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Waterford Castle wedding reviews

  • 02-02-2012 11:36AM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    I'm wondering if anyone has attended a wedding at Waterford castle, or heard anything about it/considered it for your own wedding etc? My fiancee has really fallen head over heels for this place, and while we're still visiting a few other places she is still longing for Waterford Castle. We're going to take a proper look at it this weekend and talk deals so i'd love to get a few reviews/opinions if any are available!

    Thanks!


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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 451 ✭✭wexford12


    I have been here a few times on wedding business it looks amazing never heard a bad word about the place. The only place I know that you have to get on a ferry to chauffeur the Bride and Groom to the hotel


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 168 ✭✭keyboardcook


    Because of the size of the venue, your guests have to vacate the room while the band set up. Can be a bit messy as there is just one door in and out of the dining room.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    Wexford do you work in the wedding business? Have you seen it done for weddings or heard any feedback from a wedding?

    Keyboard yes we had thought there could be a bit of moving around, is the bar for your wedding just the one in the fitzgerald room? We would prefer to have the bar in the room, but given that the castle will be just ours for the day i suppose its not the end of the world. I had thought though that with the bar in another room across the hall, and the grand entrance hall with the wonderful fire, that the guests might be moving around a bit.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 168 ✭✭keyboardcook


    Sorry OP. I didn't get married there. I work in the industry- just to clarify.

    If you want that style of casual evening, then Waterford Castle is the place. Just be aware that if you have evening entertainment booked, it can go against the 'band' part of the evening when everyone is anywhere but on the dance floor. Bars outside of the room are the biggest culprits!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    Great, thanks for letting me know! Do the guests tend to wander off a lot? We'd be having about 120 guests. What we *cough cough* (my fiancee)*cough* is looking for is essentially something perfect. Beautiful, romantic, elegant where everything goes off without a hitch and there is no hassle or stress on the day just a perfect enjoyable day. We're both laid back so don't want anything too hoity toity. Does that make sense?

    Is there much room to haggle with them? I think they're very popular so maybe they don't?

    Are there any other tips you could share?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 168 ✭✭keyboardcook


    Don't know about the haggling part, but in today's climate I think haggling is the norm rather than the exception. If you are booking for July or August, then forget about it, as chances are there will be people waiting to take dates.

    Best tips on haggling would be book out of season, and on any night other than Friday or Saturday.

    Tho only other thing I would say is make sure you are confident that your band are experienced enough to deal with meandering crowds, and most importantly used to playing at low volume, as it is a small room!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    We haven't looked into bands or djs yet. Is the room too small for a wedding party of 100-120? Are people squashed in? They have said we could get a marquee either but herself hates the idea.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 168 ✭✭keyboardcook


    If memory serves, then ten tables of twelve should be fine. Might be a bit tight, so I guess you should put that on your priority of questions for them.

    The other thing i remember now is that their evening food can be a bit disorganized, so put that on your list as well.

    They serve a small buffet outside the door, which is all well and good, but if the band have left cases outside the door, which they will have to sometimes do, it becomes a bit of a traffic jam.

    There also seems to be no set are for tea and coffee.

    I may stand corrected on these, as I guess it is up to the bride and groom whether they want tea and coffee served, and I may have been at functions where they opted out of this.

    So check:
    Size of room for number of guests
    Evening food arrangements
    Tea and coffee arrangements

    Hope it helps. It's from my experiences there.

    kc


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    Brilliant keyboard,t hanks for the help. Yeah we're trying to cover all bases to avoid any hiccups on the day. So i'd say we'll probably go for whichever venue can deliver on a 'flawless' day. Do you lose a lot of guests during the day?Where do they go to, is it just entrance hall/room with bar/reception room? Thanks!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,797 ✭✭✭sweetie


    A good friend had his wedding there and it was lovely. He had no band just a dj. Its quite a while ago but the food was great and we enjoyed being there with our friends rather than the entertainment if you know what I mean.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 451 ✭✭wexford12


    jomc wrote: »
    Wexford do you work in the wedding business? Have you seen it done for weddings or heard any feedback from a wedding?

