Ancient Castles, Cinematic Scenery & Every Shade Of Green: My Complete Destination Wedding Guide To Ireland
So, you’ve decided to have your wedding in Ireland! In the Land of a Hundred Thousand Welcomes, we welcome you with open arms and our famed hospitality. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to start planning, don’t worry. I’m here to help with my complete destination wedding guide to Ireland.
With a deep literary and music culture, the biggest sports fans around, vibrant pubs that are the cornerstone of social life, and a diverse food culture (yes, really!), there’s so much to explore and fall in love with. Ireland is also full of rolling green hills, dramatic coastlines, and lush landscapes no matter where you look (it’s known as the Emerald Isle for good reason). Wedding locations vary from castles (thousands of them!) to cliffs to country houses.
As a Dublin wedding videographer. I’ve shot wedding videos all over the country, so I’m familiar with all the ins and outs of getting married in Ireland. Let’s get started …
Beautiful Places to Get Married in Ireland
The first and most significant decision you’ll make when planning your Ireland destination wedding is the venue. The good news is there are many gorgeous venues to choose from. The bad news is you can only pick one place to get married.
I suggest flying in to view the venue before your wedding day. Seeing it in person helps you plan and prevents unwelcome surprises on your wedding day. You don’t want to arrive the week of, only to realise the venue doesn’t have enough room for your guests or that one photo spot you wanted!
Which location you choose depends on your wedding aesthetic and budget. But with so many beautiful places to get married, you’re sure to find the perfect spot for you. Here are a few of my top picks for destination wedding venues in Ireland.
Irish Castles
Luttrellstown Castle: A carefully restored 15th-century castle featuring 20 bedrooms, vast parks, and a fairytale ballroom — just 20 minutes from Dublin’s international airport.
Castle Leslie: Described as “Europe’s Most Romantic Hotel”, this estate includes 1,000 acres of Irish countryside and two gorgeous ceremony locations.
Markree Castle: This Gothic 17th-century location combines an elegant castle with homey charm for a unique venue.
Traditional Irish Country Houses
Tankardstown House: This beautiful country house and vast grounds are the perfect backdrops for your indoor or outdoor wedding with a winding staircase in the main house, a romantic Walled Garden, and an airy Orangery that can seat up to 250 diners.
Virginia Park Lodge: An intimate wedding experience with stunning lake vistas, seasonally sourced menus, and a team of bar professionals.
Clonwilliam House: A privately owned historic Georgian home for the most exclusive weddings, and picturesque churches nearby for ceremonies.
Cloughjordan House: This French-style manor house works well for natural, home-style weddings – with a forest, a ballroom, and a menu featuring local produce grown on-site.
Exclusive Irish Wedding Venues
Ashford Castle: This 800-year-old castle allows you to use the entire estate for your special day, along with many activities. With a skilled Events Team at your disposal, this is your chance for a fairytale wedding in an iconic Irish castle.
Adare Manor: Adare Manor is a beautiful, romantic estate with a top-tier wedding team bringing your wedding to life — accommodating everything from intimate weddings to showstoppers. You’ll have access to their formal gardens, woodlands, and indulgent services at the only 111Spa/Clinic in Ireland and the UK.
Ballynahinch Castle: A legendary hotel and in-demand wedding venue due to its privacy and cosy atmosphere. They are quite exclusive, catering to very few weddings each year with all 48 rooms for your use. Laid-back luxury and country charm are what you’ll get here!
Ballyfin House: Ballyfin is a romantic 5-star estate with multiple ceremony and reception locations, fine dining, a sommelier, and elegant surroundings.
Gloster House: There are many beautiful places for your wedding ceremony indoors or outdoors: the house with a number of reception rooms, a white chapel (which can double as a late night disco), the gardens with Italian terraces, a romantic lit courtyard, and the woodlands for a magical setting.
Finding An Irish Wedding Planner
It can be a bit complicated and sometimes stressful to plan a wedding abroad. A local wedding planner helps you navigate everything from preparing the venue to finding the best nearby vendors. They’re also responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly from start to finish.
When looking for a wedding planner, ask about their experience with destination weddings. You want someone who’s done them before to help make everything easy on you. And as a bonus, you'll support a local business by choosing an Irish wedding planner.
Here are my top picks:
Tara Fay: Listed in Harper's Bazaar Little Black Book as one of the top wedding planners, Tara has over 25 years of experience and a worldwide reputation for planning extraordinary destination weddings in Ireland.
House of Hannah: Owner Lindsay offers full service wedding planning, styling, and design to create stylish Irish weddings with incredible attention to detail.
Waterlily Weddings: This international team of wedding planners create a unique experience for adventurous couples that beautifully reflects their story together. They are passionate, they believe in doing things differently, and they ensure you’re stress free.
