wedding 50 people max...HELP NEEDED!!

hotrodman · 25-05-2015 7:21pm #1

Hi guys im new to this, I would like some advise on weddings in this county , not your average Irish wedding but a small intimate wedding of 50 people,. we know where we want to get married and have the reception but they don't seem interested in our business what so ever because of the size of the group. we are not price sensitive to the occasion because we are both self employed and have no children at the moment. The problem starts with the lack of communication when you ring a venue, they send you a generic e-mail that stats prices / options etc........im sick of this, I don't want standard wedding , I need some one to call me back and listen for 15 lousy minutes on what we want for our wedding and we can build from there...

I am a business man and every one of my customers is just as important as the next to me, if some one rings looking for a product I try my best to accommodate them in any way or the very best I can and close a sale and keep a new customer. I am finding it hard to believe how some of these people are in business due to the lack of communication and rudeness of not even replying to phone calls or e mails. Please some one tell me if im been harsh here,,,,all im trying to do is spent my hard earned money!!!

StupidLikeAFox · 25-05-2015 7:28pm

What sort of a venue/wedding are you looking for OP? Someone might know somewhere that would be glad of the business

That's mad stuff either, I thought that sort of behaviour went out with the boom times!

fits · 25-05-2015 7:29pm

what part of the country do you want to have the wedding? Perhaps we can help.

Shybride2016 · 25-05-2015 7:36pm

Hi,

I can totally sympathise with your frustration, we're planning a small wedding ourselves and found similar responses, or lack of from lots of venues also.

A lot of places didn't even reply to our initial enquiry emails, some that did reply were happy to cater for us as long as it was midweek and not May-September or December time etc etc.

All I can say to you is persevere and contact venues that usually cater for larger numbers as they might be happy to host a smaller wedding, which was the case for us. We initially weren't going to visit our venue as we thought they'd be similar to the others not wanting to us to have a weekend wedding etc but they have been nothing but super helpful and accommodating to us and our needs so far.

You don't mention what part of the country you're looking at but do try some of the bigger venues and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Best of luck with the search and I can feel your pain!!

murphydublin · 25-05-2015 8:09pm

Hi Op

Have you looked at The Schoolhouse in Ballsbridge? We had a wedding for 45 there in 2013. I can give lots more detail if you would be interested in that location?

westernlass · 25-05-2015 9:22pm

hotrodman wrote: »

Hi guys im new to this, I would like some advise on weddings in this county , not your average Irish wedding but a small intimate wedding of 50 people,. we know where we want to get married and have the reception but they don't seem interested in our business what so ever because of the size of the group. we are not price sensitive to the occasion because we are both self employed and have no children at the moment. The problem starts with the lack of communication when you ring a venue, they send you a generic e-mail that stats prices / options etc........im sick of this, I don't want standard wedding , I need some one to call me back and listen for 15 lousy minutes on what we want for our wedding and we can build from there...

I am a business man and every one of my customers is just as important as the next to me, if some one rings looking for a product I try my best to accommodate them in any way or the very best I can and close a sale and keep a new customer. I am finding it hard to believe how some of these people are in business due to the lack of communication and rudeness of not even replying to phone calls or e mails. Please some one tell me if im been harsh here,,,,all im trying to do is spent my hard earned money!!!

Roundwood house in Laois do 50 people max wedding. Gorgeous venue.

Look up temple house it's gorgeous and perfect.

In cork there's some restaurant options like Jacobs on the mall or blairscove.

Preset No.3 · 25-05-2015 9:56pm

My nephews wedding in Beaufield Mews in Stillorgan for 45 people a few weeks ago.

snickerpuss · 25-05-2015 11:14pm

I recently had a fab wedding for 50 people in the Step House Hotel in Borris, Co. Carlow. It's a lovely family run hotel with brilliant food. We had a great weekend there. They only have 20 rooms so we filled them all and had the hotel to ourselves for the weekend. They're also great at getting back to you etc.

