Our partnership with Aston Marina began before construction even started on their ambitious 40-acre site: a 200-berth marina offering long and short-stay moorings, on-site services for boaters, and future plans for a restaurant, shop, and wedding venue. The wedding venue, The Boat House, was the first project we worked on together. Aston Marina had a clear vision to establish it as one of Staffordshire’s leading wedding venues, and approached us to design an audio system that would help bring this vision to life.

Objectives

The key goals for The Boat House were to:

Design a high-quality audio system that would elevate weddings, conferences, and events.
Provide clear music playback, intelligible speeches, and reliable performance for everyday use.
Deliver a system that would grow with the venue as its offerings expanded.
Integrate user-friendly control so staff could easily manage sound across different zones.
Supply reliable, long-lasting equipment that would support Aston Marina’s focus on premium guest experiences.

Challenges

With ambitious plans for the venue and a desire for long-term reliability, Aston Marina needed a system that could serve a luxury wedding environment while also supporting DJs, live events, and future expansion. Ensuring the solution would integrate naturally into the venue’s architecture and operations, and remain flexible as their event offerings grew, meant designing for both present needs and long-term scalability.

Approach

Selecting the Right System

We based the system around Genelec loudspeakers. At the time, Genelec was well-known in music production but only beginning to enter the AV market. From our experience, we knew their speakers would deliver clarity, reliability, and longevity. For Aston Marina, this meant long-term value—minimal maintenance, consistent sound quality, and a professional listening experience for every wedding, conference, and event.

Designing for Flexibility and Future Growth

As the project evolved, we incorporated the Genelec system into a wider setup that could support wedding DJs and live events. With day-to-day operations in mind, we integrated a control system that allowed The Boat House team to manage sound across multiple zones and adapt the space to suit any occasion.

Launching with Confidence

The system we delivered gave Aston Marina a strong foundation to launch The Boat House confidently. It enabled them to host their first weddings and events with high-quality, clear sound tailored to each moment. The setup was future-ready, offering the team the tools and training to manage the system while maintaining the high standards expected by their guests.

Results

Since launching, Aston Marina has gone on to win both local and national awards for their restaurant and wedding venue. Their event programme has expanded to include comedy nights, live music, and cooking masterclasses. Throughout this growth, we have continued to supply and install audio systems, digital signage, and lighting to support their evolving needs.

We see The Boat House as a clear example of the value of involving a specialist consultancy from the very beginning. By working together from the project’s inception, we were able to design, supply, and install a bespoke system aligned with both their immediate goals and long-term ambitions. This early partnership ensured that every piece of equipment was selected to support their vision and continue delivering exceptional guest experiences for years to come.

The success of The Boat House project marked the beginning of our long-term relationship with Aston Marina. Since then, we’ve continued to collaborate on new developments at their “No. 26” and “The Hideaway” venues, helping elevate each space and ensuring they deliver the best audio experience for every event.

Aston Marina - The Boat House