Caswell House Wedding DJ
A Rutherford.DJ at Caswell House
Caswell House is one of those venues that doesn't need much adding to it.
Set in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, the venue is centred around a collection of beautifully restored stone barns, courtyards and gardens. It's elegant, but still relaxed — and that balance tends to carry through into the weddings I've played here.
For me, that means keeping the setup considered, letting the venue speak for itself and concentrating on what I'm actually there to do: get the music right.
DJing at Caswell House
Having worked at Caswell House before, there's an advantage in already understanding how the venue operates.
Bartlett's Barn becomes the focus for the evening, while the different spaces around Caswell allow the earlier parts of the wedding to have their own atmosphere.
I don't think every part of a wedding needs to be filled with entertainment. Sometimes the music should simply sit in the background and make the room feel right.
Later, it's a different job entirely.
Once the evening starts, I'm there to DJ.
The Music
I'll always ask couples for some direction beforehand.
That might be a handful of artists, a Spotify playlist, twenty records they love or simply a conversation about where they normally go out and what they listen to.
I also want to know what they don't want.
I use all of that as a reference rather than a script.
The rest comes from the room.
If something is working, I'll follow it. If the crowd wants to move somewhere else, I'll move with them. I'm comfortable mixing across decades and genres, so there's no requirement for the night to sit within one particular style.
The result should feel like somebody has properly DJed your wedding rather than pressed play on a very good wedding playlist.
An All-Day Option
For couples who want me involved earlier, I can also look after music throughout the day.
That can include the ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast and the transition into the evening, along with a wireless microphone for speeches.
The approach is deliberately subtle.
Music during drinks or dinner doesn't need to constantly announce itself. It just needs to suit the setting, the people and the point in the day.
It also means one person is responsible for the music from the ceremony through to the last track of the evening, which keeps things simple.
DJ x Sax
Live sax is available as an addition to the DJ set.
At Caswell, I particularly like the option of using sax earlier during drinks and then bringing it back later in the evening.
For the party, the saxophonist performs alongside the DJ rather than stopping everything for a standalone show. I'll usually establish the dance floor first and bring the sax in where it makes sense musically.
It works especially well if the evening moves towards disco, house or more electronic music, but it doesn't need to dictate the whole set.
The Setup
Caswell House already looks good.
I don't want to cover Bartlett's Barn with equipment.
My setup is intentionally clean, with a professional sound system, understated booth and programmed lighting. Wireless uplighting is also available if it suits the room and the look you're going for.
The idea is for everything to look appropriate in a Cotswolds wedding venue, rather than like a mobile disco has been installed for the evening.
Wedding DJ Options at Caswell House
I offer an Evening Wedding DJ option for couples who simply want me there for the party, as well as an All Day Wedding Package covering music throughout the day.
DJ x Sax can be added to either.
Full details and current pricing are available on my wedding packages page.
About A Rutherford.DJ
I'm a Cotswolds-based DJ and Soho House resident, playing weddings, private parties and events across the UK and internationally.
I've worked at many of the leading venues across Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, including Caswell House.
My style is fairly straightforward: good music, properly mixed, a clean setup and not much talking on the microphone.
Planning a Wedding at Caswell House?
If you're getting married at Caswell House and would like to check my availability, send me your date and a little about what you're planning.
A Rutherford.DJ
Hello@ARDJ.co.uk