Wedding Venues I Love
Recommended wedding venues in Nottingham and Derby
I travel across the UK to deliver warm, soulful DJ sets for couples who love music almost as much as they love each other. Close to home (Nottingham), we are fortunate to have some amazing venues. For me, this starts outside. A wedding venue has to look aesthetically pleasing, even if it’s non-traditional. Historic period features, elegant contemporary architecture, or sensitive planting can all make a big first impression.
As a DJ, I value a lot of the same things in a venue that you will. How does it feel to walk in there? Are you greeted by a friendly team? Does the layout make for a welcoming environment? Is it easy to find, park, and bring stuff inside?
Hospitality is a timeless art, and I love to work with venue teams who go the extra mile for their customers. A common-sense approach to good, old-fashioned hosting is what makes a great management team, and this trickles down to all the staff. Working at venues week-in-week-out, I get a sense of being a small part of the team too, and do all I can to cooperate with clients and venue teams to help everything run smoothly. We’re all there to serve: it’s your special day.
These are places that recommend me as a supplier, and I wholeheartedly recommend them for your wedding.
Photo credit @doodahphotography
Venue spotlight: Cleaver & Wake, Nottingham
Stylist modern wedding venue in Nottingham city centre.
This is a stunning modern venue right in the heart of Notts city centre, and it’s quickly become established as a local favourite. You may know the location for its fine dining restaurant, or the lively outdoor parties that take place next door at Bink’s Yard. For me though, it’s the venue space — upstairs at Cleaver & Wake — that is where the real magic happens. Yes, it’s up a few flights of stairs in that big brick tower, and yes, the views stretch out across our city. Notts may not be New York, but it’s got it’s own architectural character, from Victorian grandeur to post-industrial decay, and it’s all visible from up there in the tower. Don’t worry, there’s a lift too!
The bride and her daughter dance to their favourite song. The room is softly lit with my vintage LED bowl light. Photo credit: Daniel Hughes @danielhughesphotography
I’ve DJ’d events here from 20 right up to 200 people. Weddings, corporate events, product launches, fashion shows, Christmas parties, brunches and New Years Eve. They’re a licensed wedding venue, so you can have your ceremony and reception all in one place, and the room is stunning. Tall windows let loads of natural light in, and a polished wooden floor is perfect for dancing. Mauro and his team will take care of you properly: stunning food, fine wines and attentive service. The menu favours seasonal produce, locally sourced, and combined with real creative flair from the chefs. I’ve eaten a lot of wedding food, and this is honestly a cut above.
Happy guests at a wedding, with me in the background! I really love how the vintage bowl lights work in this space. Photo credit: Daniel Hughes @danielhughesphotography
Daria and her colleagues can take of wedding planning, decoration and styling. They have a real eye for detail and keep it classy all the way: think clean white linen, elegant, understated floristry and the glow of real candles (to give just one example). They can cater to all tastes and styles and really care about getting it right for you.
As a recommended supplier, I am familiar with all the venue-specific features and quirks. I liaise directly with management to arrange access, load in and set up. All you have to do is turn up and enjoy your day!
With this setup, I’ve mounted the lights on vintage teak tripods, which adds a nice touch to the room. The table dressing featured a lot of white and cream, so my lights were set to complement the room.
How to Contact Cleaver & Wake
0115 660 1151
info@cleaverandwake.com
https://www.cleaverandwake.com/weddings/
Venue Spotlight: The Italian Mill at Museum of Making, Derby
An industrial style wedding venue in Derby.
This modern, industrial venue sits inside a historic mill on the banks of the Derwent, right in Derby city. Think sleek polished concrete, lovingly restored brickwork and arched windows overlooking the river. Your wedding car can drop you right on the doorstep, where guests greet you into the stunning open plan museum space with confetti.
A modern, industrial wedding venue in Derby. Photo credit: @doodahphotography
Good old-fashioned hospitality is the order of the day here. Christine, Annie, Jess and the whole team take care of everything, and guests can relax safe in the knowledge that every detail has been thought of.
Me at the recent wedding fair. Photo credit: @doodahphotography
This is a really modern and well-equipped space. Everything is laid out for easy access, there’s a really well-stocked bar with locally made spirits and ales on request. From a proper sit-down meal to lighter options and grazing, there’s food to suit all budgets. The venue attracts some really unique and thoughtful couples. Some recent highlights for me have been:
A breakout space so guests could take a break from the main wedding room and enjoy some board games together.
A star and moon themed wedding with hundreds of illuminations suspended from the ceiling.
A Grandma approaching me after “Hey Jude” at the end of a wedding and saying “I told you — the old ones are the best!”
In this industrial-style wedding DJ set up, I combine 2x vintage 50cm bowl lights with 4x Chauvet Quad Par Uplighters. The orange and yellow light catches the ceiling beams for a dramatic look. I love how the lights reflect on the polished concrete floor.
How to Contact The Italian Mill
https://derbymuseums.org/museum-of-making/venue-hire/the-italian-mill/
Venue Spotlight: The Embankment
Community pub and historic wedding venue in Nottingham.
This is a proper community venue, and one who’s history is embedded deeply within Nottingham’s own. The Embankment is a gorgeous old Grade II–listed building designed by Albert Nelson Bromley. It first opened in 1907 as a Boots pharmacy and later turned into the Boots social club.
The Beer Consortium brought it back to life in 2015, and now it’s made up of eight unique spaces, including the Dispensary bar, a bright conservatory, and a big beer garden. Upstairs, you can even hire out the stylish Lord Trent Room and Jesse Boot’s old office.
Shereen has been at the helm for many of the pub’s 10 years under Castle Rock Brewery and won the manager’s manager award recently for her service. It’s a properly run pub: clean, spacious and with an ever-changing array of fresh food and local beer. I’m often recommended for private parties in The Dispensary bar (a real haven for craft beer lovers) and was recently asked to DJ at the pub’s 10 year birthday party.
This is a venue which is equally prized as a community local, a meeting place for those enjoying the River Trent, and a beautiful historic venue for Weddings, parties and events.
How to Contact The Embankment
embankment@castlerockbrewery.co.uk
https://www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/function-rooms/the-embankment/