Holmes Mill Wedding Pianist | Craig Smith Wedding Music

Looking for live wedding music at Holmes Mill? Craig Smith is one of the venue's longest-serving wedding pianists, providing live piano music throughout the day for ceremonies, drinks receptions and wedding breakfasts.

Holmes Mill is one of the Ribble Valley's most distinctive wedding venues, combining the light-filled Cotton Room with the characterful Bistro. Craig has been performing there for well over a decade and understands how best to make the most of both spaces throughout the wedding day.

Holmes Mill is part of the James' Places collection of venues, and Craig is regularly recommended by staff across the group. He also performs frequently at sister venues Mitton Hall and Eaves Hall, and has provided music for James' Places events including Holmes Mill's Gin Festival and retreat weekends at Eaves, making him a trusted presence across the group's Dream Venues.

Watch Live Wedding Music at Holmes Mill

The couple whose wedding you're about to watch specifically chose a jazz and swing set for their drinks reception, a style that suits Holmes Mill's art deco Bistro particularly well. Craig is best known for his modern pop, rock and soul arrangements though, with a repertoire spanning thousands of songs across every style, so your wedding music will always reflect your own tastes. Here's a glimpse of that jazz and swing set in action:

Wedding Music Throughout Your Holmes Mill Wedding

Wedding music at Holmes Mill usually begins as guests take their seats for the ceremony in the Cotton Room, where Craig provides one of his portable baby grand pianos. Depending on your preferred setup, the piano can be positioned close to the ceremony for a more intimate feel or further back with discreet amplification to fill the room with music.

Afterwards, the celebration usually moves into the venue's striking art deco Bistro for the drinks reception, where Craig performs on the venue's excellent Bechstein grand piano. Its position in the heart of the Bistro allows the piano to become the focal point of the drinks reception in a way that very few venues can offer, naturally encouraging guests to gather around, chat and make requests while enjoying the music.

Following the drinks reception, music may continue into the wedding breakfast, whether that remains in the Bistro or returns upstairs to the Cotton Room using Craig's portable baby grand piano — you'll have a choice of white or gloss black models for any part of the day that requires piano provision.

Craig's personal favourite at Holmes Mill is the gloss-black baby grand, which complements the Cotton Room's industrial-chic styling particularly well, although the white piano is equally popular with couples choosing softer colour schemes.

Wedding Music at Holmes Mill Weddings

Whether you're looking for music for one part of your wedding or throughout the day, Craig can provide live music at Holmes Mill for:

• Wedding ceremony (including seating time)
• Drinks reception
• Wedding breakfast
• Room turnaround / early evening

Music can start earlier in the Bistro if guests are arriving to the bar there rather than the Beer Hall, too.

As well as solo piano, using the venue's piano or one of Craig's portable baby grand pianos, Craig also works with other wedding musicians at Holmes Mill:

• Piano and singers (including fellow recommended musician Sochia)
• Piano with violin
• Piano and sax entertainment

Planning a wedding at Holmes Mill, or fellow James' Places Dream Venues Eaves Hall, Mitton Hall, Wennington Hall, Falcon Manor or Shireburn Arms? Get in touch to check availability and discuss your wedding music plans.

You may also like to visit the Holmes Mill website.