Initially we had similar problems finding a venue for such a small wedding.

uck51js9zml2yt · 25-05-2015 11:20pm

We used the restaurant in the Carnegie court hotel in swords for 66 people. They cordoned off a curtained section for us.
We had the early bird menu with a choice of 5 of each course.
Tables were laid out for us as for a wedding.
Everyone ate and drank what they wanted and it didn't break the bank.
We also had the ceremony upstairs and they gave us the reception flowers for the table

Xrox · 25-05-2015 11:21pm

We are having 40 adults in the main house in Killashee House, exclusive use of the house with 2 reception rooms and dining room, 12 bedrooms.

Sofiztikated · 25-05-2015 11:31pm

Hi Op.

I'll echo the sentiment of the other posters in saying look at different venues.

Generally, "traditional" wedding hotels will look at it like this. They can take on your wedding, for 50 pax, and make XXX, or they can fob you off or flat out ignore you because they WILL have someone come to them for 200 odd. Yes, it sucks, and a PFO would be better for both parties, but most don't want to say no.

Try Darver Castle in Louth, or The Schoolhouse in Ballsbridge. I think Darver is lovely, and regret not considering it further when we were getting married.

A quick google threw this up as well http://onefabday.com/ie/secret-dublin-city-centre-wedding-venues/ (I have no affiliation with this blog, was literally the first result after I googled "small wedding venues dublin."

Milly33 · 26-05-2015 12:11am

That is horrible sorry to hear OP... shame on them some places are just like that though I find better off leaving them at it and looking elsewhere dont bother with them. some honestly are thinking sure the group is too small and the couldn't be arsed or some just think well they aren't the type of client we want...

I found a lot of suppliers in Cork very frustrating to deal with between like you say not answering emails, phonecalls, we had one caterer and she is well know has great reviews, four emails, three facebooks she even got back to apologies and that was it...

Is it Dublin then you are looking at..

Peregrinus · 26-05-2015 3:16am

hotrodman wrote: »

Hi guys im new to this, I would like some advise on weddings in this county , not your average Irish wedding but a small intimate wedding of 50 people,. we know where we want to get married and have the reception but they don't seem interested in our business what so ever because of the size of the group . . .

And there's your problem. They're in the business of big weddings; they don't offer the product you are looking to buy. And, if they take your booking, they rule out the possiblity of accepting a bigger (read: more profitable) booking on the same day.

Basically, what you're doing is the equivalent of going to Dunnes Stores to talk about getting a suit made for yourself. You need to be talking to venues whose core business is smaller, high-end functions.

hotrodman · 26-05-2015 9:20am

Thank you all for your reply s and input, there is a good few venues listed above that i will have a look at. The location of the venue was important to us, we wanted to keep it local for logistics reasons for other people attending and the fact that we live in the village beside it.
my location is co Dublin/ and the the location of the venue we would love is on the dublin/kildare boarder beside the canal... the funny thing was i offered to pay for the 50 people that would not be attending just to secure the venue and the response i got was just funny..i was told i was "crazy"...im not crazy , we just know what we want on our day and are willing to pay for it but it seems there just not interested (not unless its a mon/tues/wed)...

painful i know , and yes i thought wedding venues would be great full for your business and my good will gesture to pay for guests that wouldn't be attending but unfortunately not.

I'm still like a dog with a bone for this venue. would it help if i wend above the wedding co-ordinator and spoke to management of the business and explained that i didn't like the way things were handled and how disappointed i was on the lack of response i got so on?? your views please.

Peregrinus · 26-05-2015 9:26am

hotrodman wrote: »

. . . would it help if i wend above the wedding co-ordinator and spoke to management of the business and explained that i didn't like the way things were handled and how disappointed i was on the lack of response i got so on?? your views please.

It might help you feel better, but it won't help you get a booking there. Make a contract for the supply of event services with a customer who has high expectations, is already disgruntled and feels badly treated by you? What could possibly go wrong?

