Hillsborough Castle & Gardens is the official residence of the Royal Family in Northern Ireland and, throughout the years, has played host to monarchs, minsters, presidents and princesses.
The Ivory Pavilion is a beautifully unique wedding venue at Galgorm Castle located in Ballymena, County Antrim in Northern Ireland.
Unique castle in Loughguile available for weddings. The perfect wedding venue in County Antrim.
Wedding venue in County Antrim.At Ballygally Castle you’re the Queen of the Castle. It’s yours and yours alone for the whole day.
As a country, the UK is famous for it's historical buildings, and none of these is more magical than a castle. If you want a romantic fairytale wedding day, then a castle wedding venue is the ideal place to say 'I do'. From impressive feasting halls to tall stone towers and Gothic architecture, having a castle wedding is the ideal way to feel like royalty on your special day.
Most castle wedding venues in County Antrim will have a civil ceremony license, allowing you to have a legally binding marriage in one of their rooms or in the grounds. If you want to marry in the castle grounds, make sure you confirm with the venue that they are licensed for outdoor ceremonies. If your chosen castle venue aren't licensed to hold civil wedding ceremonies, then you can always enquire about having your wedding ceremony at the nearest registry office or having a humanist ceremony, before hosting your wedding reception at the castle.
You may find that many castles have a chapel or church on site, which is where its inhabitants would have religious services. This means that you may be able to have a religious wedding ceremony without leaving the castle grounds! If there isn’t a church or chapel on site, then there may be one close by. It's important to check with your chosen castle venues to find out whether having a religious ceremony on site is possible.
If you need a wheelchair friendly wedding venue, then you will be astonished by how accessible castle venues can be. Due to most castles in County Antrim being local tourist attractions, it’s important that wheelchair users can be accommodated. However, the castle may have areas that are deemed unsuitable for wheelchair users. Be sure to ask your venues ahead of time if accessibility is top of your priorities list.
You'll be pleased to know that castle wedding venues in County Antrim are certainly affordable. Even huge palaces and historical monuments don’t always need a mammoth wedding budget, so it’s always worth enquiring. For couples on smaller budgets and hoping to save money on their castle wedding in County Antrim, then opting for a midweek package or marrying in an off-peak season is a brilliant way to cut costs.
If you're hoping not to do too much decorating at your wedding venue then a castle in County Antrim is perfect. After all, they’re often sumptuously decorated in the first place. With incredible artwork, hanging tapestries, candelabra and suits of armour, castle decor is hard to replicate. However, as they’re often listed buildings, there may be restrictions as to how you can decorate. It may not be possible to hang certain decorations, with many castle's not permitting paper confetti.
A classic fairytale wedding theme would be the ideal fit for a castle venue. Think horse-drawn carriages, ball gown wedding dresses, shimmering chandeliers and deep red roses and you have the perfect castle wedding theme.
If you’re a history lover, then a medieval wedding theme is also perfect for a castle. Castles in County Antrim often have recommended entertainers such a falconers and dancers that are ideal for this, and a heavenly medieval banquet will certainly give your wedding guests something to remember your special day.
We also find that Christmas is an ideal time of year for your castle wedding, as castles are often richly decorated for Christmas with candles, trees and traditional touches. Take advantage and have a beautiful winter wedding in a castle!
Elaine has over 8 years of experience working with wedding venues, and advises many of the top hotel and venue brands on their wedding marketing. She has a deep understanding of statistics that can accurately predict the online populaity of a particular venue and she is happy to share that knowledge with wedding couples and venues.
