Pembroke Castle hosts civil wedding ceremonies for up to 60 guests indoors and up to 100 in an enclosed open-air courtyard, followed by drinks, photos in the grounds and evening marquee receptions with exclusive use of the castle. The castle stands in the town of Pembroke, in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales, and has held a civil wedding license since 2012.
Weddings and receptions
Ceremonies can be held in four places. Three are indoor rooms in the castle's towers and halls, and one is an enclosed outdoor courtyard for larger weddings, used when the weather allows. After the ceremony, guests can have drinks and canapés in the Great Keep, the Western Hall or a gazebo on the lawn while the couple takes photographs around the walls. A bar can serve bottled or draught drinks, and welcome drinks can be arranged even when the reception is held elsewhere.
For the evening, the castle offers marquee receptions on its large lawn, with exclusive use of the castle for the night. Receptions can run until 12:45 a.m., and recorded or live music is allowed until midnight. The castle sells two formats: a ceremony followed by up to four hours for photos and drinks, or a ceremony with a full reception. Both include the castle's own wedding organizer, who plans the day with the couple.
Weddings take place from February to early July and from September to early November. During school holidays and at Christmas the castle accepts ceremonies only, without receptions, because it is busy with visitors.
Rooms and capacities
The Western Hall, in the inner ward next to the medieval chapel, seats 50. Built in the early 13th century as a retiring room, it has a vaulted ceiling, an oak floor and a large fireplace, and it is lit with uplighting and fairy lights. The Henry VII Tower, in the outer ward, also seats 50; it holds the room where Henry VII was born, with a vaulted ceiling and a fireplace. The Great Keep seats 60 beneath a domed stone roof about 80 feet above the floor. The Chancery, an outdoor space in the inner ward enclosed by four walls, takes 100. A marquee from Blue Sky Marquees stands all year, holds 50 and can be extended, and other marquee styles can be arranged for larger receptions.
Catering
The castle serves drinks and canapés and runs the bar on the day. The wedding brochure lists recommended suppliers, including photographers. Ask the wedding organizer how the meal is catered in the marquee.
History and setting
Pembroke Castle stands on a rocky promontory above the Pembroke River. A first Norman fortress was built here in 1093, and the great round keep was raised by William Marshal around 1200. Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII and founder of the Tudor dynasty, was born in the castle in 1457. The castle is run by the Pembroke Castle Trust and opens to visitors, which is why weddings follow a seasonal calendar.
Getting there
The castle is at the west end of Main Street in Pembroke. Pembroke railway station, on the branch line to Pembroke Dock, is about a 10-minute walk away. Cardiff Airport is the nearest large airport, about two and a half hours by road.
