National Centre for Early Music

(8)
£1,500 - £4,450 for Venue Hire
Up to 130
Bedrooms
Exclusive Use
Wedding Licence
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Description

The NCEM provides an exclusive use, stunningly historic and unusual venue for your wedding reception or celebration. Our medieval, grade one listed building is set within gated private and peaceful gardens, and can offer the perfect setting for you both to spend the perfect day with your loved ones. We can accommodate up to 130 for a seated meal and 150 for an evening reception. We work with fantastic Bradshaws of York, Caterers of Distinction, who offer a wi. They offer an extensive range of options for food and wine to suit your tastes and can cater for any special dietary requirements. On the day you will have exclusive use of the venue and our friendly and welcoming staff will work with you to ensure that your occasion runs smoothly and is enjoyed by everyone. You might choose to enter through our stunning Norman arch on the South side or via our contemporary foyer with views of our beautiful private garden. With lots of natural light and open space, the church offers a bright, welcoming atmosphere, and the wrought iron candelabra and stone arches give a sense of grandeur. At night, the candlelit church offers a beautiful and intimate setting for dining or dancing and the excellent acoustics for any music taste. The idyllic setting, both inside and out, provides a perfect backdrop for all your special moments.

Personal Message from the Manager

Name of Wedding Contact: Emily Lynn
Hello & Welcome to the National Centre for Early Music (or NCEM for short!). I'm Emily the Events Coordinator here and I love all things weddings. I'd love to welcome you & your partner to view our beautiful historic church. Get in touch today to find out more and book your viewing. I look forward to welcoming you soon!

Experience

Year Business Was Established
2000
No. of Weddings Hosted
More than 50
Public Liability Insurance
Yes
No. of People In Team
2

Overview of National Centre for Early Music

Venue Type
Event Venue
Dining Capacity
130
Reception Capacity
150
Usual Access Time
09:00 AM
Usual Finish Time
11:00 PM

Ceremony & Reception

Church Within Walking Distance
Sound System Available
Confetti Permitted

Venue

Open Flame Permitted
Grade I/II Listed Building
Landscaped Gardens
Exclusive Use
Marquee Permitted
Pet Friendly
Disabled Access
On-Site Parking
Outdoor Reception Space
City View
Bridal Changing Facilities

Food and Drink

Corkage Charge for Own Alcohol
In-House Wine List
In-house Catering
Alcohol Licence

Cultural Specialists

Asian Wedding Specialist
Jewish Wedding Specialist
Muslim Wedding Specialist
Other

Pricing for National Centre for Early Music

Venue Hire Only

Prices Start At
£1,500
Maximum Price
£4,450
• Exclusive use of the NCEM including our beautiful private gardens, Church space, meeting room & foyer • Up to 12 x 5ft diameter round tables • Up to 7 x 6ft trestle tables • Up to 150 black and blue conference chairs • Projector, screen and laptop if required • PA system for background music and wireless microphones for speeches • Staging for band or DJ (if required) • Cash and card bar serving a wide range of bottled ales, lagers, wines, spirits and soft drinks.
What is included in this pricing:
Exclusive use
Day before set up available
External caterers not permitted
Furniture included

Packages
(total price)

Prices Start At
£2,500
Maximum Price
£4,250
Number of Guests Included
130
Included in all 2024 packages; • Exclusive hire of the NCEM • Use of our Bösendorfer grand piano (tuning is an optional extra) • 2 handheld wireless microphones for speeches • Sound system for background music • Venue Manager on the day • Up to 12 x 5ft diameter round tables • Up to 7 x 6ft trestle tables • Up to 130 black and blue conference chairs • Projector, screen and laptop if required • PA system for background music and wireless microphones for speeches • Staffed cash and card bar serving a wide range of bottled ales, lagers, wines, spirits and soft drinks
What is included in this pricing:
Exclusive use
Furniture included
Day before set up available
Private room(s) included (non-exclusive use)

Reviews for National Centre for Early Music
(8)

Sarah & Michael
Happy couple married in April
May 2023
What can we say!

What can we say! We are so delighted that we chose the NCEM as our wedding reception venue. You were amazing, so helpful and friendly.Without your involvement, I know our wedding wouldn't have been so fab! Your designated caterers were perfect too! the most delicious food and wonderful service! If we ever renew our vows - it'll be at the NCEM! (Photo credit - Chris Milner Photography)

Georgia & Joseph
Happy couple married in May
March 2023
Friendly and accommodating staff, with a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

Friendly and accommodating staff, with a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere. A large space you can make your own but also it is naturally beautiful so doesn’t need much decorations. The staff took the time to understand and provide for the needs and wishes of the individual couple and their guests. Emily and Hannah tried very hard to support and make the most of a more intimate wedding due to covid restrictions. Very easy to move around for family member in wheelchair. Great outside space. A special thank you to Lindsay Whitwell who was the venue manager for our wedding, she is the most bubbly, caring and ensured our day was fantastic. Her enthusiasm, easy going attitude and clear love of the job just eased my worries about the day and her high spirits are infectious, she is a huge asset to your team.

Elliott & Lauren
Happy couple married in August
March 2023
We had the most perfect wedding day!

