Stirk House Wedding Pianist | Craig Smith Wedding 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. Pianist Craig Smith provides live wedding music throughout the day at Stirk House weddings, from guests’ arrivals and ceremonies through to drinks receptions and lively wedding breakfasts.

One of the defining features of a Stirk House wedding is the separation between the Gallery ceremony room and the venue’s other wedding spaces. To avoid long gaps in music while equipment is moved between locations, Craig typically provides a two-piano setup. This allows music to continue seamlessly as guests move through the day, helping maintain the atmosphere from the moment they arrive through to the wedding breakfast.

Stirk House weddings also tend to develop a particularly lively atmosphere as the day progresses. Many couples choose to make the music more interactive during the wedding breakfast, with guests using Craig’s Electronic Requests System to help choose the playlist and create an entertainment experience that reflects the personality of that particular wedding.

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. If the wedding takes place at church, the piano provides a warm welcome as guests arrive back at the venue 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 the piano positioned to suit the space and create a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere.

Ceremonies can be held outdoors or in the Gallery ceremony room, which sits separately from the venue’s main reception spaces. This is where Craig’s two-piano setup comes into its own, ensuring the music continues seamlessly throughout the day without lengthy interruptions while equipment is moved between locations.

Wedding breakfasts at Stirk House can be where the wedding music really comes to life. Guests here often create a more lively atmosphere and enjoy becoming part of the entertainment. Many couples choose to build the energy earlier in the day rather than waiting until the evening. Craig’s Electronic Requests System is especially popular here, allowing guests to send requests directly from their tables and help shape the atmosphere. Even when couples prefer a more relaxed wedding breakfast, guests enjoy hearing the music they want to listen to while they eat. 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 weddings for around ten years and understands how the venue’s layout influences the flow of the day. While every wedding is different, the distance between the Gallery ceremony room and the reception spaces means careful planning of music and equipment can make a significant difference to the overall guest experience.

His two-piano setup has evolved specifically to solve this challenge, allowing music to continue between the ceremony, drinks reception and wedding breakfast without lengthy interruptions. The result is a smoother experience for couples and guests, with the atmosphere building naturally as the day progresses.

Over the years, many Stirk House bookings have come through recommendations from members of the venue team and from couples who have previously experienced Craig performing at weddings there. His style of performance fits particularly well with the relaxed, sociable atmosphere that Stirk House is known for.

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

As well as solo piano, Craig works closely with several highly recommended local wedding musicians:

• Piano with violin (traditional to ultra-modern)
• Piano and sax entertainment (jazz, soul, pop, rock)
• Piano with live wedding singers (all styles)

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 your live wedding music ideas.

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!