The radiation dynamics of a magnetic dipole located inside a photonic crystal has been considered as an analogue for optical emission of a point-like emitter in such a crystal. We have experimentally realized this situation by fixing a single crystal yttrium iron garnet (YIG) sphere of 1.7 mm diameter inside a photonic crystal consisting of dielectric alumina rods. These rods form a woodpile structure of size 16 × 6 × 6 cm3 . The photonic crystal shows a band gap at microwave frequencies between 12.9 and 14.3 GHz as calculated and verified from the transmission characteristics of the crystal.