The best North Wales wedding venues for a live band

North Wales has some of the most dramatic wedding settings in the UK: castles and halls in the Vale of Clwyd, stone barns in the Dee Valley, country houses looking up at Eryri and a château on the Menai Strait. Each one gives a live band something different to work with.

The size of the room, where the band sets up, any noise limit and the time the music stops all shape how your evening goes. We are a 9-piece wedding band in North Wales with a live horn section, playing Soul, Funk, R&B, Motown and Pop. Here are six North Wales venues we rate for a wedding with live music, from the border to Anglesey, and what makes each one work.

1

Iscoyd Park

Near Whitchurch · Wrexham border

A red-brick Georgian house in 18th-century parkland, just inside the Welsh border, which has been home to the Godsal family since 1843. Ceremonies take place in the house, including the Garden Room, then a permanent light-filled marquee hosts the wedding breakfast and the evening, seating 160 for dinner and holding around 180 for the party. The house is booked for exclusive use, with bedrooms and a honeymoon suite for the two of you and your closest guests.

Why it works for a band

We have played Iscoyd Park, and the marquee gives a 9-piece room to spread out, with space for a full dancefloor in front of the band. Read about our wedding at Iscoyd Park.

Our Iscoyd Park guide

2

Soughton Hall

Northop · Flintshire

A Grade II listed hall in landscaped gardens near Mold, with an ornate Victorian front, a walled garden and its own dining rooms. It is booked for exclusive use from 1pm on the day until 11am the next morning, with only one wedding at a time. Ceremonies for up to 90 can be held inside or out, the main celebrations take place in a contemporary marquee in the gardens, and 16 bedrooms sleep 32 guests.

Why it works for a band

A marquee party means the band can set up properly, with plenty of power and room for the horns, and with the whole hall to yourselves there is no other party next door to keep the volume down for.

Our Soughton Hall guide

3

Tower Hill Barns

Trevor · Near Llangollen

Converted stone barns in 10 acres of countryside in the Dee Valley, with an outdoor ceremony spot under an old railway bridge, licensed from April to September. Ceremonies hold up to 120, the barn seats up to 130 for dinner and the venue takes up to 200 in the evening. The farmhouse, rooms and glamping pods sleep a good number of guests, and the bar can stay open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Why it works for a band

Bands set up inside the old barn, and the venue has its own sound system to carry music through the rest of the space. With a late bar, there is time for two full sets and the DJ booth after.

Our Tower Hill Barns guide

4

Ruthin Castle

Ruthin · Vale of Clwyd

A castle hotel built among the red sandstone ruins of a 13th-century fortress, on the edge of Ruthin, with gardens and battlements to explore for photos. Ceremonies for up to 100 can be held in the Grand Salon, the Peacock Suite or outdoors, the Medieval Banqueting Hall hosts the meal, and around 60 bedrooms mean most of your guests can stay. The entertainment licence runs until midnight, and exclusive use can be arranged.

Why it works for a band

Big historic rooms suit a full band with live horns, and with so many guests staying in the castle there are no taxis to rush for at the end of the night. We plan the sets to finish on a high at midnight.

Our Ruthin Castle guide

5

Plas Maenan

Conwy Valley · Near Llanrwst

A country house above the Conwy Valley, looking out over Eryri (Snowdonia). Only one wedding takes place each day, so the house and grounds are yours. Ceremonies for up to 80 are held in the Calon Suite or outside overlooking the valley, the Ballroom hosts the wedding breakfast, and up to 120 guests can join in the evening. Bedrooms sleep around 26, including a honeymoon suite.

Why it works for a band

Live music is welcome, and with up to 120 in the evening the Ballroom fills up nicely for a dancefloor. A resident DJ comes with the package, so you can have the band for the big sets and the DJ to finish the night.

Our Plas Maenan guide

6

Chateau Rhianfa

Menai Bridge · Anglesey

A Grade II listed château built in 1849, inspired by the Loire Valley, on the shore of the Menai Strait. Its turrets and gardens run down to the water, ceremonies can take place across the estate, and the Banqueting Hall hosts the celebrations, with exclusive use for up to around 145 guests. 27 bedrooms across the château and its lodge sleep around 54.

Why it works for a band

Live music and a dancefloor are part of the plan here. It is a long way west for many bands, but we travel all over North Wales, and with most of your guests staying overnight, the party can run right to the last song.

Our Château Rhianfa guide

More North Wales wedding venues

Those six are a great starting point, and there are plenty more across the region that suit a live band, including:

…and many more around Wrexham, Mold, Llangollen, Llandudno, Conwy, Betws-y-Coed, Bangor and across Anglesey and the Llŷn Peninsula.

What to ask your venue before booking a band

Before you sign with a North Wales venue, ask your coordinator a few questions about live music:

1. Is there a sound limiter or a noise limit?Castles, listed halls and rural barns often have one, and it can cut the power if the volume goes too high. Our guide to sound limiters at North Wales wedding venues explains what to look out for.
2. What time does the music finish?Most venues finish at midnight, some run to 1am at weekends, and a few have one time for the band and a later one for a DJ.
3. Where will the band set up?The ideal is a flat, covered area of about 6m x 3m with two 13 amp sockets on separate circuits. We can work with less, so tell us if space is tight.
4. Is the party in the same room as the meal?If it is, we set up once the speeches are over. That takes about an hour, plus a few minutes for the band to change.
5. How far is the stage from where we park?Castle courtyards, long drives and hillside barns can mean a long carry, so ask about access for the band.