    Hi yes I have a wedding car business been there 3 times to date, Iv heard one feed back and was all good news not that they went into detail on the venue.
    When you drive up it does have the wow factor and is a bit special on a nice sunny day everyone waiting outside to welcome the couple.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    I was at a wedding there recently. Just thoughts from a guests point of view:

    The novelty of the ferry wears off pretty quickly and its just a pain to have to wait for it.

    Many guests stayed in the lodges, which were great, but the bride had booked people in and no one was aware that they had to bring their own loo roll etc, so do let guests know that if they are staying there.

    The dj was set up in the front entrance hall, meaning there was a lot of wandering off to the bar, plus a huge number of guests outside smoking, at any one point there were only a fraction of guests in the dancing area.

    The initial drinks reception was really wonderful and everyone commented on how this was a favourite part of the day, guests in the front hall and outside only - and the staff were great at drinks refills and trays with food.

    Overall Id say it was a nice venue, but there were a lot of places for guests to be over the course of the evening, outside, front hall, dining room, bar so it didnt feel like everyone was at the same event - not like when its just one room involved, with a smoking area. SO a lot of meandering.
    Some people settled completely into the bar and never came near the dancing at all.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 168 ✭✭keyboardcook


    Brilliant keyboard,t hanks for the help.

    You're very welcome. If I may be so bold as to ask you to give me a shout when you are looking for a band.

    Shameless self promotion bit!!:rolleyes:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    Thanks for all the replies!

    Sweetie, how did you find the venue? Was the service good? Any problems? Did it feel like a good day out or were the guests too far spread out to feel like a group?

    Username, the ferry isn't really a big deal to us. Its different which is nice but its not a huge pro or con for us. We've been to lunch before and stayed and found that waiting on the ferry was only 2-3 mins so i wouldn't be concerned about it. As for the lodges we didn't know they didn't come with anything like that! Was there towels etc? Anything else they were missing. The castle itself only has 19 bedrooms so most will probably stay in lodges. Did you find it a hassle having to go between the castle and the lodges? I know its a short walk but was it inconvenient for you? Was the dj in the entrance hall and the dancing area in the dining room? :confused: That sounds confusing! I take it that the only bar is the one in the fitzgerald room? Directly across from the main dining room? So guests could be in the dining room/bar/hall/entrance hall/outside?? Were people too split up?

    Also what do they do with the conservatory? Are people sitting out there on their own? What happens to it for the rest of the day? Were there any kids at your weddings, and if so what did they do?

    Keyboard, we're a while off booking bands i'd say but if you have any links to yourselves on you tubes or gig dates etc then let me know. Any boards discounts! :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    jomc wrote: »
    Username, the ferry isn't really a big deal to us. Its different which is nice but its not a huge pro or con for us. We've been to lunch before and stayed and found that waiting on the ferry was only 2-3 mins so i wouldn't be concerned about it.

    It is different and we enjoyed the first couple of trips on it, but we definitely got sick of it - its not a big deal, I just remember thinking itd be a lot easier to have a bridge lol!!
    jomc wrote: »
    As for the lodges we didn't know they didn't come with anything like that! Was there towels etc? Anything else they were missing. The castle itself only has 19 bedrooms so most will probably stay in lodges. Did you find it a hassle having to go between the castle and the lodges? I know its a short walk but was it inconvenient for you?

    Yes they had towels, and bedclothes. They are basically fully furnished little houses with empty fridges, and only towels in the bathrooms - no loo roll, no shampoo or bits youd see in a hotel (not that that mattered, but Id like to have known about the loo roll in advance - a number of people mentioned that). So advise people to bring loo roll and bottled water and teabags/milk. We did a spar run the morning of the wedding for basics - but we were there from the night before and there was nothing. You go to the hotel for breakfast though so you only need those basics.
    Another point that everyone talked about was the heating in the lodges - they were like sweatboxes, the controls are hidden and no instructions how to find them - we had to ask at the hotel (us and everyone else who stayed in them) after an extremely uncomfortable first night of no air. Once we located the controls all was well but as we didnt even have bottled water the first night - it was not pleasant!!