No, I'm afraid you have to write this one off. It's a disappointment, but a learning experience. Try to avoid the trap of thinking that there is only One Possible Place for your Perfect Wedding because, you know, wherever you have it it can be fantastic. The highlights that you, and your guests, will remember years from now were never going to include the fact that the journey to the venue was conveniently short.

lainey316 · 26-05-2015 9:51am

Venues take different approaches to this, mine has a minimum number and if we fall below that there's a large cash fee. They also want to make up the "losses" on bar tab and accommodation, not just the meal.

That said OP if the room designed for a minimum 100 it might not look the best with only 50 in it, might look very echoey - that was a serious concern for me so we struggled to find somewhere for our numbers. Dublin area has beautiful venues for 50 tho, gorgeous country houses, if you can find them - as you say, getting info from wedding places is tough work. You might be as well off to get in touch with one of the more expensive wedding planners in your area - they'll have the contacts that might get you what you need - rather than stressing yourself out, since money is not a concern? I agree with Peregrinus, I think the relationship with the preferred venue could be tainted now, it might be tough to make it work.

sweetie · 26-05-2015 9:56am

Village at Lyons? they are a bit of a strange bunch. Have you considered the likes of angler's rest, trudder lodge, tinakilly hse, lisnavagh hse, glebe hse. Roundwood hse is a lovely place too. I would think Ballymagarvey and tankardstown would do those numbers too.

thewintermute · 26-05-2015 10:53am

Anglers Rest would be ideal I think. Been to two weddings there, faultless service and food.

westernlass · 26-05-2015 9:44pm

sweetie wrote: »

Village at Lyons? they are a bit of a strange bunch. Have you considered the likes of angler's rest, trudder lodge, tinakilly hse, lisnavagh hse, glebe hse. Roundwood hse is a lovely place too. I would think Ballymagarvey and tankardstown would do those numbers too.

Ballymagarvey have minimum numbers. There's also powerscourt estate in wicklow

foodaholic · 26-05-2015 10:06pm

The residence st Stephan's green cater for smaller weddings and I've heard that Locks Brasserie are also catering for weddings now - you can get married on the premises

westernlass · 27-05-2015 12:20am

The Hibernian club also

Sofiztikated · 27-05-2015 12:38am

When you think about it, the small number weddings have infinitely cooler options.

Captain Flaps · 28-05-2015 9:15am

I'm best manning at The Mill House in Slane, it looks like a really fantastic, intimate spot.

SparkySpitfire · 28-05-2015 12:20pm

I was at a wedding in Powerscourt house last year, stunning venue

emzolita · 28-05-2015 4:10pm

OP if I was having a small wedding, it would without a doubt be in Aqua restaurant in Howth. It's perfect for small weddings.

jjC123 · 29-05-2015 10:11pm

The Step House is lovely, 1.5 hours outside Dublin?
Maybe giving up on this current venue will be the best thing that ever happened - small wedding venues tend to be more intimate and more upmarket as regards food because they're not trying to cater to 200+ people.

lazygal · 29-05-2015 10:17pm

emzolita wrote: »

OP if I was having a small wedding, it would without a doubt be in Aqua restaurant in Howth. It's perfect for small weddings.

Oh gosh I wouldn't recommend this venue at all. We had a very, very bad experience with it when planning our wedding. And my parents were there for dinner recently and felt it has really gone downhill.

pwurple · 29-05-2015 10:17pm

Kilshane House tipperary.

Ballinacurra House Kinsale.

Not your area, but both stunning venues and they cater to your numbers. I think they both have enough rooms for staying over... But they may have minimum requirements, like two days hire.

whereto now · 07-07-2015 1:16pm

Have a look at www.ashtreebarn.com in county Louth, beautiful rural setting just 10 minutes of the M1. Wonderful owners who will go out of their way to help you make your day extra special...:) They have only recently started doing weddings so its not on the website yet..but it'll give you an idea of the place...

Redser87 · 07-07-2015 9:06pm

If you have the money to spend, check out Luttrellstown Castle, pricey but gorgeous!

Milly33 · 07-07-2015 9:56pm

Have ye settled on anything yet op

wedding 50 people max...HELP NEEDED!!

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