These days when weddings are getting more and more unique, only few of them are truly beautiful affairs while most others are just a display of wealth sans aesthetics. When marriages are made in heaven, doesn’t it make sense to solemnise them at an equally heavenly/blissful venue? Why on earth should you move heaven and earth to create a heaven like ambience when it is readily available? This is where destination weddings come into the picture. They are in vogue and the best bets to show off one’s wealth, class and a penchant for that “Zara hatke” factor!
A charming castle wedding
It is a universally recognized fact that everybride wants to look, feel and be treated like aprincess on her wedding day. So, what bettervenue than an Irish castle? A medieval castlestanding sentinel in the picturesque country-side- a perfect location for an intimate familywedding? Ireland, with its warm and friendlypeople matched with an unparalleled scenicbeauty has now become the number one choicefor many a discerning traveller. Compact andconducive, grounded in harmony with the nat-ural environment and their living heritage, itis a space that nourishes all the senses. A placewhere one wants to be……
Slane Castle, set in the middle of a 1,500 acre estate in the heart of Boyne Valley, lies only 25 minutes from Dublin Airport and is the perfect venue to host a fairytale wedding. Steeped in history and flanked by the majestic River Boyne, the castle has a mystical quality. With the backdrop of the River Boyne and the surrounding parkland of the Estate, it is the perfect venue to accommodate a stunning wed- ding in unique surroundings providing peace, privacy and security.
Here is why Ireland is the best backdrop for a charming wedding
The Castle was also a setting for a famous his- torical romance between King George IV of England and Elizabeth, the first Marchioness Conyn- gham. The King stayed in the Castle in 1821 and it is believed that the reason the road from Dublin to Slane is one of the straightest roads in Ireland is because it was so designed to speed him on his journey. He dined in the spectacular Gothic Revival Ballroom and the bedroom he slept in is known as the King’s Room to this day.
Slane Castle is a very special place, no matter what time of the year you plan to celebrate your wedding. During Spring or Summer enjoy an outdoor reception with champagne & canapes on the lawns with the towering backdrop of the castle to impress your guests. During the cooler months enjoy a romantic reception in the magnificent entrance hall with hundreds of candles creating a fairytale feel throughout the Castle.
Slane Castle offers each client exclusive use of this beautiful venue for their wedding day, using the King’s Ballroom which seats 110 or the Burton Hall seating 240 guests. Exclusive hire of the castle allows you to use all of the adjacent rooms such as the elegant Morning Room, the Main Castle Hall as well as the the Castle Din- ing and Drawing rooms for all your pre & post dinner receptions, including civil ceremonies.
Here is why Ireland is the best backdrop for a charming wedding
A Gorgeous Garden Wedding
How about awedding chapel with a fairytale setting in an Orangery for the most beautifully romantic, personal wedding ceremony?
Conveniently located on the outskirts of Dublin, Killruddery is an easy commute. Spectacu-lar outdoors, even better indoors and the driveto it is so spectacular, filled with scenic beauty,that the trip won’t feel like a chore. Killrud-dery has been home to the Brabazon family (the Earls of Meath) since 1618, and was onceowned by none other than King Henry VII. Itis one of the few great houses in Ireland thatis still lived in by the original family, meaningthat every moment you spend there is steepedin history and wholeheartedly authentic.
Killruddery House is a stunning, elegant, historic country house with beautifully mani-cured gardens and a beautiful ornagery. Withsprawling gardens where lavender bloomssway in gentle breeze and roses spread theirsoft fragrance in the air, acres upon acres ofspace for the little ones to play or for elders totake long strolls, it is the perfect destination fora holiday cum exclusive wedding ceremony.The BBQ bash can be had in the dramatic barnand farmyard outback, where they hold a farmer’s market. It is a casual and unusual backdropand a beautiful and atmospheric setting.
The simply gorgeous Fern House Café with its endless windows and bright airy space, unique and quirky furniture…in fact the appeal of the place is the mismatched furniture, rustic meets modern tables and chairs, upcycled chandeliers, lanterns and lots of green ferns- it’s like a green house turned into elegant dining hall and immensely magical.
The Orangery, surrounded by a mythical radius of natural beauty is the most eye catching part of this imposing mansion. Fashioned after the Crystal Palace in England, today it is a popular location for elite wedding ceremonies and drinks receptions. Legend has it that the family tiara was sold to finance this work and that the crenellations surrounding the dome were based on the design of this tiara.
For an intimate family wedding the Orangery makes an ideal location with its classic marble sculptures. Watched by these Greek gods, while unique flowers shower their petals to bless the bridal couple with eternal happiness, it is the most blissful venue to take the vows, for a marriage to be as lasting as Time!
Vijaya Pratap is a freelance journalist and a documentary filmmaker, based in Hyderabad. She specialises in the study of art, culture, history and wildlife.
Meet the Author – Vijayapratap