    Not a bit of hassle going between the castle and the lodges. Most people drove to the castle and back again the night before *private land so people had 3 or 4 drinks and drove without risk of being arrested*. On the wedding day itself most people drove from the lodges to the castle and left the cars there for the stagger home that night - the land was a bit squidgy for ladies in high heels walking to the castle, but no one minded when drunk staggering home. Many ladies brought flats in a handbag and it was fine. Most people went in groups so only one car left at the castle and one left behind at lodges so next morning there was still a car to get to breakfast.
    jomc wrote: »
    Was the dj in the entrance hall and the dancing area in the dining room? :confused: That sounds confusing! I take it that the only bar is the one in the fitzgerald room? Directly across from the main dining room? So guests could be in the dining room/bar/hall/entrance hall/outside?? Were people too split up?

    The main hall had the DJ and the dancing was there (they rolled out a wooden type dancefloor and moved all the couches elsewhere and put up a few tall tables around the edges where people could perch drinks). The only bar is the Fitzgerald room - there were people in there. The dining room was still open after the meal and some poeple were in there. Later on they closed the dining room and there was only the main hall and the Fitzgerald room (the bar) and outside - although there were a few people perched on couches in the walkthrough area from the main hall to the bar.
    People were quite split up I thought, normally all the action is in just one room, dinner, bar, dancing, smoking area off it somewhere - but for this there was plenty of nooks and crannys where people could perch and as a result there was quite a bit of running about from the bride and groom who were anxious to ensure they got to speak to everyone at some stage.
    jomc wrote: »
    Also what do they do with the conservatory? Are people sitting out there on their own? What happens to it for the rest of the day? Were there any kids at your weddings, and if so what did they do?

    The conservatory wasnt open during the wedding as far as I remember. I only saw it for breakfasts. I think it was closed off for the day. Certainly during the meal the big doors out to it were closed.

    There were kids, not many, I dont know what they did actually. I didnt know the people who had kids.

    Its definitely a wow factor venue and the grounds are AMAZING (deer wandering by and rabbits looking in at you in the lodges), and because they only do one wedding at a time your guests feel like they own the place for the day/night. But it is quite a spread out venue and while that didnt seem to bother any guests I did see and hear the bride and groom looking for different people and each other on occasion for photos or whatever.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,975 ✭✭✭nkay1985


    Hi jomc,

    My wife and I got married in Waterford Castle in November 2010. It was a fantastic experience all round and we still have people talking to us about it over a year later, particularly with reference to the food. From a quick read of the thread, our wedding and yours might have been a bit different or we might have different views on weddings, I'm not sure!

    We're both wrecked tired after the week but I'll write a proper reply over the weekend and you can feel free to drop me a PM with any specifics.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    Hi nkay,

    would love to hear you feedback! Thanks!

    Username, as a guest what was your overall impression of the day in comparison to other weddings? The wife to be likes the idea of having the option to sit in the lobby if you wanted a chat, as opposed to all the oldies being trapped in a room when the dj is playing. But if people were so scattered that it just felt like several little groups on a night out it might not be much craic. She said she's do up mini packs with shampoo and toilet roll and make them 'weddingy' :confused: for the lodge people as it might be an easier thing for us to do than for everyone to bring their own.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    jomc wrote: »
    Username, as a guest what was your overall impression of the day in comparison to other weddings? The wife to be likes the idea of having the option to sit in the lobby if you wanted a chat, as opposed to all the oldies being trapped in a room when the dj is playing. But if people were so scattered that it just felt like several little groups on a night out it might not be much craic. She said she's do up mini packs with shampoo and toilet roll and make them 'weddingy' :confused: for the lodge people as it might be an easier thing for us to do than for everyone to bring their own.

    Ok - as a guest, there is more to it than just the venue - it also depends on the crowd youre with, the weather, how much you like the music, are the other guests good fun etc...
    But just in terms of venue:

    There was a good bit of travel involved and because the wedding was quite early in the day (think it was midday), a 2 night stay was required. In honesty (and not being moany, just blunt), I hate having to stay 2 nights for a wedding. I like to just go on the day and stay overnight if necessary and come home the next day. I find it tiring to drive for a couple of hours to attend an event. A 2 night stay costs more, both in money and time off work etc...
    So for me, location of the venue was not ideal (but could have been further obviously!)

