Five minutes with Harrogate's Leon Marshall

Leon Marshall with guitar performing outside Credit: Pixie Jayne Photography

Award-winning North Yorkshire-based singing guitarist and events musician Leon Marshall, known for his powerful vocals and toe-tapping original music, started his music career on the open mic scene back in 2005.

With his latest release Nobody Better' reaching the top 20 of the iTunes singer/songwriter charts and national radio play, Leon is fast becoming a sought after performer. Leon has recently been proclaimed as one of the best wedding musicians and has also celebrated recent success with the announcement of being one of the top 10 singing guitarists to be booked across the UK via encoremusicians.com.

Here, Your Yorkshire Wedding gets to know the man behind the mic...

How long have you been a musician, when did your passion begin?
I've been a professional full time musician since 2017, and I fell in love with performing at weddings after my very first one. It was a ceremony and drinks reception and I remember getting in to the car to drive home afterwards and calling my (now) wife and telling her that if I could play weddings for the rest of my life then I'd have 'made it'. I feel so lucky to be able to call this my job.

What's your favourite thing about performing at weddings?
I'd probably say that my favourite thing about performing at weddings is the ceremony, it's such a compliment being asked to be a part of someone's day that they'll remember forever and a guitar vocalist is such a perfect backdrop for that already breathtaking moment when the groom and guests see the bride for the first time at the top of the aisle.

I know it's hard to choose, but do you have a favourite song to perform?
I've got so many favourites to perform, I'm particularly enjoying playing Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper at the moment, although couples often ask for one of my originals Nobody Better to be played so that's always great to do, and again such a compliment!

Do you have any top tips for couples looking for/booking their wedding entertainment?
Just to take your time looking for someone, make sure they're a good fit for you both and your day, you'll remember it forever, so don't feel that you have to rush into a decision. It can often be useful to have a quick phone call or video call too, things can sometimes get lost in an email!

www.leonmarshall.co.uk | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music

You may also be interested in

The 2026 UK Wedding Blacklist: The 10 Songs Couples Don’t Want on the Dancefloor

The 2026 UK Wedding Blacklist: The 10 Songs Couples Don’t Want on the Dancefloor

Modern British couples are officially rewriting the rules of wedding entertainment, according to new social listening research released today by UK live music and entertainment agency Jonny Ross Music. An analysis of social media discussions across TikTok and Reddit (r/UKweddings) reveals that traditional party staples are being systematically blacklisted in favour of curated, sophisticated setlists. The results point to a clear change in what younger couples want from their wedding receptions. Group dances, heavily played 2010s pop songs and football-style chants are among the tracks and trends couples are increasingly asking DJs and live bands to leave off their playlists.

READ ARTICLE

The rise of ‘wedding-like’ commitment ceremonies – and the legal dangers couples don’t see coming

The rise of ‘wedding-like’ commitment ceremonies – and the legal dangers couples don’t see coming

With the costofliving still shaping how couples celebrate, and social media normalising nontraditional ceremonies; more people are opting for celebrations that look like weddings but aren't legally binding, and many couples aren't realising the risk until it's too late. Google searches for "what is a commitment ceremony" have surged 63% in the past year, and with costs ranging from just £200 for a simple register-office ceremony, non-legal celebrations are becoming an increasingly attractive option with the cost-of-living continuing to put couples under pressure when considering marriage. However, these ceremonies also carry hidden legal pitfalls

READ ARTICLE

New UK map reveals Brits’ favourite proposal spots according to social media

New UK map reveals Brits’ favourite proposal spots according to social media

National family-owned jeweller, Beaverbrooks, has unveiled a new map revealing the 15 best places in the UK to pop the question, based on Instagram hashtag data. Whether it's against a backdrop of dramatic coastlines, rolling countryside or iconic city skylines, choosing the perfect place to propose is almost as overwhelming as choosing the ring. To help partners looking to ask the all-important question to their other halves, Beaverbrooks has created a new 'Proposal Map of the UK', making it easier than ever to find an idyllic location.

READ ARTICLE

Why more couples are letting the coast shape their wedding day

Why more couples are letting the coast shape their wedding day

For couples planning a wedding, the setting is increasingly becoming more than a backdrop. Research from WeddingDates found that 78% of UK couples consider location an important factor when choosing a venue, with more than a third specifically influenced by the view. Rockwater, the UK coastal hospitality brand with beachfront venues in Hove and Branksome, says this is helping reshape how couples approach weddings by the water. Rather than simply choosing a coastal venue and then planning the celebration independently of it, couples are increasingly allowing the landscape, changing light and relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces to influence the day itself. Rockwater has identified four of the key considerations shaping modern coastal weddings.

READ ARTICLE

Follow Your Yorkshire Wedding Magazine on YouTube

VISIT SITE

Submit your wedding to be featured in Your Yorkshire Wedding Magazine

VISIT SITE

Subscribe to Your Yorkshire Wedding Magazine for free

VISIT SITE

Blackwell Grange Hotel

VISIT SITE