Couples Comments - Wedding Clients feedback on Craig y Nos Castle Wedding Venue - Wedding Venue Swansea | South Wales | Wales, Craig y Nos Castle wedding packages, wedding receptions

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Couples Comments - Wedding Clients feedback on Craig y Nos Castle Wedding Venue

24/08/2012
Absolutely amazing day.............Melissa deserves a gold medal for all of her hard work. She puts in so much from helping you organise to ensuring the day goes perfectly. I think she could run this place better than the owners to be fair.

Simon is a top quality chef and our meal was honestly one of the best dinners I've had (from a really fussy eater)! He is also not only a fantastic chef but also a very lovely guy who was a pleasure to have a conversation with. Beth is also fantastic and she was a huge help to us. Beth also is a pleasure to talk to.

All in all a wonderful experience and we would strongly recommend people look at this venue for a wedding.

Photos of Craig-y-Nos Castle, Penycae
This photo of Craig-y-Nos Castle is courtesy of TripAdvisor

We can't wait to come on a ghostly weekend around Halloween as I know so do some of our guests. All of our family and friends enjoyed the day and night and said what amazing food, surroundings and atmosphere it was.

Big hooray to Melissa, Simon, Beth and all of the staff at Craig y nos for making our wedding so truly amazing xx

Danny and Kim Nash


02/09/2012
We found this castle online when looking for potential (affordable) wedding venues in Wales. We had a good feeling about it based on the website so saved it until last during our venue visiting roadtrip. There were some local contenders for our venue... until we began to drive through the Brecon Beacons towards Craig Y Nos- the scenery was breathtaking and our excitement just grew and grew until we arrived. Walking into the grounds we were amazed by the beauty of the building and we both knew it was the place, before we'd even stepped inside. (I remember we both had goosebumps!).

Inside there is a cosy, homely feeling, especially in winter with the open fires burning and the comfy leather sofas in the bar and lounge. It reminds me of a mix between an old English country pub and a stately home. The staff were all bubbly and friendly and it feels family run. The slightly eccentric manager was kind enough to give us a tour of the castle and all the rooms along with an insight into the history and unique stories about each room. We loved the fact that each room was different, with its own architectural features or quirks. Going around the castle, we were already mentally assigning our guests to rooms we thought they would particularly like! (I thought I'd treat my mum to the bathroom with the gorgeous Victorian stand alone bath, whilst my bridesmaids and I shared a little cottage house).

Some areas of the castle were being refurbished when we visited, but we were assured it would all be ready for when it reopened in Spring and it was. After seeing many modern hotels in our venue search, it was refreshing to see somewhere with some character rather than 100 identikit rooms and a boring hall for the ceremony /wedding breakfast. Instead we were able to have our ceremony in a beautiful little theatre, wedding breakfast in the jaw dropping conservatory and after party in the stately reception room, with access to the lounges and bars for our guests to relax and mingle in. The conservatory was a particular selling point- we'd seen the pictures online, but no photos can prepare you for the beautiful backdrop when walking into the room. It is truly captivating, and if you're on a budget, with views of such stunning natural beauty like that, flowers etc inside really aren't necessary. There is also a national park a short walk away which is perfect for photos.

Unfortunately, on our wedding day in April, the Welsh weather was predictably wet, so we had to go to plan B and take our photos in and around the castle. But this didn't put a dampener on our day as the rooms and grounds still gave us a wonderful backdrop for our photos.

We also loved the fact that all 50 of our friends and family were able to stay in the castle with us. We basically had a castle to ourselves! How many people can say that? It meant that our celebrations could include time catching up with friends and family and enabling guests to meet each other while relaxing in the bar during the evening before the big day and at breakfast the day after. We treasured this time as it meant we got to spend quality time with all of our guests and they got to enjoy a lovely weekend away.

The wedding planner was on hand the whole weekend to keep things running smoothly, and she did an amazing job. We didn't have to worry about a thing, everything ran to schedule and was well organised. We had a few last minute room swaps and these were handled well by the staff.