    The venue itself is amazing, beautiful grounds, wow factor of the castle itself, the ferry is 'different' (pain in bum after a few go's but fun the first couple of times!), the staff are very nice, the lodges are really cool and very cheap for guests.

    The lodges are probably the best way of staying cheaply at a venue that Ive ever experienced (despite loo roll etc!).

    The food - I cannot remember what was for dinner - so thatll tell you something in itself (the wedding was only in September!), it was neither amazing nor terrible.
    The breakfasts were good - I do remember them!
    The room was a good size and shape for speeches.

    The drinks reception was one of the nicest I ever remember, the weather was great so there were a lot of people outside, plus in the main hall, wandering, chatting and taking photos - very very relaxed.

    The wedding went downhill a bit from the meal. The meal was fine (as I say, cant remember what the food was), but afterwards there was a kind of lull where the dj was setting up in the main hall, so people were just kind of hanging round the dining room, the bar and outside and waiting for something to happen.

    When it did happen and the music started, there was hardly anyone on the dance floor at any one time, because people were wandering off outside, staying in the bar, sitting on couches in inbetween areas etc.. I did feel the groups were very scattered and usually at a wedding I would strike up conversations or dance in groups with other people but there was very little 'mixing', largely because the dance area had these little high tables set up to perch drinks on but other than that there was only a few seats in the room, so people were moving around a lot rather than settling and getting into chats. (This might be different if the dining room was used for the dancing).

    After the dj, the hall was turned back into a hall (temp dancefloor removed) and there was nowhere else to go but the bar (dining room closed), and a lot of people went off to bed - which was very early for a wedding, 1am-ish. The bar is small and there wouldnt have been enough seating for everyone, plus people get a bit sick of just sitting drinking, but as there was no more music - that was it. Some hardy souls stayed up later but only the messy drinkers tbh!!

    Ive been to much better weddings, and given a preference I think a one room venue (as in the meal, the dancing, the bar all in one room) is better for the craic and getting people mingling and keeping the dance floor going - although a good dj is responsible for a rocking dancefloor too.

    But I cant fault the beauty of the place etc... The photos look amazing and there is something special about having a reception in a castle!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭clint_silver


    jomc wrote: »
    Hi nkay,

    would love to hear you feedback! Thanks!

    Username, as a guest what was your overall impression of the day in comparison to other weddings? The wife to be likes the idea of having the option to sit in the lobby if you wanted a chat, as opposed to all the oldies being trapped in a room when the dj is playing. But if people were so scattered that it just felt like several little groups on a night out it might not be much craic. She said she's do up mini packs with shampoo and toilet roll and make them 'weddingy' :confused: for the lodge people as it might be an easier thing for us to do than for everyone to bring their own.

    Im also in entertainment and have played there several times. Definite wow factor but as indicated the ferry novelty thing wears off very quickly.

    I ate at one of the weddings, Ive eaten better, but not by much.

    the biggest thing for me was as highlighted by 2 or 3 other posters that all the nights I was there had the problem of the guests being everywhere except listening to the music. Now you might say ah sure theyll go in if they want to, but every time Ive been there Ive felt like the atmosphere of the guests is different to any other wedding because of this, its just a drinking session with background music in another room. If you've forked out 2k for a band and wonder in to see 10 people sitting ion that room where the band play, don't be annoyed when everyone else is at the bar or outside smoking.

    That problem is an issue for every venue in the country where the bar is outside the room where the dance floor is.

    still a class venue though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    Op - thought Id come back as I meant to include in my feedback a comparison to other weddings and forgot!!

    If I were having a traditional Irish wedding and wanted castle-y wow factor and a venue where people are all in the same room, easy to get to from dublin, great food and beautiful grounds etc...

    Kilkea Castle would be my number 1 choice. It wins absolutely hands down. Ive been to 3 weddings there and imo it is FAR superior to a LOT of other places. I could rate it on each factor but basically each one is better than elsewhere that Ive been to - wow factor, location, food, wedding room, grounds, bar.....everything.

    Kilashee House Hotel is another good one, they have two different areas that they hold weddings in and Ive attended weddings in both and they are both great. Great grounds as well. I attended a wedding there with exactly the same crowd that I went to the one in Waterford Castle and due to an appointment the next morning I drove and didnt drink and still enjoyed it more than the Waterford Castle wedding.

