Sonning is one of those Thames villages that looks as though it was designed to be photographed: a brick bridge, a lock, cottages, and the river running quietly through the middle of it, ten minutes from Reading and not much further from Henley. The Great House sits right on the water, a former Tudor coaching inn that has been through a thoughtful modern restoration and come out of it warm rather than glossy — old brick and timber outside, bright and contemporary within, with tall glass doors opening the rooms onto terraces and lawns that run down to the bank.
The riverside is the whole point. There is a private terrace above the water for drinks, lawns for games and photographs, moorings for anyone arriving by boat, and a general sense that the day can drift outdoors whenever the weather allows it. The kitchen belongs to the Coppa Club team, which means confident modern food and a menu that moves with the seasons, and there are boutique bedrooms on site, so the wedding party sleeps in the village rather than queueing for taxis on the bridge.
The rooms have proper names and proper character. The Dining Room is the largest, with its own lawn and garden access and views over the river, seating up to 100 for a wedding breakfast and licensed for ceremonies at the same number, with the evening opening out to around 200 standing. The smaller spaces handle everything else — the Secret Room with its exposed brickwork and fireplace, the panelled Parlour and Retreat looking onto the water, the Nook and the Den for a dozen people at dinner or a quiet corner for the families before the day begins. Ceremonies of most kinds are catered for, civil, celebrant-led and religious alike.
Where the band plays
This is a hotel rather than a barn, and it helps to picture the room honestly. The evening space is contained, with glass along one side and the river beyond it, so a four-piece does more here than a seven-piece would. A band that knows how to play a smaller room — tight, controlled, warm rather than loud — will get far more out of the night than a big line-up pinned against a wall with nowhere to put the sound. Live music and DJs are both welcome, so a band handing over to a DJ for the last stretch is a natural shape for the evening.
The lawns and terrace are worth using earlier in the day too. Acoustic music outside during drinks, with the river going past behind it, is about as Berkshire as a wedding gets.
The river, the village and the finish
Evenings here run to midnight, which is a generous run for a venue of this kind and leaves room for two full sets rather than one hurried one. Rooms on site mean people stay to the end, and the last hour is usually the best of it.
One gentle practicality. Sonning is small and residential and sound carries further over open water than anyone expects, so it would be no surprise to find a limiter or a volume agreement in place. Much better to establish that before choosing a band than afterwards; if there is a figure, pass it on and the act will plan around it, which is an entirely ordinary thing for a good band to do.
Bands available in Berkshire and perfectly at home in a venue like this.
More live music in Berkshire.
- Berkshire Wedding Bands
- Events Bands in Berkshire
- Tribute Acts in Berkshire
- Berkshire Wedding DJs
- Corporate Entertainment in Berkshire
Worth reading before you book: Sound Limiters Explained. More questions answered on our England & Wales FAQs.