Photos of Craig-y-Nos Castle, Penycae
This photo of Craig-y-Nos Castle is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Unfortunately my father in law's room had a leak from the roof, but he was moved when he realised. They had also kept a few spare rooms open in case we needed them. The only downside was that the phones didn't work in all rooms and the mobile reception is poor, but I think this has been rectified now.

The cottage was perfect for the wedding morning as there was room for four of us to get ready, with storage for our dresses etc and room for my hairdresser and photographers. The cottage had a lounge downstairs where we were able to relax and prepare. However the downstairs bedroom was too cold for my bridesmaids to sleep in so they had to move. The staff brought champagne and our breakfasts to us and the location was perfect as we only had to walk across the courtyard to the theatre for the ceremony so there was no danger of me being late! The beds were very comfy too and we had plenty of towels etc to meet our needs.

The theatre was an amazing setting. When it is empty, it looks a little small and feels a little cold. But once it is full of your loved ones you don't notice this and it's beauty shines through. The welcome drinks were lovely and the staff had layed out the glasses to spell the word 'love' which was a cute touch. But it was the food that really stood out. As a vegetarian the options at weddings are often bland and unadventurous, however the tomato and red pepper soup was delightful and the Mushroom Wellington was delicious (so much so that my meat loving husband was tempted to choose it)! Our guests all enjoyed their food and the portions meant no one was left hungry. We didn't try the desserts as we had wedding cake (for 3rd course) but I'm sure I will try the Bailey's cheesecake when we visit for our anniversary!

The honeymoon suite was lovely. It was previously a prayer room for the owner so it still had its original chapel features in the style of windows and the woodwork, which made it unique. The bathroom was lovely too with a lovely Victorian bath!

Overall I would definitely recommend visiting Craig Y Nos. The setting is magical and the staff are so flexible and accommodating that it can address most people's budgets and enable you to feel completely in control of the type of wedding you want. We can't wait to go back and enjoy the lovely service, food and comforts at the castle. I am also keen to explore more of the local area, and, if I'm feeling brave, I might even do the ghost tour!


18/07/2012
I had my wedding here July 14th and the venue really created the wow factor of the wedding. The rooms are clean, comfortable and very well kept. Everyone commented on how lovely the venue was and their room was excellent.

The food is absolutely delicious! A big topic of conversation amongst guests. The staff are extremely attentive and friendly. A true hidden gem that not many people know about.

Everyone, including myself were amazed by the castle and the grounds it is set in, it made for wonderful walks and photos.
I would have no hesitation in recommending the castle for a wedding venue, the attention to detail was excellent, the food and staff amazing and grounds/rooms outstanding. An absolute five star venue and service!

Wedding Venue Swansea, Craig y Nos Castle Bride and Groom in lower gardens
Wedding Venue Swansea, Craig y Nos Castle bride and groom by red car

Reviewed 11 December 2011
Stunning castle with fascinating history. Perfect for a weekend get away in the Brecon Beacons. My partner and I chose this location for our winter wedding and it couldn't have been more perfect! The building has such character and impressed all our guests. The castle is cosy, with roaring fires in winter. The grounds are beautiful and the rooms are of a very high standard. The food is delicious and the staff are fabulous. Would highly recommend!


Reviewed 31 October 2011
We recently held our daughters wedding at the Castle and had the most marvellous day and night. The staff were fantastic, nothing was to much trouble and their help, prior, during and after the event was substantial. The food was delicious, there were no hiccups throughout the entire event which allowed my husband and I to relax and enjoy watching our beautiful daughter marry her soul mate. Truly a wonderful experience. I would recommend to anyone visiting the area to take time out of their travels to visit/stay at the Castle, it is a truly lovely place in a gorgeous setting.