    Surprisingly the Osprey in Naas is a good wedding spot as well - I say surprisingly because its totally new and a lot of brand new hotels are characterless - but its actually a great set up for a wedding.

    Theyd be my top 3 recent wedding venues that Ive attended - Ive also attended a few others (in the past couple of years) but the above stand out as good spots for a variety of reasons.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    Brilliant, thanks for all the replies.

    So a few things, we've checked and we can have the dancing in the main dining room, the entrance hall will be left as is, with the fire and comfy couches. There are three sets of couches around little coffee tables. With smaller numbers they can put a little bar in the main room, but as our numbers will be their max we can't do that. They will take away about half the seating in the main room for the dancing, leaving about 50 seats in that room plus the conservatory. The bar has 4 seating areas, and the inner hall has two couches. Apart from the smoking (is that just outside the main door?), it doesn't seem like too many places for people to disappear to? They can organise a film and colouring books for the kids attending (about 10 of them) which is a big plus for us.

    It seems like from the weddings mentioned above, that nobody has really been dancing much. If people don't really dance then is there really much point to getting a band? Might not make much difference to a playlist on an ipod if only a few people are dancing?

    Also what churches did the other weddings use and how did you find them? We were considering waterford cathedral, due to handiness of people stepping off the train/bus and walking to it and easily get to the castle from it, but it seems tricky to get for a wedding and its in a pedestrian shopping area which is probably messy.

    About 30% of guests i'd say will come from Dublin. 50% would be from Wexford/Kilkenny. And the other 20% will be a mix of other irish and abroad. The age range for this wedding is quit broad, majority of guests will be from 25-60, with a fair few over 60 too. So not trapping people into one room sounds like it might work in the golden oldies favour?

    I think our wedding will probably be 2 o clock. So hopefully that means guests won't have to stay the previous night if they don't want. We will have a small bbq lunch the next day after check out time as well to see people off. The hotel preferred us to have that about 5 but we felt then our guests would be leaving later then they preferred and some could be at a loss for daytime activities. Its a sat wedding too, so we're hoping to minimize inconvenience.

    How much did you end up paying for the lodges? Again while trying to minimize inconvenience for our guests we would like the option of affordable accommodation, worried that they might be a little pricier than what we would call affordable and they don't include breakfast.

    The replies are fantastic and really valuable so thank you everyone who has taken the time to add to this thread. Please keep it coming. A few suggestions already mentioned have helped us sort out issues we wouldn't have known about already!

    For the people who worked.had their wedding/attended a wedding there....does the venue and the service stand out as being out of the ordinary? Or did it just come across as a standard wedding, just in a castle?

    Also if anything 'different' was done we'd love to hear about it. We'd like to take advantage of the exclusivity of the venue to do something special but not sure what. So far we've heard through online reviews and from the co-ordinator that people have turned the entrance hall into a casino, had fireworks/ set off lanterns, had a treasure hunt (sounds like too much effort for our guests we think!) in the castle grounds, etc. All great ideas and would love to hear more


    P.S. Will also take a look at other venues mentioned. Cheers


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    jomc wrote: »
    So a few things, we've checked and we can have the dancing in the main dining room, the entrance hall will be left as is, with the fire and comfy couches. There are three sets of couches around little coffee tables. With smaller numbers they can put a little bar in the main room, but as our numbers will be their max we can't do that. They will take away about half the seating in the main room for the dancing, leaving about 50 seats in that room plus the conservatory. The bar has 4 seating areas, and the inner hall has two couches. Apart from the smoking (is that just outside the main door?), it doesn't seem like too many places for people to disappear to? They can organise a film and colouring books for the kids attending (about 10 of them) which is a big plus for us.

    Yes, smoking is right outside the main door. Its not so much people disappearing, its the fact that they have 6 different places to be in (no matter where the music is), so outside of the meal you never really have all your guests together - that might suit you with a mixed age group. Thats great about the kids.
    jomc wrote: »
    It seems like from the weddings mentioned above, that nobody has really been dancing much. If people don't really dance then is there really much point to getting a band? Might not make much difference to a playlist on an ipod if only a few people are dancing?

