Oxwich Bay Hotel has one of the best addresses in Wales. It stands right on the shore of Oxwich Bay, on the south coast of the Gower peninsula, with 3 miles of sand on one side and ancient woodland climbing the headland on the other. The building began life in 1788 as the rectory of Oxwich, and there is a magnificent horse chestnut at its heart — a log burner has been set into the trunk of one, which now serves as a rather wonderful backdrop for ceremonies. Gower was the first place in Britain to be designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and standing on the hotel lawn looking out across the bay, you can see exactly why.
Weddings here are built around a marquee with sweeping views over the water, heated and fitted with mood lighting so it works through the year rather than only in August. The hotel takes up to 150 for a ceremony and a seated meal and up to 250 in the evening, and holds a civil ceremony licence for indoor and outdoor vows. Only one wedding runs per day, so the attention stays where it should be.
Accommodation is spread pleasingly about the site: rooms in the old rectory, pods in the secret garden, the Ivy Cottage and the Beach Walk Parc, plus a honeymoon suite. Catering is in-house and ranges from a traditional wedding breakfast to barbecues and full vegan menus, which suits the setting — a beach wedding that ends with a barbecue as the light goes over the bay is a hard thing to improve on. There is a licensed bar, a dance floor and parking on site.
Where the band plays
The marquee is the room, and marquees are straightforward, forgiving spaces for live music: plenty of height, no fixed pillars, a proper dance floor and none of the awkward acoustics of a low-ceilinged function suite. With 250 in for the evening you have a real crowd, and a five or six-piece will fill that space comfortably. Power is the thing to nail down early — ask the hotel what supply is available in the marquee and pass the answer to your band, because a beachside marquee is not a place to discover a shortfall an hour before the first set.
Drinks on the sand, and the run of the night
The great luxury of this venue is that the drinks reception can happen on the lawn or the beach itself, and an acoustic act out there with the tide coming in is genuinely special. Inside, the evening follows the usual and very satisfying pattern of dinner, speeches and dancing, with guests staying on site so the floor holds its numbers late. Being right on a protected coastline, the hotel will have clear limits on outdoor amplified music and a set finish time for the marquee — ask about both when you book, and confirm whether the outdoor cut-off falls earlier than the indoor one, as it usually does.
Bands available in Swansea and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Swansea.
- Swansea Wedding Bands
- Swansea Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in Swansea
- Wedding DJs in Swansea
- Corporate Entertainment in Swansea
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.