Reviewed 14 October 2011
Let me just say, if you are thinking about having your wedding here, stop thinking and book it now. We had our wedding here in September 2011 and it was amazing, it could not have been a better day, it was so magical and special, and in part that was due to how good the staff were, from the moment we first looked at the hotel, to when we staggered up to the bridal suite on the night of the wedding.

There were two things that made our wedding so special, number one was the location itself, if you have visited the castle you know how beautiful it is, and you know how wonderful the views are from the conservatory, but no matter how many pictures you see or how many reviews you read, nothing will prepare you for how good the theatre looks on your wedding day, it was beautiful and really made a fantastic setting for the wedding service. Again nothing can quite prepare you for the Consevatory, when you first see it with all the decorations, fully set up, and all of your guests sitting in it.

The second thing which made the day go so well was the staff at Craig-y-Nos. We had looked at several places to get married in and around Brecon and South Wales and had been told, "you have to do this and that", but not with Craig-y-Nos, right from the start it was, "It's your wedding, you can have it how you want", which was brilliant. At any stage during the year prior to our wedding and even on the day itself, if myself or my wife asked, " can we do this", the answer was always "yes" the staff here go out of their way to make it your day and special.

If you are like me and are a worrier (I am) then don't worry about the food here, we had 93 guests at our wedding and the food was fantastic, in fact it was the best lamb I have ever eaten ( I hope my new mother in law doesn't read this!)

If you haven't bothered to read my long review and just skip to the end let me sum it up by saying BOOK YOUR WEDDING HERE it will be worth it. We will be phoning the castle soon to book our room for our one year aniversary

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Reviewed 31 October 2011
We recently held our daughters wedding at the Castle and had the most marvellous day and night. The staff were fantastic, nothing was to much trouble and their help, prior, during and after the event was substantial.

The food was delicious, there were no hiccups throughout the entire event which allowed my husband and I to relax and enjoy watching our beautiful daughter marry her soul mate. Truly a wonderful experience. I would recommend to anyone visiting the area to take time out of their travels to visit/stay at the Castle, it is a truly lovely place in a gorgeous setting.

Room Tip: They have family rooms which are very good value and well equiped, as well as excellent facillities for those with disabilities. We booked rooms 26,27 & 28 which were all lovely(double rooms with en-suite)

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Reviewed 5 September 2011
We had our wedding at craig-y-nos on the 4th of September and thanks to Melissa and all the staff working there it was a truely magical day. We had the ceremony in the theatre with 112 guests and the attention to detail was second to none. All our guests commented on how lovely the venue was. The function room was absolutely stunning and the service was truely unique. Melissa couldn't have been more helpful and and went above and behond. We'll be back for the anniversary!!! ... this truely is a magical place.

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Reviewed 28 July 2011
Wonderful wedding venue for our daughter and (now) son in law - superb location, excellent food and organisation of the event was second to none all due to their wedding planner Alex Porter.
Wedding was booked over two years ago and all concerns or request were happily dealt with to our total satisfaction.
Event was held in their conservatory with stunning views overlooking the country park.
All families and guests were overwhelmed with the day and hog roast evening.

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Reviewed 7 June 2011
My family recently stayed at Craig y Nos for my son's wedding. The staff were very helpful and we really enjoyed the weekend. The rooms were clean and well furnished and comfortable. The wedding reception was beautiful, the conservatory ideal with a wonderful view. Food was very good - all in all an excellent weekend. The theatre was perfect for the ceremony. We just love Craig y nos and hope to return again one day - so much we didn't have time to see in the grounds. The castle has character and history - it is being graduallly renovated and brought back to its former glory - there may be odd things which could be improved but all in all it is a great place, especially for weddings and functions. Adelina Patti's dream home must be cherished and preserved.
Thanks for a wonderful wedding on the 28 May.

