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Price: £1,500 – £4,450
Guests: 130
Description
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.
Message from the team
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
Wedding Venue Type
Event Venue
Wedding Venue Capacity
Dining Capacity
130
Reception Capacity
150
Wedding Ceremony & Reception
Church within walking distance
Sound system available
Confetti permitted
Wedding Venue Details
Wedding Catering
Cultural Specialists
Pricing for National Centre for Early Music
Pricing for National Centre for Early Music
What's Included?
Exclusive use
Day before set up available
External caterers not permitted
Furniture included
• 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.
Hide detailsReviews (9)
- AAnya and Mat14/10/2025The most magical dayThe most magical dayWe got married at NCEM on the 11th Oct 2025. It was such an easy and stress free process, and the recommended caterers we chose, Pastelle, were so amazing too (lots of comments from guests that it was the best wedding food they had ever had!) NCEM and India worked tirelessly to make sure we had everything we needed and made adjustments to make our vision come to life - real candles? No problem. Corkage for table wine? No issue. Sourced apple sourz for shots for the bar? Absolutely. It was honestly such a dream booking them. The venue itself is a piece of York history, and is hidden away. It's stunning, large enough for crowds with beautiful outdoor space and functional and accessible for different areas. They also directly spoke to our other suppliers once booked, making it even easier to manage the day. We went for a 3 day hire, and they let us drop off lanterns early that morning so they could be strung up by the venue with the fairy lights. On the Sunday, they had cleared the whole venue and left our belongings in corners to collect, making it super easy and efficient. NCEM in few words: friendly, beautiful and flexible.We got married at NCEM on the 11th Oct 2025. It was such an easy and stress free process, and the recommended caterers we chose, Pastelle, were so amazing too (lots of comments from guests that it was the best wedding food they had ever had!) NCEM and India worked tirelessly to make sure we had everything we needed and made adjustments to make our vision come to life - real candles? No problem. Corkage for table wine? No issue. Sourced apple sourz for shots for the bar? Absolutely. It was honestly such a dream booking them. The venue itself is a piece of York history, and is hidden away. It's stunning, large enough for crowds with beautiful outdoor space and functional and accessible for different areas. They also directly spoke to our other suppliers once booked, making it even easier to manage the day. We went for a 3 day hire, and they let us drop off lanterns early that morning so they could be strung up by the venue with the fairy lights. On the Sunday, they had cleared the whole venue and left our belongings in corners to collect, making it super easy and efficient. NCEM in few words: friendly, beautiful and flexible.
- SSarah & Michael17/05/2023What can we say! 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) 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)
- GGeorgia & Joseph29/03/2023Friendly and accommodating staff, with a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere. 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. 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.
- EElliott & Lauren27/03/2023We had the most perfect wedding day!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!!! 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!!!
- RRobbie and Sarah01/03/2023Perfect Unique Wedding VenuePerfect Unique Wedding VenueWe 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. 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.
- RRose & Adam27/09/2019Magical hidden venue with sublime serviceMagical hidden venue with sublime serviceA 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!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!
- AAndrew and Grace19/09/2019Perfect venue for our evening receptionPerfect venue for our evening receptionWe 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!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!
- IIlona and Lukasz24/04/2019It really could not have been betterIt really could not have been betterFrom 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!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!
- FFabienne & John08/05/2018We would definitely recommend the NCEM to othersWe would definitely recommend the NCEM to othersThe 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.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
Location & Contact Details for National Centre for Early Music
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FAQs
Find out a bit more from our FAQs
What is the maximum capacity of the National Centre for Early Music for weddings?
The National Centre for Early Music can accommodate up to 130 guests for a seated meal and up to 150 guests for an evening reception, making it suitable for both intimate and larger wedding celebrations.
Is the National Centre for Early Music available for exclusive use during a wedding?
Yes, the venue offers exclusive use on your wedding day, ensuring privacy and a personalised experience for you and your guests in the stunning medieval grade one listed building and its peaceful private gardens.
Where is the National Centre for Early Music located?
The National Centre for Early Music is located in York, North Yorkshire, England, with the postal code YO1 9TL. It's set in a historic and peaceful area, perfect for memorable wedding celebrations.
What catering options are available at the National Centre for Early Music?
The venue partners with Bradshaws of York, Caterers of Distinction, who provide an extensive range of food and wine options tailored to your tastes. They also cater for special dietary requirements to accommodate all guests.
Can ceremony entrances be customised at the National Centre for Early Music?
Yes, couples can choose to enter through the stunning Norman arch on the South side or via the contemporary foyer overlooking the beautiful private garden, adding a unique touch to your wedding ceremony.
What is the atmosphere like inside the National Centre for Early Music during a wedding?
The venue features lots of natural light and open space creating a bright and welcoming atmosphere. The wrought iron candelabra and stone arches add grandeur, while at night, candlelight offers an intimate and romantic setting ideal for dining or dancing.
Does the National Centre for Early Music have suitable acoustics for musical performances?
Yes, the excellent acoustics within the church provide a beautiful environment for any style of music, enhancing live performances or DJ sets during your wedding celebration.
Is the National Centre for Early Music a historic venue?
Absolutely. The venue is housed in a stunning medieval grade one listed building, offering a unique and historic backdrop that adds character and charm to your wedding day.
Are the gardens at the National Centre for Early Music available for wedding use?
The venue includes gated private and peaceful gardens, providing an idyllic setting for photographs, outdoor moments, or quiet celebration spaces during your wedding day.
What level of support can couples expect from staff at the National Centre for Early Music?
The friendly and welcoming staff work closely with couples to ensure that the entire wedding occasion runs smoothly and is a joyful experience for all attendees.
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