised pecans - as well as, of course, a slice of wedding cake.