    People dont really dance because they are spread out all over the place - not like in one room where everyone kind of grabs everyone else onto the dance floor. Totally agree that not much point in a band - all depends on how much you like your music, I was at a great wedding in a not great venue a couple of years back that had an ipod playlist and it was the best music Ive ever heard at a wedding - the groom really knew his music, and his crowd - something for everyone. Some people swear by live music - which is fine if its a band you know and love, but for a wedding, playlist is just as good I think.
    jomc wrote: »
    Also what churches did the other weddings use and how did you find them? We were considering waterford cathedral, due to handiness of people stepping off the train/bus and walking to it and easily get to the castle from it, but it seems tricky to get for a wedding and its in a pedestrian shopping area which is probably messy.

    Crooke Church was used. It was very picturesque. We found it by following someone else and when we lost them we asked a woman! It wasnt that far but it was quite a winding drive so seemed further. Got lost for 40 minutes on the way back - no one noticed :)
    jomc wrote: »
    About 30% of guests i'd say will come from Dublin. 50% would be from Wexford/Kilkenny. And the other 20% will be a mix of other irish and abroad. The age range for this wedding is quit broad, majority of guests will be from 25-60, with a fair few over 60 too. So not trapping people into one room sounds like it might work in the golden oldies favour?

    Oh yeah, much more convenient location if 50% of your guests are Wexford/Kilkenny.
    jomc wrote: »
    I think our wedding will probably be 2 o clock. So hopefully that means guests won't have to stay the previous night if they don't want. We will have a small bbq lunch the next day after check out time as well to see people off. The hotel preferred us to have that about 5 but we felt then our guests would be leaving later then they preferred and some could be at a loss for daytime activities. Its a sat wedding too, so we're hoping to minimize inconvenience.

    2 o clock is a much more civilised time - also means not too many hours drinking between church and food which can turn messy when there is a lot of booze on empty stomachs!

    Will you bother with the bbq lunch? Ive always just hared off out of the place after breakfast the next morning to enjoy my hangover in the comfort of my own home - Id never hang around for a lunch. I would think a lot of people like to leave rather than spend most of another day there?
    I dont mean this offensively, but while its YOUR wedding and one of the most important days of your life, for most of the guests its just another wedding and a lot of people dont even enjoy weddings that much.
    jomc wrote: »
    How much did you end up paying for the lodges? Again while trying to minimize inconvenience for our guests we would like the option of affordable accommodation, worried that they might be a little pricier than what we would call affordable and they don't include breakfast.

    The lodges for us were 30 euro per head per night - breakfast in the castle was included. There were 6 of us in our lodge (3 couples). There was one large ensuite room, another smaller ensuite room and one non ensuite room with a bathroom right across from it (so each couple had their own bathroom). The wedding was on a thursday so its possible the lodges were cheaper as a result of a midweek deal - they may not be so cheap on a weekend.
    jomc wrote: »
    For the people who worked.had their wedding/attended a wedding there....does the venue and the service stand out as being out of the ordinary? Or did it just come across as a standard wedding, just in a castle?

    Standard wedding - just in a castle.
    jomc wrote: »
    Also if anything 'different' was done we'd love to hear about it. We'd like to take advantage of the exclusivity of the venue to do something special but not sure what. So far we've heard through online reviews and from the co-ordinator that people have turned the entrance hall into a casino, had fireworks/ set off lanterns, had a treasure hunt (sounds like too much effort for our guests we think!) in the castle grounds, etc. All great ideas and would love to hear more

    Casino would bore me at a wedding - know your crowd if youre doing that.
    Treasure hunt would be great fun, but only if the weather was VERY dry, the ground underfoot is spongy (think woodland road) and not suitable for ladies in heels!

    Beware the 'i want my wedding to be different' trap and wasting money on stuff thats not that interesting.
    Sometimes free stuff is just as much fun, one recent wedding I was at had a quiz sheet on all the tables - about the guests (I was the answer to one question!). The answers were called out after dinner - it was a COOL way of getting people mingling, people were dashing up to strangers asking 'were YOU the person who broke your leg in Egypt the year the groom was born???'. You could give a funny prize for most right answers?


