Weeding Venue near Cork

soontobe_bride

Hi all

My fiance and I just got engaged and now we're starting to planning the first steps of our big day.
At the moment we are looking for some venues in and around cork. Does anyone of you have any experiences or recommendations concerning this? I would be so thankful to get some tips.

Thank you and warm regards,
Michelle

bee06

Hi Michelle,

Check out weddingdates.ie. They have a lot of the venues around the country and you can search for venues based on specific things you'd like it to have.

Also it's a good idea to make out a rough guest list to get an idea of numbers because some venues will have limited space and if you're having a large wedding it would rule them out straight away.

soontobe_bride

Thank you very much for your answer, bee06. I will do that.

I just discovered on the internet that Fota Island Resort is doing a Wedding Open Day on Sunday, 23rd. Maybe we'll go there. I just wanted to mention it as a tip for all couples here.

Shellygoose

We had our reception in The Radisson Hotel in Little Island last July and I honestly couldnt fault the staff - they were amazing!! Food was yum...think their cheapest package is around E35-40 pp, but there is loads of extras included that other hotels werent offering (such as bar extension, chair covers, lighted backdrop, centre pieces for tables)

The reception room is a fine size aswell, tables are not placed on the dancefloor so there is no shuffling of tables after the dinner. The stage is ready for your band to set up, so again no time wasted once dinner is done. They have their own wedding fair, altho I'm not sure when it was on.

You should definately ring around the hotels you would be interested in and have them send you out their wedding brochures. It may help you narrow down which hotels you like and then you can go view the room/speak to wedding co-ordinator.

I would definately advise that you go to the MASSIVE wedding fayre in Silversprings Hotel - think its called the Southern Brides Wedding Fayre,usually on in Jan. Everything you can think of that is wedding related is on show - from bridal shops, cars, flowers, bands, invitations, hotels....you name it - its there!! You get great discounts if you book things on the day of the fayre - we booked our band and got our DJ for free, saving us over E300 off the price. I actually went to that fayre 2 yrs before we got married and collected every flier that they were handing out and did some research on the different companies when i got home. I then went back the next year and booked some things cos I knew exactly wat i was looking for.

Sorry for the essay lol - but i remember how daunting and overwhelming the whole planning process seemed to be at the start........my advice - BABY STEPS :P. Feel free to PM if you want any more info on the companies / services I used

ABajaninCork

OK. First things first.

Have you decided on a date yet? Get that in mind, and have some alternatives in case your original date is booked. Very important, especially if you're thinking of a late spring/summer date. At this point, make a rough guest list and set a budget WHICH YOU MUST STICK TO!!! . Do not rely on cash gifts to make up the costs. Great if you get cash, but you could be very embarrassed if there's not enough to clear the costs.

Are you having a church or civil ceremony? Where exactly in Cork are you looking? Do you want something in the city, or are you going further out?? That will drive the venue you choose. I used to work in Events and ran weddings. PM me if you need help in asking the right questions of the venue. I had mine at the Blarney Woollen Mills, but it's since been changed. I've been to weddings at Innishannon House, and the Imperial in the City. Both very good venues, but the Imperial's expensive. I've also heard good things about the Vienna Woods (my second choice); Carragaline Hotel; Acton's in Kinsale, and Garryvoe. Fota and Castlemartyr Resort also have good reputations.

You need to book the church and the venue first. Once those are in hand, then the next thing to sort out is the band/DJ and the photographer. Good ones are booked very quickly, so ask around family and friends for recommendations. Do as much research as you can. If you're not getting married for a while, then you can take a breather before booking cars/florist, etc.

You can check out wedding fairs for inspiration, but I found them to be very generic. If you've seen one, you've seen them all as very often the same exhibitors will be there.

Hope this helps!

soontobe_bride

We didn't decide on a certain date yet but it will be either May or June next year and we were thinking about approx. 150 guests.

We're having a church ceremony and we would like to go further out for the venue.
That's great, thanks for all your answers. My fiance and I will need to sit down and make a list of the venues that are interesting to us and visit them.

Bacchus

The Vienna Woods in Cork did a great job for my wife and I in March. Cannot praise the staff highly enough, very friendly and welcoming. Our guests loved the setting, the staff and were raving about the food.

The only thing to consider is that they have 150 guest minimum policy (with a little bit of give for late cancellations). So, bear that in mind cos if you have 150 guests to invite, you'll want to take off 10-20% of that figure (you'd be surprised how many people just can't make it).

mightymonster

Avoid Barnabrow house in Cloyne

kaki

mightymonster wrote: »

Avoid Barnabrow house in Cloyne

Why so Mighty Monster? I've been to more than one wedding there, thought the grounds/buildings were stunning - and the food at a much higher level than the normal beef/salmon fare. I would put it far ahead of most of the venues mentioned thusfar.

mightymonster

kaki wrote: »

Why so Mighty Monster? I've been to more than one wedding there, thought the grounds/buildings were stunning - and the food at a much higher level than the normal beef/salmon fare. I would put it far ahead of most of the venues mentioned thusfar.

I agree that grounds and venue are unique but food is v average, service levels are v poor , owner is ignorant and unhelpful and you are charged for every single thing . No flexibility whatsoever . This is my experience and I know of others with similar experiences

kaki

Each to their own I suppose, I always found Anne lovely to deal with, we were considering Barnabrow house but they had a wedding booked for the date we wanted.

Other suggestions for the OP: The Triskel Christchurch, The Cornstore, Flemings, Inis Beg (stunning venue) and the Grainstore at Ballymaloe (expensive but great location and food).