We had the most perfect wedding day and having our reception at NCEM definitely played a big part in this. We always loved the appearance and space of the centre and the fact it was a historical site meant a lot to us. The site was the perfect size for the number of guests that we had (70 with a further 15ish to the evening celebrations), and we also loved that we had a garden space on the day so that the guests could move about where they wanted. We also had a Ceilidh band followed by a disco in the evening and the size of the venue was perfect for this – we were comfortably able to move around without being squished in. We liked that the space was neutrally decorated inside whilst maintaining an historic feel – this made the venue really easy to decorate as because it was so beautiful inside anyway, we didn’t need to do too much to it to prepare it for our big day. We decorated the venue with candles, flowers, and fairy lights and that was enough as the centre is so lovely already. Better than the appearance and space of the NCEM venue were the staff that helped us along the way. From the day we requested a look around the venue up until the day itself, Emily from NCEM was always there and ready to assist us. No matter how many questions or how silly they were (and believe me when I say I asked some silly questions!) Emily always helped to advise us and found out extra details for us when we requested them. We do not think we would have had the amazing day that we had if it wasn’t for Emily’s help in the run up to the day and also Chris, Mark, and Debs’ assistance on the day itself. Every single person just mentioned was a delight to work with, all so caring and nothing was a problem. Whilst areas of planning a wedding is stressful, working with the venue was never stressful at all and we are so thankful for that. We would strongly recommend NCEM as a wedding venue for other couples, it is a stunning venue and the help from the staff really make this a place to get involved with. We wanted to say a massive thank you to the wonderful staff for making our wedding day as special as it was!!!

Robbie and Sarah
Happy couple married in November
March 2023
Perfect Unique Wedding Venue

We booked the venue to hold our evening reception for our wedding. We booked the evening before and whole day of the wedding. The venue is beautiful and simple. It made us able to create the vision we wanted to make it unique to us and the fact it had a music link worked brilliantly with our wedding theme. They were brilliant as helping us throughout the process of planning and on the day were amazing to the point we barely noticed them! They just got on with the job and made sure everything ran smoothly and we could enjoy our wedding. We would highly recommend this venue, its just perfect especially for any couples who just want their evening do in a different location.

Rose & Adam
Happy couple married in September
September 2019
Magical hidden venue with sublime service

A huge thank you to Hannah, Mark and Lindsey for making our day beyond perfection. They really do go above and beyond to make your day as special and stress-free as possible. The caterers Bradshaws were also incredibly easy to work with and accommodating to our needs. All our guests were wowed by the space, and incredibly complementary about the NCEM, how beautiful it is, the location, the garden space and of course the staff! We could not recommend the NCEM enough! Thank you for the perfect day!

Andrew and Grace
Happy couple married in September
September 2019
Perfect venue for our evening reception

We booked the NCEM as our evening venue (they also offer full day hire) and were immensely satisfied. Very conveniently placed just inside the city walls, with a beautiful old church hall as the main space. All the staff were wonderful from the beginning when Hannah looked after us as we toured the venue, and then Mark and Lindsay looked after us so well ok the night. The venue is very well cared for and they have a number of decorations in house that you can discuss with them such as fairy lights and up lights which they can help you set up. All in all we had a fantastic day and the NCEM and all their staff played an important part in making it so!

Ilona and Lukasz
Happy couple married in April
April 2019
It really could not have been better

From the beginning, the communication was excellent and we were positive that the NCEM was the perfect venue for us. The help from everyone before the Saturday was appreciated and it meant we could relax and enjoy our big day knowing everything was completed or in safe hands. On the day, all staff were professional, willing and good humoured, even when some guests were lingering at the end of the night! We also had a lot of guests remarking how kind and helpful all the staff were, in particular Mark who helped a guest with her young baby. We had such a fantastic day celebrating with our friends and family and it really could not have been better. Thank you to you and your team at the NCEM for making our day so special!

Fabienne & John
Happy couple married in January
May 2018
We would definitely recommend the NCEM to others

The staff were brilliant and very accommodating, right up to the last minute! Our day was very special and the NCEM team and Bradshaw's made it so easy for us - no fuss or complications.

Location & Contact Details for National Centre for Early Music

Wedding Venue Address
St Margaret's Church, Walmgate, York, North Yorkshire, YO1 9TL, England, United Kingdom
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FAQs
Find out a bit more from our FAQs

Describe the best wedding that happened at National Centre for Early Music?

It's too hard to pick a single one. They are all so special for so many different reasons.

What is your No. 1 wedding planning tip for couples?

Enjoy the process! Remember to stop every once in a while and soak it all in with your partner.

What’s your favourite personal touch you’ve seen at a wedding?

Photographs of the couples parents on their own wedding days - a lovely subtle but very personal touch!

Describe National Centre for Early Music in 5 adjectives

Historic, Classic, Person

Where’s the best photo spot at National Centre for Early Music?

Our incredible ornate Romanesque porch from the 12th century. It's a perfect frame for your intimate couple shots as well as an impressive backdrop for the large group photographs.

Have you had any celebrity guest or wedding at National Centre for Early Music?

The absolutely delightful Kate Bottley.

What’s your favourite canapé?

I love a mini Yorkshire Pud!

What’s your favourite midnight treat?

Anything chocolate!

What is National Centre for Early Music most unique feature?

As well as the perfect photo spot, our incredible ornate Romanesque porch from the 12th century is our most unique feature.

What part of your business are you most proud of?

As a registered charity, we are constantly working to utilise the power of music to change lives, engaging with communities of all ages and backgrounds locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Our education programme, I Can Play, provides music-making opportunities for D/deaf children across York, and Minster Minstrels, the NCEM's youth early music ensemble for school-age musicians. By holding your wedding here at the NCEM, you help make it possible for us to continue changing lives through music.

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