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Reviewed 25 May 2011
A stunning hotel, situated in beautiful countryside
On arrival we were greeted by a lovely receptionist, the staff were so helpful and polite
Our en suite room was decorated authentically, lovely antique furniture, scrupulously clean and warm.
Because of the cold spell several open fires around the castle were lit which added to the comfortable welcoming surroundings.
My daughter and fiance booked the castle for their wedding venue then and there.
Overall outstanding break, we will definately be re visiting in the future.
The experience was rounded off by a very informative and interesting tour of the castle and grounds - lovely


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Reviewed 28 April 2011
I attended my friend's wedding here in February and have to say that I thought that it was fantastic and such a beautiful day! The staff were fantastic and everything was just perfect for my friend's special day! I didn't have the opportunity to stay here, but would definitely return to stay in the castle!
The grounds are beautiful and the conservatory is a beautiful addition to a stunning castle!

Would definitely recommend this venue for a wedding, or just as a venue to stay in to appreciate staying in a beautiful castle!
Stayed February 2011

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Reviewed 30 March 2011
I attended a wedding on the 19th February 2011 which i must say was fabulous. The venue was great, all the staff were friendly and very helpful. The reception room was immaculate with a stunning view and i would definitley consider having my wedding here. The food was well presented and very tasty. I stayed in a family room which was very convenient to the reception and I was very pleased with the room. I would give this venue 10 out of 10 and fully and honestly advise you consider this romantic and traditional castle. Worth viewing as this could be the venue of your dream day.

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Reviewed 15 March 2011
I arranged a weekend away at the beginning of March for 33 of us to celebrate a friends 40th birthday. We chose Craig Y Nos Castle because of it's fantastic history, reputed ghostly activities (which we thought would be a bit of fun) and also it's fantastic location on the edge of the Brecon Beacons (so brilliant for walking etc.)

We all found the staff to be very polite and helpful (big thank you especially to Melanie and Jenny for making our weekend stay all go very smoothly). The rooms that we stayed in had all been redecorated and finished to a really good standard (the shower in our room was very powerful and almost blew you away - always a good sign!) I had a cracking nights sleep both nights. Breakfast and dinner although not gourmet level was absolutely fine and bearing in mind there were 30+ of us, everybody's food came out nice and hot.

As for the ghosts...well...to be honest the only real spirits we experienced were consumed in the bar! I think though that as there were so many of us, any ghosts that frequent Craig Y Nos probably thought it best to give us a bit of a wide bearth for the weekend!!

So - in summary I'd recommend Craig Y Nos as a good place to stay. Remember, this is an old castle - not some brand spanking new hotel. I thought it was good value for money (and trust me - I've stayed in plenty of big brand hotels up in London for a ridiculous amount of money and in a room that's so small you couldn't even swing a cat in it!)

Room Tip: Perfect wedding venue.

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Reviewed 3 September 2010
We held our wedding at Craig Y Nos in August after having ruled out nearly everwhere else in South Wales for lack of individual service. I cannot speak highly enough of Jason and his team at Craig Y Nos. Jason answered every question promptly and made the whole process so relaxed and easy that everybody wondered why I was not stressed. All the tables were laid out exactly as I had asked, and the venue looked stunning. Our service in the theatre was magical, and EVERY member of staff that we met was polite and helpful. The food was AMAZING, and everybody commented on how delicious it was - the only complaint was that there was too much!! On the day there was a power cut due to some road works outside but Jason and his team went into overdrive meaning that dinner was only delayed by half an hour. The rooms are all quirky - if you like 5 star corporate every hotel the same style living then maybe this is not the place for you, but if you like stacks of history, rooms with different features and lots of atmosphere then book now. You will be guaranteed a warm welcome, good food and lots of interesting things to see and do.

Stayed August 2010, travelled with family

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Above comments are from a public website forum which can generate mixed reviews from B&B guests. Love it or hate it everyone's unedited opinion goes on line these days!  However we do receive consistently good feedback from wedding guests and wedding couples. We specialise in parties and Weddings with up to 80 weddings a year so our staff are very experienced in catering for large events.

Photos of Craig-y-Nos Castle, Penycae
This photo of Craig-y-Nos Castle is courtesy of TripAdvisor

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