The Out Barn Wedding Pianist | Craig Smith Music
The Out Barn Wedding Pianist
The Out Barn is one of the Ribble Valley’s most in-demand wedding venues, and pianist Craig Smith’s most-booked venue for 2026. Set high above the surrounding countryside with sweeping views across the Lancashire hills, it combines a modern barn interior with outdoor spaces that give weddings here a distinctive, often more lively feel than many traditional venues, making it an ideal setting for live music.
Performing at more weddings here than any other venue in his calendar, Craig understands exactly how the day typically flows at The Out Barn — from early arrivals through to wedding breakfasts that often feel more like part of the evening celebrations, and is a familiar face to the venue team.
Many of Craig’s Out Barn bookings come from repeat recommendations by couples and the venue team, and bookings made by couples hearing him at showcases, reflecting how well his style fits the venue.
He is also available with saxophone, singers and his modern piano-violin duo. Find out more about the venue itself on the Out Barn website.
Why Live Music Works So Well at The Out Barn
The Out Barn’s recommended pianist, Craig has been performing at the venue since shortly after it opened and is a familiar face at both weddings and venue events such as food and wine tastings and Christmas Fayres. That long-standing connection means he understands not just the venue itself, but the style of celebrations that work best at The Out Barn, where the energy often builds much earlier than at more traditional venues.
Live music works particularly well at The Out Barn thanks to its open plan layout. The piano is usually positioned on the step down from the foyer into the main barn, allowing the music to carry directly into the oval barn and through into the bar and Red Room without needing to be amplified or moved between parts of the day.
Although it’s possible to position the piano inside the oval ceremony room, the most effective setup is on the step between the foyer and the barn because, from here, music can continue straight into the drinks reception without interruption, and you'll have clear eye contact with Craig for timing the aisle entrances. In practice, this setup tends to work more smoothly, so there’s rarely any real advantage to placing the piano inside the ceremony room itself.
Craig's music has been shaped with care over many years to work seamlessly with The Out Barn's unique weddings: welcoming guests on arrival, adding emotion to the ceremony, creating a lively drinks reception and continuing into the wedding breakfast with interactive, guest-led requests and entertainment.
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-style celebration. Live piano becomes far more interactive here, with Craig frequently engaging directly with guests and moving the piano outdoors to keep the music at the centre of the action. Be sure to watch the video below to see how Craig and brides Hannah & Edith turned The Out Barn into a vibrant piano bar for the day!
Entertaining Live at The Out Barn
Enjoy an example of Craig's more interactive entertainment options, with guests gathering around the piano to sing along and throw requests his way:
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 Craig’s Electronic Requests System particularly popular here. It allows guests to interact directly with the music, sending requests direct from their tables, and helps turn the music into part of the celebration rather than simply a background feature.
For couples who want even more variety, Craig can 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. It helps shape the atmosphere from the moment guests arrive, whether that means a more elegant and understated feel at the start or something more upbeat and interactive as guests relax into the celebrations.
Outdoor ceremonies and drinks receptions work especially well here, with Craig’s portable baby grand pianos and compact electric setup allowing music to be placed wherever it works best. 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 more live-music-venue feel often proving especially popular. Couples choose music for:
- Guests’ arrivals
- Wedding ceremony
- Drinks reception
- Wedding breakfast
- Room turnaround / early evening
The Out Barn is also the perfect location for outdoor ceremonies and drinks receptions with a view, and Craig’s portable baby grand and compact electric pianos can be set up in various spots in the gardens to make the most of the surroundings. White and gloss black models are available.
Planning a wedding at The Out Barn? Get in touch to check availability and discuss live music for your day, 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.