24/08/2012
Absolutely amazing day.............Melissa deserves a gold medal for all of her hard work. She puts in so much from helping you organise to ensuring the day goes perfectly. I think she could run this place better than the owners to be fair.

Simon is a top quality chef and our meal was honestly one of the best dinners I've had (from a really fussy eater)! He is also not only a fantastic chef but also a very lovely guy who was a pleasure to have a conversation with. Beth is also fantastic and she was a huge help to us. Beth also is a pleasure to talk to.

All in all a wonderful experience and we would strongly recommend people look at this venue for a wedding.

We can't wait to come on a ghostly weekend around Halloween as I know so do some of our guests. All of our family and friends enjoyed the day and night and said what amazing food, surroundings and atmosphere it was.

Big hooray to Melissa, Simon, Beth and all of the staff at Craig y nos for making our wedding so truly amazing xx

Danny and Kim Nash

02/09/2012
We found this castle online when looking for potential (affordable) wedding venues in Wales. We had a good feeling about it based on the website so saved it until last during our venue visiting roadtrip. There were some local contenders for our venue... until we began to drive through the Brecon Beacons towards Craig Y Nos- the scenery was breathtaking and our excitement just grew and grew until we arrived. Walking into the grounds we were amazed by the beauty of the building and we both knew it was the place, before we'd even stepped inside. (I remember we both had goosebumps!).

Inside there is a cosy, homely feeling, especially in winter with the open fires burning and the comfy leather sofas in the hotel bar and lounge. It reminds me of a mix between an old English country pub and a stately home. The staff were all bubbly and friendly and it feels family run. The slightly eccentric manager was kind enough to give us a tour of the castle and all the rooms along with an insight into the history and unique stories about each room. We loved the fact that each room was different, with its own architectural features or quirks. Going around the castle, we were already mentally assigning our guests to rooms we thought they would particularly like! (I thought I'd treat my mum to the bathroom with the gorgeous Victorian stand alone bath whilst my bridesmaids and I shared a little cottage house).

Some areas of the castle were being refurbished when we visited, but we were assured it would all be ready for when it reopened in Spring and it was. After seeing many modern hotels in our venue search, it was refreshing to see somewhere with some character rather than 100 identikit rooms and a boring hall for the ceremony /wedding breakfast. Instead we were able to have our ceremony in a beautiful little theatre, wedding breakfast in the jaw dropping conservatory and after party in the stately reception room, with access to the lounges and bars for our guests to relax and mingle in. The conservatory was a particular selling point- we'd seen the pictures online, but no photos can prepare you for the beautiful backdrop when walking into the room. It is truly captivating, and if you're on a budget, with views of such stunning natural beauty like that, flowers etc inside really aren't necessary. There is also a national park a short walk away which is perfect for photos.

Unfortunately, on our wedding day in April, the Welsh weather was predictably wet, so we had to go to plan B and take our photos in and around the castle. But this didn't put a dampener on our day as the rooms and grounds still gave us a wonderful backdrop for our photos.

We also loved the fact that all 50 of our friends and family were able to stay in the castle with us. We basically had a castle to ourselves! How many people can say that? It meant that our celebrations could include time catching up with friends and family and enabling guests to meet each other while relaxing in the bar during the evening before the big day and at breakfast the day after.

We treasured this time as it meant we got to spend quality time with all of our guests and they got to enjoy a lovely weekend away.

The wedding planner was on hand the whole weekend to keep things running smoothly, and she did an amazing job. We didn't have to worry about a thing, everything ran to schedule and was well organised. We had a few last minute room swaps and these were handled well by the staff.

Unfortunately my father in law's room had a leak from the roof, but he was moved when he realised. They had also kept a few spare rooms open in case we needed them. The only downside was that the phones didn't work in all rooms and the mobile reception is poor, but I think this has been rectified now.

The cottage was perfect for the wedding morning as there was room for four of us to get ready, with storage for our dresses etc and room for my hairdresser and photographers. The cottage had a lounge downstairs where we were able to relax and prepare. However the downstairs bedroom was too cold for my bridesmaids to sleep in so they had to move. The staff brought champagne and our breakfasts to us and the location was perfect as we only had to walk across the courtyard to the theatre for the ceremony so there was no danger of me being late! The beds were very comfy too and we had plenty of towels etc to meet our needs.

The theatre was an amazing setting. When it is empty, it looks a little small and feels a little cold. But once it is full of your loved ones you don't notice this and it's beauty shines through. The welcome drinks were lovely and the staff had layed out the glasses to spell the word 'love' which was a cute touch. But it was the food that really stood out. As a vegetarian the options at weddings are often bland and unadventurous, however the tomato and red pepper soup was delightful and the Mushroom Wellington was delicious (so much so that my meat loving husband was tempted to choose it)! Our guests all enjoyed their food and the portions meant no one was left hungry. We didn't try the desserts as we had wedding cake (for 3rd course) but I'm sure I will try the Bailey's cheesecake when we visit for our anniversary!

The honeymoon suite was lovely. It was previously a prayer room for the owner so it still had its original chapel features in the style of windows and the woodwork, which made it unique. The bathroom was lovely too with a lovely Victorian bath!

Overall I would definitely recommend visiting Craig Y Nos. The setting is magical and the staff are so flexible and accommodating that it can address most people's budgets and enable you to feel completely in control of the type of wedding you want. We can't wait to go back and enjoy the lovely service, food and comforts at the castle. I am also keen to explore more of the local area, and, if I'm feeling brave, I might even do the ghost tour!


18/07/2012
I had my wedding here July 14th and the venue really created the wow factor of the wedding. The rooms are clean, comfortable and very well kept. Everyone commented on how lovely the venue was and their room was excellent.

The food is absolutely delicious! A big topic of conversation amongst guests. The staff are extremely attentive and friendly. A true hidden gem that not many people know about.

Everyone, including myself were amazed by the castle and the grounds it is set in, it made for wonderful walks and photos.
I would have no hesitation in recommending the castle for a wedding venue, the attention to detail was excellent, the food and staff amazing and grounds/rooms outstanding. An absolute five star venue and service!

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