The Cotswolds is one of the most sought-after wedding destinations in England, honey-stone villages, sprawling estates, and venues that look like they were designed specifically for wedding photos.

I’m Marcus, the DJ behind Speaker Box. I’m based in Bristol, which puts the South Cotswolds firmly within my regular coverage. I’ve played at venues across Gloucestershire and the wider Cotswolds area, and the drive from Bristol is straightforward, typically under an hour to most South Cotswolds venues.

What Makes Speaker Box Different

Cotswolds weddings tend to be well-planned, considered affairs. The couple has thought carefully about every detail, the flowers, the food, the venue itself. The music should get the same attention.

I DJ on Technics turntables. Not a laptop with a playlist, actual live mixing, track by track, reading the room as the energy builds. My library runs to over 20,000 tracks across Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Rare Groove, R&B, and well beyond. Every set is different because every couple is different.

Before the wedding, we spend time going through your music properly. Not a form where you pick from a list, a conversation about what you want the night to feel and sound like. Your must-plays, your absolutely-nots, and the tracks that mean something to the two of you.

The lighting is handled through Soundswitch, pre-programmed track by track, synced to the music, designed to enhance the room rather than turn it into a nightclub. Atmospheric, responsive, and photographer-friendly.

Cotswolds Venues I Cover

I’m happy to play at any venue in the Cotswolds. A few that come up regularly:

• Kingscote Barn, a 17th-century Cotswold stone barn near Tetbury, hidden in its own 400-acre valley. One of the most established barn venues in the South Cotswolds and very close to Bristol.
• Cripps Barn, an 18th-century stone barn in the Coln Valley near Bibury. Flagstone floors, exposed beams, and a late licence. One of the original Cotswolds barn wedding venues.
• Elmore Court, a beautifully restored country house near Gloucester with a dedicated party space that was built for exactly this kind of thing.
• Owlpen Manor, an 800-year-old Tudor manor in a private Cotswold valley near Stroud. Its own medieval church on site. Very close to Bristol.
• Euridge Manor, Mediterranean-inspired architecture in overgrown gardens, right on the Cotswolds/Wiltshire border near Bath. Very limited weddings per year.
• Thornbury Castle, a Tudor castle near the southern edge of the Cotswolds. The Great Hall is a striking setting for an evening reception.
• Eastington Park, a Georgian manor near Stonehouse, right off the M5 between Bristol and Cheltenham. Practical and grand in equal measure.

If your venue isn’t listed here, that’s fine, I’ll play anywhere within range and I’m always happy to visit beforehand.

Travel and Logistics

Most South Cotswolds venues fall within the 50-mile round trip included in all Speaker Box packages, so there’s typically no travel surcharge. For venues further north, Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Campden and beyond, it’s 50p per mile beyond the included distance, which still keeps things reasonable.

I arrive from 5pm and setup takes around 90 minutes.