The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is set in the grounds of Cardiff Castle, bordering one of the largest and most beautiful parks in the UK.

Our two unique venues form one of Cardiff’s most sought-after locations for your very special day.

Our first is the stunning former Cardiff Castle stables with its historic courtyard and beautiful tree-lined entrance with the castle in view.

The second is our magnificent contemporary glass atrium and open-air terrace overlooking the park – a fabulous back-drop for your photographs and champagne reception – it is also a stunning location for your wedding breakfast and evening celebrations. This leads to an outstanding concert hall and theatre – perfect for a ceremony with a dramatic difference!

Venues

Our very impressive Anthony Hopkins Centre is named after the actor who studied at the College in the 1960s.

This stunning building is the renovated Cardiff Castle stables with an historic courtyard and an equally impressive tree-lined avenue for you and your guests to arrive from Bute Park with the castle in view. Your arrival can range from traditional wedding cars, horses and carts and, as the park is situated on the river running down to Cardiff Bay, it is even possible to arrive by water-taxi! As one of the most beautiful parks in the UK, it also forms a magnificent back-drop for your photographs.

Two very elegant ceremony rooms are housed in this centre. The Weston Gallery can seat up to 80 guests and the Corus Suite, with its unique and beautiful spiral staircase, is ideal for more intimate ceremonies of up to 60 guests. These venues can also host your drinks reception followed by a wedding breakfast for up to 50 guests in the Weston Gallery.

For larger weddings, our outstanding world-class concert hall and theatres can create a bespoke wedding ceremony with a dramatic difference.

Our stunning contemporary glass-walled entrance hall and open-air terrace, also overlooking the Grade I Bute Park, creates a truly wonderful venue for your drinks reception and wedding breakfast for up to 200 seated guests. For your evening celebrations, we can accommodate up to 300 guests with our licensed bar, dance floor for live bands, DJs or musicians and cloakroom. Our unique bridge can be decorated with fairy lights to create an impressive entrance for your first dance together.

Together these venues provide a unique location and are one of Cardiff’s most sought-after venues.

It’s Your Day

As a creative venue, we offer lots of flexibility so that your ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast and evening celebrations suit your style and personalities – from traditional to theatrical, elegant to quirky. We can assist you in arranging a theatrical ceremony on a stage, a summer’s day wedding walk with your guests through the park, a reception with choirs, harpists, jazz trios and string quartets and special lighting and scenery for your evening party.

Availability

Our wedding venues are available from July to September as well as the Christmas period and throughout April including the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

Catering

Our in-house chefs have created a wide range of options designed so you can create your bespoke wedding day menu – from sophisticated fine-dining banquets to quirky and fun buffets to suit all tastes and budgets. Our chefs work with local producers and Fairtrade suppliers to add a distinctively Welsh flavour to your day and reduce our carbon footprint.

For your drinks reception, we can add your own wedding day cocktail or favourite tipple to our wine list. Alternatively, you can provide your wine or fizz and our corkage fee covers serving staff, glass hire and cleaning.

Hire Costs

Booking our venues includes your dedicated and highly-experienced Wedding Manager to help you plan your dream wedding within your budget. Our venues are charged on an hourly basis and this includes all the spaces you need for your ceremony, reception and evening celebrations. The hire time begins with preparation and decorating, setting up tables and chairs and working with your florist and cake suppliers.

The hourly hire includes a bar operation, staff and all tables and chairs. Catering prices quoted include all waiting staff, crockery, cutlery, glasses, white linen tablecloths and napkins.

In addition, for an entirely bespoke wedding, we can offer a range of creative opportunities to make the day as individual as you are.

Accommodation

Our beautiful park location is within a very short walk from the centre of the capital city of Cardiff with its luxury hotels, boutique guest houses and budget accommodation providers.

Overnight accommodation in the capital city’s hotels and guest houses can be arranged for over 150 guests at very competitive rates through the Cardiff Convention Bureau. Contact Faye Tanner at hello@meetincardiff.com or 029 2087 1846.