There is something disarming about getting married in a vineyard in Wales. Llanerch sits on a south-facing slope at Hensol in the Vale of Glamorgan, 22 acres of it, with 5,000 vines running down the hill and a hotel and restaurant grown up around them. The wines have won awards and are poured throughout the day, which gives the whole thing a sense of place that imported fizz never quite manages. It is a family-run estate rather than a corporate one, and it feels like it.
Weddings centre on Calon Lodge, which takes 150 for a ceremony and a wedding breakfast and up to 200 in the evening, with the Vineyard Lawn outside licensed for open-air ceremonies for up to 150 when the weather plays along. The vines themselves are the backdrop for photographs, and in late summer, with the fruit on and the light going long across the slope, they are hard to beat. A marquee can be added if you need more room.
There are 36 bedrooms sleeping around 80 guests, including a bridal suite and a honeymoon suite, so a good proportion of the party stays put. Catering is in-house, the restaurant operates in its own right, and there is a dedicated wedding coordinator along with a dance floor and sound system already in place. The M4 at junction 34, Cardiff airport and Pontyclun station are all close by, which makes it an unusually easy venue for guests travelling from further afield.
Where the band plays
Calon Lodge is the room, and it is a straightforward, well-proportioned space that bands get on with easily — a built-in dance floor, a house sound system and a capacity of 200 for the evening, which is a generous crowd without being cavernous. Because the lodge is purpose-built rather than a converted drawing room, there is no wrestling with awkward corners or delicate plasterwork, and power and access are where you would want them. A five-piece will sound entirely at home; a duo or trio during the wedding breakfast, then a full band later, is a pattern that works particularly well here.
Drinks among the vines, and the run of the night
The most charming stretch of the day is the drinks reception on the lawn with the vineyard below — an acoustic set or a solo guitarist out there, glass of Welsh sparkling in hand, sets the tone for everything that follows. Inside, dinner and speeches give way to the floor, and with 36 bedrooms upstairs the room keeps its numbers late. Llanerch will confirm your finish time and any limits on amplified music, indoors and out, for your particular date; ask about both, as outdoor music in a rural setting is often treated separately and usually stops earlier than the party inside.
Bands available in Cardiff and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Cardiff.
- Cardiff Wedding Bands
- Cardiff Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in Cardiff
- Wedding DJs in Cardiff
- Corporate Entertainment in Cardiff
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters at Venues: What You Need to Know. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.