The Elephant Hotel Pangbourne

The Elephant Hotel is a nineteenth-century boutique hotel on Church Road in Pangbourne, a Thames-side village about six miles from Reading. It was once known as the Copper Inn, and it now offers ceremony rooms, a restaurant, gardens and 22 bedrooms.

Why it suits LGBTQ+ couples

The Elephant because exclusive hire is available from small guest numbers, so a micro wedding or a larger party can have the hotel to itself. A choice of three ceremony spaces means you can pick a setting that matches your guest list and your style, from a garden ceremony to a restaurant room.

Ceremonies

The Elephant Room hosts ceremonies for up to 140 guests. The Herd Restaurant suits up to 76, and the Garden Temple in the secluded English garden holds civil ceremonies for up to 100.

Receptions and food

Catering is in-house. Drinks and canapés are served in the lounge, followed by a wedding breakfast of three or more courses, with up to 132 seated in the Elephant Room or 60 in the Herd Restaurant. Evening food can be nibbles, a buffet, a barbecue or a hog roast. Children can have half portions. Outdoor marquee celebrations can also be arranged.

Staying

The hotel has 22 en-suite rooms, from classic singles to super king rooms, and breakfast is included in the room rate.

Getting there and the area

Pangbourne has a railway station with services to Reading and London Paddington. The village sits on the Thames, and the river path and the Chilterns and Berkshire Downs are close by for photographs and walks.

The setting is a village hotel with handcrafted Indian furniture in the bedrooms and a secluded English garden behind the building. The team can also arrange marquee celebrations for outdoor receptions. Contact the hotel by email or phone to ask about dates and current packages, and ask whether you can visit the garden and ceremony rooms before you commit.

Because the hotel has its own kitchen, bar and bedrooms, there is little to arrange beyond the details you care about. Exclusive hire from twenty guests suits couples planning a smaller day, while the larger rooms allow a full celebration.

Good to know

• Exclusive hire is available from 20 guests.
• The hotel holds an alcohol licence.
• Breakfast is included in room rates.