Stirk House Wedding Pianist | Craig Smith Music

Stirk House is a popular Ribble Valley wedding venue near Clitheroe, combining a country house setting with flexible indoor and outdoor spaces for different parts of the day. With separate areas for ceremonies, drinks receptions and the wedding breakfast, it’s a venue where the atmosphere naturally builds as the day progresses.

Versatile live piano complements the venue's layout, allowing each part of the day to have its own style and musical feel while still keeping everything connected, with a gradual build towards a party atmosphere later in the day.

Wedding Piano at Stirk House

Music at Stirk House usually starts as guests arrive for drinks pre-ceremony, or when they take their seats for the ceremony. Of course, if the wedding is at church, the music is the perfect welcome to guests on arrival for the reception. Arrival music can take place on the sun terrace, in the bar lounge, the conservatory or in the main function suite, with piano positioned to suit the space and keep the atmosphere relaxed and welcoming.

Ceremonies can be held outdoors or in the Gallery ceremony room, which is separate from the main reception areas. To keep everything running smoothly, Craig provides a two-piano setup, so there’s no break in music as guests move between spaces.

Wedding breakfasts at Stirk House are where things really come to life. Guests here tend to create a more lively atmosphere, and enjoy interacting with the entertainment. Many couples choose to build energy early in the day rather than waiting for the evening. Craig’s Electronic Requests System is especially popular here, allowing guests to send requests directly from their tables and become part of the entertainment. There's a taster of a wedding breakfast in the video below.

Watch Craig Perform at Stirk House

This compilation was filmed during a Stirk House wedding breakfast in the Ballroom, with guests making requests throughout. Songs range from the Jurassic Park theme to Ain't No Mountain High Enough, via Oasis and Elton John.

Experience & Venue Knowledge

Craig has been performing at Stirk House for around ten years and knows the venue well. He’s also worked with many of the team, such as legendary master of ceremonies Dave, across this and other venues for much of his 20+ year career as a professional wedding musician, so there’s a strong working relationship behind the scenes on the day itself.

That experience means he understands how to get the best out of each part of the venue, from setting the tone early on to building a more lively, guest-led atmosphere later in the day. Many bookings at Stirk House have come through recommendations from the team, reflecting how well his style of performance fits the way weddings typically run there.

Stirk House Wedding Music

Stirk House couples usually choose piano from the following four parts of the day. Packages are based on these rather than by the hour, to make sure music covers the entirety of each part of the day booked.

• Guests’ arrivals
• Wedding ceremony
• Drinks reception
• Wedding breakfast

The perfect piano package at Stirk House? Couples tend to choose between two packages at Stirk House: the Late Half Day Package, an entertainment-based package with music for the drinks reception and wedding breakfast, or the Whole Day Package, which adds unique piano versions of your favourite songs for the wedding ceremony. Ultimately though, the choice is yours!

Planning your big day at Stirk House? Get in touch to check availability and discuss music for your day.

Read more about the venue itself on the Stirk House website.

You may be interested in other nearby venues like Eaves Hall and The Out Barn. See the Ribble Valley wedding venues page for more!