Plas Dinam looks out over the Severn valley from a hillside above Llandinam in Powys, and the view from the front of the house — river, patchwork fields, hills folding away in both directions — is the reason many couples stop looking after they have seen it. The house was built for the family of David Davies, the Llandinam-born industrialist whose railways, collieries and docks shaped modern south Wales, and it is still in the family’s hands rather than a corporate portfolio. That shows in the details: this feels like a home lent to you for a weekend rather than a venue rented by the hour.
And a weekend is exactly what you get. Bookings are a minimum of two nights with exclusive use of the house and grounds, so there is no being hurried out at breakfast. There are 15 large bedrooms sleeping up to 34 in the main house, with the Lodge and the Chauffeur’s Loft adding more, and in summer 10 bell tents go up in the woodland for anyone who wants to camp in style. The estate runs to wildflower meadows, woodland and lawns.
Ceremonies can be held in the drawing room for up to 60, in the hall for up to 120, under the front arch, on the lawns or in a woodland clearing. The party happens in the Stables, a converted barn with a glass roof, a vintage bar and a dance floor, seating up to 160. The approach here is refreshingly unrestrictive: you choose your own caterers, florists and suppliers, and there is no corkage on drinks you bring yourselves, which for a large guest list can make a substantial difference.
Where the band plays
The Stables is the music room, and it is a good one — a barn with a glass roof gives you height and light, and having the dancing in a separate building from the bedrooms usually means a more relaxed attitude to volume than a hotel can offer. At up to 160 seated there is a proper crowd, and a five or six-piece will suit it well. Because the venue is genuinely flexible about suppliers, there is nothing stopping you building the evening exactly as you want it; the flip side is that more of the coordination falls to you, so put your band in touch with the house early about power, access and timings.
The shape of the weekend
With two nights and the whole estate, the wedding spreads out properly: people arrive the day before, the ceremony happens somewhere on the grounds, drinks go on far longer than they would elsewhere, dinner and dancing follow in the Stables, and breakfast the next morning is part of the event rather than an afterthought. It also means the band plays to a room of people who are staying put, which is always the difference between a full floor and a thinning one. Agree the finish time and any limits on amplified music, indoors and out, with the house when you book — a rural valley setting will have them.
Bands available in North Wales and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in North Wales.
- North Wales Wedding Bands
- North Wales Events Bands
- Tribute Acts in North Wales
- Wedding DJs in North Wales
- Corporate Entertainment in North Wales
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters at Venues: What You Need to Know. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.