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.
As a country, the UK is famous for it's historical buildings, and none of these is more magical than a castle. For those hoping for the ultimate fairytale wedding day, then a castle wedding venue is the perfect place to tie the knot. From impressive feasting halls to tall stone towers and Gothic architecture, having a castle wedding is the perfect way to feel like royalty for your big day.
Most castle wedding venues in County Down will have a civil ceremony license, which will allow you to legally marry 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 isn't licensed for civil ceremonies, then you can always enquire about holding your civil wedding ceremony at a registry office nearby or having a humanist ceremony, before hosting your wedding reception at the castle.
Often, castles have their own 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 your castle wedding venue doesn't have a chapel or church, then you may be able to find one near by. Be sure to ask your chosen venues when enquiring about religious ceremonies to find out if this is a possibility.
If you need a wheelchair friendly castle wedding venue, then you may be amazed to know how accessible castle venues can be. Due to most castles in County Down being local tourist attractions, it’s important that wheelchair users can be accommodated. However, there may be steep towers or areas where this isn’t possible. 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 Down are certainly affordable. Even huge palaces and historical monuments don’t always need an enormous wedding budget, so it’s always worth enquiring. If you are looking to save money on your castle wedding and are having to stick to a budget, 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 Down is perfect. After all, they’re often sumptuously decorated in the first place. With their hanging tapestries, stunning artwork and beautiful candelabra, a castle's decor is truly unique. However, as they’re often listed buildings, there may be restrictions as to how you can decorate. There may be limitations on hanging decorations, with many castles unable to allow paper confetti at all.
A classic fairytale wedding theme would be the ideal fit for a castle venue. Think horse-drawn carriages, ball gown wedding dresses, beautiful roses and glittering chandeliers 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 Down often have recommended entertainers such a falconers and dancers that are ideal for this, and a fabulous medieval feast will have your wedding guests in love with your castle wedding.
We also find that Christmas is the perfect time to have a 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.
