Dancing beak to beak - The Jewish Chronicle

How unusual do you want your simchah venue to be? A trawl of the internet has come up with some very strange suggestions from America (where else?). They include a nudist wedding, a betrothal on horseback and - my favourite, this - the Zero Gravity Wedding, in which a company offers a weightless experience by flying the bride and groom and selected guests up to thousands of metres above the Gulf of Mexico.

In the UK, we have a rather more sober attitude towards such things. Nevertheless couples with a taste for originality are demanding funky settings for their big day, while for bar and batmitzvot, originality is highly prized.

At ZSL London Zoo, the penguins are perfectly dressed for a black-tie affair, but other creatures are also on hand to attend your event, albeit attired less formally.

You can invite your friends and relatives to view the residents of the reptile and bug house and then celebrate your wedding while being watched by members of the Gorilla Kingdom.

The zoo, which welcomes kosher caterers, can also host your chuppah in its Mappin Pavilion, which holds 90 guests, while The Prince Albert Suite holds up to 260 guests. The Mappin boasts all-round views through its floor-to-ceiling windows and from the terrace looks out over graceful "outback" animals in their grade II listed enclosure.

Considering Henry VIII's attitude towards his wives, Hampton Court Palace is a delightfully ironic place to be wed. It has a range of rooms suitable for wedding parties.

The biggest is the Great Hall, which can take 400 people for a reception and 270 for a seated dinner. Then there are marquee sites that hold more than 400 guests. The Garden Room can accommodate 300 and the Little Banqueting House holds 80 and is perfect for a chuppah.

The Palace has designated caterers Carole Sobell and James Zimmer to provide kosher banqueting.

If your wish is for a showbiz style celebration, then the Bafta (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) headquarters at 195 Piccadilly is the venue for you.

Adorned with pictures of film stars, it offers to put in place everything from the red carpet to a variety of musicians and photographers to capture the moment.

Film buffs should take a look at the building's state-of-the-art cinema and event areas that accommodate just over 200 people for a seated dinner. Exclusive hire of the building includes access to the members' bar, the David Lean Room and foyer bar, the Princess Anne Theatre, the Mezzanine and the boardroom and gallery.

There will also be a security guard on duty throughout your event. The venue's kitchens welcome your choice of kosher caterer.

In the City, the Royal Exchange is a magnificent venue for even the biggest celebration.

The Grade I listed building offers a light and airy courtyard surrounded by columns and arches and accommodating up to 1,000 people standing or 250 seated with a dance floor. It also has two mezzanine floors, perfect for a drinks reception.

Part of the D&D stable, the Royal Exchange has a free events team on hand to ensure everything runs smoothly. Kosher catering is by Tony Page and Carole Sobell.

BMA House, around the corner to Euston station in central London, has been the home of the British Medical Association since 1925. The Grade II listed building was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens 100 years ago and has undergone numerous redevelopments and refurbishments, the most recent being three years ago.

There are five contemporary spaces for events; many of the rooms retain Grade II listed features.

You can also have your chuppah on the premises.

The biggest event space is the Great Hall, which can accommodate 200 or a sit-down dinner or 320 for a buffet or cocktail party. The hall can be used for the wedding ceremony and, if it is, the wedding party can use the Sir James Paget and John Snow rooms, one floor below, for a drinks reception.

Another feature of the hall is its extremely high ceilings, 28ft, which give you an impressive amount of natural light - it also has splendid Corinthian-style columns.

The Paget and Snow rooms are named after pioneering medical professionals (so if there are doctors in your family, it will be particularly apt), while the Lutyens room is named after the designer.

The Paget and Snow rooms are also blessed with plenty of natural light and both have direct access to the BMA's main courtyard. A balcony overlooking the courtyard gives photographers a wonderful opportunity to take large group shots from above, including the picturesque fountain and gardens.

The Sir James Paget room can seat 120 people for dinner, while the John Snow room can seat 100.

The two rooms can be used together if the size of the party suits this better. So a chuppah can be held in the Snow room, the dinner in the Paget room and dancing afterwards back in the Snow room.

The Prince's room is designed for much more intimate events, with its capacity of 50 people, though it is also a possibility for your chuppah. This room is also ideal for events such as engagement parties or anniversaries. It, too, benefits from high ceilings and gold leaf-painted columns to add to its art deco-style glamour.

The final space is the Garden room, which naturally leads to the garden. The room is on the lower-ground floor and is a double-height space. It is designed in a contemporary style and is perfect for a party, dinner or just a drinks reception.

It has a capacity of 90 people for dinner - or you could opt for a barbecue in the garden itself, where all the plants, incidentally, have medicinal properties.

BMA House is happy to work with kosher caterers at weekends or on bank holidays.

A dedicated wedding planner is allocated to every wedding booked at BMA House, who can help you locate suppliers of accessories such as flowers, entertainers, cake makers and linen hire. The site has a car park with capacity for 20 cars, with additional paid parking available locally.