Alise Taggart: Wedding planner, designer and stylist, Alise curates luxurious and refined weddings that are the celebration of a lifetime.
Best Times Of Year To Get Married In Ireland
Ireland’s mild climate means your wedding can take place at any time of year. In the summer, highs reach 20-25°C (70-80°F) while winter only drops to about 5-8°C (40-46°F).
Best Month To Get Married In Ireland
August is the most popular month to get married in Ireland — tourism is still in full swing, but the great weather makes up for dealing with crowds!
Peak Wedding Season
Peak wedding season in Ireland is from May to September, as well as December. Most venues and vendors will be more expensive and in demand during this time.
If you want to avoid the wedding crowds, spring and fall are great times to get married. The weather is still relatively warm, and you’ll have less competition for popular venues.
To save even more money, consider a winter wedding. You'll have more places to choose from and beautiful frosty landscapes for your wedding photography and videography.
Weather In Ireland
We have a saying in Ireland that “you can have four seasons in one day.” The weather here is ever-changing and has become part of our culture!
Summer isn’t known for being hot, and rain can appear anytime. But that’s the charm of Ireland. Your best course of action is to relax and go with whatever the day brings your way.
Irish wedding planners, videographers, and photographers know how to work with the weather. They’ll make sure you still have a special day, no matter what!
Getting To Your Wedding
Airports
Most major wedding venues are only a few hours from the airport. Ireland’s main airports include:
Dublin Airport
Belfast International Airport
Shannon Airport
Cork Airport
Rental Cars
You’ll need to pick up a rental car at the airport for out-of-city locations. If your venue is in Dublin, you can skip a rental car and walk or use taxis to get around.
Wedding Guest Transport
Hiring a coach or travel bus is great for shuttling wedding guests to and from the airport. They’re also handy if you have extra activities planned that require driving to reach them.
Legal Requirements For Marriage In Ireland
Getting married in Ireland as a foreigner requires several steps, some of which you must do months in advance.
You and your fiance must meet with the registrar at least three months in advance to submit the marriage registration paperwork.
You both need to meet the registrar five days before the wedding to collect your marriage registration form and sign the paperwork.
You might need additional paperwork if one of you is Irish, part of the EU, divorced, or a widower.
For a civil ceremony, you’ll need two witnesses over the age of eighteen and a solemniser.
For religious ceremonies, you’ll need to book a church and have a church official marry you.
Visit the General Register Office’s website for more information and to register to get married in Ireland.
My advice for Americans getting married in Ireland? Do the legal parts in the United States and only have a symbolic ceremony in Ireland. It’ll reduce stress and save on travel to and from Ireland.
Working With Local Vendors
Ireland has an incredible wedding industry full of florists, musicians, photographers, and anyone else you might need. They have local knowledge and probably already know the venue you’ve chosen.
Rather than buying everything in the US, choose talented, professional local vendors for your wedding needs. Many have experience working with destination couples and know how to make it easy for you!
Perfect Bucket List Destination
Don’t limit your time in Ireland to getting married and going home! Consider spending your honeymoon exploring more of our beautiful country.
Here are a few honeymoon destination ideas:
Wild Atlantic Way: A scenic drive winding along the Irish coastline (2,500 miles of it) full of picturesque villages and historical monuments. From island tours, seaweed baths, and boat rides, to cycling and walking trails, farm visits, and foodie experiences – you can plan a whole itinerary just around the Wild Atlantic Way.
Causeway Coastal Route: A 120-mile drive between Belfast and Durry with extra loops to see more beautiful scenery. Discover charming villages, mediaeval ruins, whiskey distilleries, native wildlife, and so much more.
Vibrant cities: Choose one or several of our colourful cities around the country to explore. With some of the most romantic inns, cobbled streets, secluded spots, lively pubs, you’ll never get bored!
Take a road trip: Rent a car, plan an itinerary, and set off on a scenic route of your creation!
The Gateway To Your Honeymoon
Ireland is also the perfect stop on the way to an epic European honeymoon! In a short plane ride, you can reach:
France
Italy
Spain
Greece
And more!
A tour of Europe or simply visiting a single country makes for a beautiful honeymoon. Then stop back by Ireland on your way home. We’re happy to have you.
Stretching Your Wedding Budget
Ireland is a competitive option for value when getting married. You can have your dream Irish destination wedding even on a tight budget. It can even be more affordable and of better value than some US locations.
Be careful with the currency exchange. Most vendors allow payment before the wedding, so ask them when the exchange rate is best and pay then. Your wedding planner can help with this as well.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re ready to start planning your destination wedding in Ireland, let’s talk! I’d love to help you create a beautiful wedding video to remember your Irish wedding for years. Together, we’ll create something worth cherishing and unique to you.