  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,683 Mod ✭✭✭✭Rew


    Have a look at Castle Durrow. Was very high on our list of potential venues.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    Thanks rew, durrow is out for us, just because we've been to about 15 weddings there so it doesn't really excite us although its a nice place.

    As far as i'm aware for people wandering, there is the main room, where reception and dancing will be, the bar, the entrance hall, and i guess smokers outside? Doesn't seem like there will be too many places to disappear to. Was the wedding you were at big username?

    We wouldn't be doing the casino thing, its just one of the 'different' things we've heard done. We like the idea of having something a little different or extra to church...dinner....drinking....dancing.....drinking...

    We were thinking of bbq as entirely optional for the next day, so if guests prefer not to bother thats fine, but we have a fair few people travelling long distances so thought if we had a lunch at check out time it would be a nice way to send them off home. I'd guesstimate that of the 120 ish guests we'd have, that maybe 40-50 would attend the lunch.

    Really disappointed you felt it was a standard wedding as we thought the venue would provide a little something extra for the guests. As it is so expensive we genuinely wanted to have a lovely day for the guests, not just ourselves, and if they can't deliver on that then its probably not worth the money.

    Thanks for feedback all, and any more is very welcome!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,484 ✭✭✭username123


    jomc wrote: »
    As far as i'm aware for people wandering, there is the main room, where reception and dancing will be, the bar, the entrance hall, and i guess smokers outside? Doesn't seem like there will be too many places to disappear to. Was the wedding you were at big username?

    Look, I can only say this so often - with the different places available for people to be in, there was never more than a handful on the dancefloor, there were some guests that I never saw again after the meal as they were never in the same room as me. It just doesnt feel like a wedding with people all over the place, it feels like a drinking session in a castle. The numbers were the same I believe - 120 - I think thats the max the castle can feed in one room?
    jomc wrote: »
    Really disappointed you felt it was a standard wedding as we thought the venue would provide a little something extra for the guests. As it is so expensive we genuinely wanted to have a lovely day for the guests, not just ourselves, and if they can't deliver on that then its probably not worth the money.

    Listen, a wedding is never just about the venue, its about the crowd, the craic, the music etc.. The particular wedding I was at the bride was quite the bridezilla so it wasnt a particularly relaxed day.

    The music was fine, but the dancing was boring because there was never more than a few people on the dancefloor at any one time, as they were in a different room.

    The meal was nice - but as I cant remember what I ate it must have been just ordinary.

    Ive said all of the above a few posts up but its like you cant hear me re the bit about people disappearing into different places - it makes a huge difference to the feel of it as a wedding and its my opinion that it doesnt work well. It doesnt matter if its a castle or a cheap hotel, a better situation is one room where the bar and music are in the same place.

    I had a good time - but does it stand out as a great wedding Ive been at? No. Are there better castle options? Yes. Single biggest problem - music and bar being in a different room. Would I book it myself to get married in? Absolutely not.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,419 ✭✭✭Gamb!t


    What time does the bar close and is there a fee for bar extension ?
    12 euro for corkage is saucy enough IMO.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29 annersinoz


    Hi have you at a look at faithlegg?
    Beautiful venue close to Waterford castle and there is a bar in the room!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    Music until 2, bar serves until 3.30, no extension cost.

    Sister got married in faithlegg which was lovely but would prefer to have somewhere different.

    Thanks!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,419 ✭✭✭Gamb!t


    annersinoz wrote: »
    Hi have you at a look at faithlegg?
    Beautiful venue close to Waterford castle and there is a bar in the room!
    I like the look of this place,more reasonable in terms of price compared to Waterford Castle.
    Wouldnt mind some more feedback on this place if someone has had a wedding there.Feel free to PM me -Thanks


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 167 ✭✭jomc


    I think what really pushes waterford castle up is the exclusive venue hire, so i would tend to compare the prices with other exclusive venues as opposed to hotels. Having said that, you get a lot less for your money at waterford, for example 72.50 + 10% service is the meal only, no wine for meal included. There is no complimentary room for the couple or the couples parents, no tasting menu, no anniversary meal, which i think most venues offer now.

    The wedding that i was at at faithlegg was lovely but it was immediate family only so i think there was less than 15 people at it so probably not the best judge of a more normal wedding


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