Lulworth Castle was built between 1608 and 1610 by Thomas Howard as a hunting lodge, a square, four-towered confection designed to impress visiting royalty rather than withstand a siege. The Weld family bought it in 1641 and still own it today; they made it their home, and it stayed that way until a catastrophic fire in 1929 left it a shell. For seventy years it stood open to the Dorset weather before the estate and English Heritage together brought it back, work completed in 1998. The result is remarkable and quite unlike anywhere else: a castle whose interior is now a clean, light-filled, essentially unfurnished space, with the drama of the architecture doing all the talking.
Around it lie acres of park, and beyond that the Jurassic Coast — Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door are on estate land, which is how couples here end up with photographs no one else can quite replicate. For the ceremony there is a choice most venues cannot match. You can marry in the castle itself, or in St Mary’s Chapel, a Georgian jewel of 1786 and the first free-standing Roman Catholic chapel built for public worship in England after the Reformation, or in St Andrew’s Church nearby, 15th century in origin and remodelled in the 1860s in a scheme Thomas Hardy had a hand in. Dining runs to about 130, rising to 150 for the evening, with catering from a pair of trusted partners. Guests stay on the estate in cottages, glamping pods or under canvas, which suits a coastal wedding where nobody is in a hurry to leave.
Where the band plays
Because the castle interior is effectively a blank canvas, you decide where everything goes, band included — a freedom worth taking seriously. Tall stone walls and hard floors make for a bright, reverberant room, so the practical advice is to give the band a defined end of the space, keep the PA modest and well aimed, and let the acoustics do some of the work. A band that plays regularly in historic buildings will know exactly what to do with a room like this. Since the space arrives empty, staging, power and lighting all come in with your suppliers, so a shared plan between band, caterer and marquee company is the thing that makes the day run smoothly.
How the evening runs
Evenings here go to around midnight, so the last set lands while the room is still full and the castle is lit from outside — which, seen across the park, is genuinely one of the sights of a Dorset wedding. Fireworks are permitted, unusually, and make a natural full stop between dinner and the dancing. Parking is on site and load-in across the park is straightforward in dry weather; if you are marrying in winter or after a wet week, it is worth asking about vehicle access to the castle door, as a band with a drum kit and a full rig would rather not carry it across grass.
Bands available in Dorset and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Dorset.
- Dorset Wedding Bands
- Dorset Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in Dorset
- Wedding DJs in Dorset
- Corporate Entertainment in Dorset
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.