Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

The feel

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, set to the backdrop of the beautiful Cardiff Bay, is unique and one of Cardiff’s most sought-after locations. The location is central, private and capable to host big weddings. Personalisation is also very important to this location, to ensure your day is how you want it.

Our first venue for a wedding is our very impressive Antony Hopkins Centre. The building is stunning as it is the original Cardiff Castle Mews building with an historic open-air Courtyard. Two very elegant rooms licensed for ceremonies are housed in this centre – one seating up to 90 guests and one suitable for smaller and more intimate ceremonies for up to 60 guests.

The centre is situated at the end of an extremely impressive tree-lined avenue for you and your guests to arrive from within Bute Park with Cardiff Castle in view. This entrance can be used very flexibly to incorporate your ideas for arrival whether they range from traditional wedding cars, horses and carts, walking or even a tandem! As the park is situated on the river which runs down to Cardiff Bay, it is even possible to have a water-taxi bringing you and your guests to and from your wedding. In addition, as one of the most beautiful parks in the UK, it provides a magnificent back-drop for your photographs.

Our other venues include an outstanding new world-class concert hall and theatre in which a unique wedding ceremony with a dramatic difference can be arranged. In addition, our stunning contemporary glass-walled entrance hall and open-air terrace, also overlooking the Grade I listed Bute Park, creates a truly wonderful venue for your drinks reception and wedding breakfast for up to 200 guests seated banqueting-style.

For your evening celebrations, our award-winning entrance hall can accommodate up to 250 guests. It hosts a fully-stocked and licensed bar as well as a dancing area for live bands, a DJ or musicians, a cloakroom and a unique bridge decorated with fairy lights that creates a wonderful and impressive entrance for your first dance together.

As a creative venue we offer complete flexibility for how you would like to create each element of your day 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 every way from helping you arrange a ceremony on stage, a summer’s day wedding walk with your guests through the park to your reception and live musicians such as a jazz or a classical music ensemble playing as your guests arrive, during your reception or throughout your evening party.

We also have an in-house catering company who can create a whole range of traditional, fun or themed menus that have been chosen by you. Our Head Chef and Catering Manager would be delighted to cook and serve your favourite dish, your ideal wedding day menu or suggest some ideas to inspire and excite you .