The Out Barn Wedding Pianist | Live Wedding Music by Craig Smith
The Out Barn Wedding Pianist
Looking for live wedding music at The Out Barn? I've been performing at The Out Barn since shortly after it opened, and I've been one of the venue's recommended wedding musicians ever since. From ceremonies and drinks receptions to lively, request-led wedding breakfasts, I provide live piano music throughout your wedding day. As a regular at showcases and venue events, I'm a familiar face to the venue team, couples and fellow recommended suppliers.
The Out Barn is one of the Ribble Valley's most sought-after wedding venues and my most-booked venue for 2026. Over the years I've performed here for weddings ranging from elegant and understated to lively and interactive, giving me a detailed understanding of the venue's layout and the way each part of the day typically unfolds. That experience allows me to tailor the music to each celebration while making the most of everything The Out Barn has to offer.
Why Live Music Works So Well at The Out Barn
Live music works particularly well at The Out Barn thanks to its open-plan layout. I usually position my piano on the step down from the foyer into the main barn, allowing the music to carry directly into the Oval Room and through into the bar and Red Room without needing to be amplified or moved between different parts of the day.
Although it's possible to position the piano inside the ceremony space, I've found the most effective setup is on the step between the foyer and the barn. From here, the music can continue straight into the drinks reception without interruption, and you'll also have clear eye contact with me for timing the aisle entrances. In practice, this setup works more smoothly, so there's rarely any real advantage to placing the piano inside the ceremony room itself.
From spring through early autumn, many Out Barn weddings naturally move outside onto the tipi-style patio area, where the atmosphere often shifts into something closer to a festival- or beer-garden-style celebration. Live piano becomes even more interactive here, with me frequently engaging directly with guests and moving the piano outdoors to keep the music at the centre of the action.
Entertaining Wedding Music at The Out Barn
Enjoy an example of my more interactive entertainment, with guests gathering around the piano to sing along and throw requests my way after brides Hannah & Edith turned The Out Barn into a vibrant piano bar for the day!
Trends at The Out Barn
One of the defining characteristics of weddings at The Out Barn is how quickly the atmosphere builds. Unlike more traditional venues, the wedding breakfast and room turnaround often become a focal point for entertainment, with many couples choosing to create a lively, interactive atmosphere well before the evening begins. This makes my Electronic Requests System particularly popular here. It allows guests to interact directly with the music by sending requests from their tables, helping turn the music into part of the celebration rather than simply a background feature.
For couples who want even more variety, I also provide live music at The Out Barn as part of a duo with saxophone, violin or singer, giving the day a different feel while still keeping the same live, personal atmosphere that suits the venue so well. The violin duo is particularly popular at Out Barn weddings.
Given the open-plan layout, registrars may occasionally ask for a brief pause in arrival music before the ceremony while they conduct their interviews. This is simply to ensure everything can begin promptly.
Live Piano For Your Out Barn Wedding
At The Out Barn, live music often does more than simply accompany each part of the day. I use it to help shape the atmosphere from the moment your guests arrive, whether that means a more elegant and understated feel at the start or something more upbeat and interactive as everyone relaxes into the celebrations.
Outdoor ceremonies and drinks receptions work especially well here, with my portable baby grand pianos and compact electric setup allowing music to be positioned throughout the venue's gardens and terraces for a festival or beer garden feel. White and gloss-black pianos are available, and later in the day the wedding breakfast and room turnaround are often where The Out Barn really comes into its own, with requests, sing-alongs and a genuine live music venue atmosphere proving especially popular.
You can choose live music for:
- Guests' arrivals
- Wedding ceremony
- Drinks reception
- Wedding breakfast
- Room turnaround / early evening
I also work with a carefully selected network of wedding musicians, giving you the choice of:
- Solo piano
- Live piano with a singer
- Live piano with violin (traditional or modern)
- Live piano with saxophone (jazz / soul / modern chart)
Planning a wedding at The Out Barn? Get in touch to check my availability and discuss your wedding music plans, whether you're looking for elegant ceremony piano, relaxed terrace drinks music or something more lively and interactive later on.
Not far from The Out Barn is another barn wedding venue, Browsholme Hall, if you're looking for somewhere more traditional and historic. Beeston Manor shares The Out Barn's family-run farm conversion approach, and for another fantastic laid-back family-run venue with a less remote location, try Sparth House.
Check out this Out Barn wedding blog by Kirsten Platt Photography about an early Out Barn wedding.