Another Venue Question

stargazer 68

Hi Folks

We are looking at the following venues as possibilities. Anyone got any recent experience with any of them?

Boyne Hill House
Boyne Valley Hotel
Finnstown
Palmerstown House
Conyngham Arms
Leixlip Manor
The Millhouse
De Burgh Manor

TIA

lovelystuff

I'm booking the Millhouse for my wedding, it's very different to the others on your list imo as it's far more casual and laid back (why i love it). I have been to a wedding at Finnstown and it was lovely,food was great, beautiful grounds. I visited Leixlip Manor as they are well priced, I just didn't like it at all when I visited, I found it very claustrophobic. Best of luck!

pooch90

We viewed Boyne Hill and I liked just about everything apart from the bar/reception room.
Felt it would feel like a pub in St Stephen's night, crammed and with people splitting into separate corners.
OH didn't like the L-shape of the dining room but that didn't bother me so much.

In the end we went for The Station House and loved it!

westernlass

The millhouse is fab. Have been at a couple of weddings there.

We visited Boyne Hill house when we were viewing. Its grand and they put a big effort in. I just didnt like the split room

MsBubbles

I was at a wedding in The Millhouse last year. The canapes and wine before the meal were lovely but there wasn't enough food for every guest. The vegetarian option was tomato soup with a few slices of bell peppers.

If I were you I would avoid. I think it's bad value for €70 a head.
Plus the accomodation was €400 for one night

fits

MsBubbles wrote: »

I was at a wedding in The Millhouse last year. The canapes and wine before the meal were lovely but there wasn't enough food for every guest. The vegetarian option was tomato soup with a few slices of bell peppers.

If I were you I would avoid. I think it's bad value for €70 a head.
Plus the accomodation was €400 for one night

What the hell? Even the country's five stars charge less than that!!! Are you sure?

MsBubbles

yes The Mother of the groom emailed us. The worst part about it was it was a hostel not a hostel.

lazygal

The website has rooms between €90 and €160.

fits

lazygal wrote: »

The website has rooms between €90 and €160.

Hmmph... Something doesnt add up.

almorris

Photographed weddings at Leixlip Manor. Nice gardens close by, lovely bridal suite, all round excellent helpful service from the staff ( not the case at all hotels )

stargazer 68

Thanks folks. Will be starting to make visits in the next couple of weeks. Love the Boyne Hill House on the website but the L shape room would make it a definite no.

lovelystuff

MsBubbles wrote: »

yes The Mother of the groom emailed us. The worst part about it was it was a hostel not a hostel.

This is very different to my experience of them. The rooms are max 160 per room and they are lovely, I've seen them all in person.

westernlass

lovelystuff wrote: »

This is very different to my experience of them. The rooms are max 160 per room and they are lovely, I've seen them all in person.

I think that may be for glamping ie the 400e. Thats for 4 people in a bell tent

stinkle

We had ours at Leixlip Manor, can't say a bad word about the place. PM me if you have specific questions about there.

Shybride2016

stinkle wrote: »

We had ours at Leixlip Manor, can't say a bad word about the place. PM me if you have specific questions about there.

Hi,

I just came across this place today and liked the look of it online. Would you mind if I pmed you for more info please?

stargazer 68

stinkle wrote: »

We had ours at Leixlip Manor, can't say a bad word about the place. PM me if you have specific questions about there.

Had another look at their website and the room looks long and narrow - is that just the way its pictured?

Anyone else find the photos on the hotel sites are not the best - I'm not interested in a pic of wedding cakes and the brides boquet etc. I want to see what the venue looks like with better photos. Maybe it's just me!

kandr10

Dovies wrote: »

Had another look at their website and the room looks long and narrow - is that just the way its pictured?

Anyone else find the photos on the hotel sites are not the best - I'm not interested in a pic of wedding cakes and the brides boquet etc. I want to see what the venue looks like with better photos. Maybe it's just me!

I've been to two weddings in leixlip manor, one was my sisters. There was around 100-140 at both and the room didn't seem narrow at all in the way it was set up. Plenty of space for dancing afterwards. Although the bar is in the next room, it's connected so it doesn't feel like you're leaving the party to get a drink. Everything was amazing both times - food, staff, the rooms (and the rates- think it was €70pn). Couldn't fault the place from a guests perspective. My sister found them very obliging in organising the wedding too.

stargazer 68

Will definitely take a look. The photos on their website show the room and its only 2 tables wide.

kandr10

Dovies wrote: »

Will definitely take a look. The photos on their website show the room and its only 2 tables wide.

I had a look at their website and to be fair they are pretty faithful images. That would be about right that it's 2 tables wide but it didn't seem narrow or cramped or anything when you're there. It is a small room so maybe that's why it seems well proportioned. Might be one to check out in person. Still might not be to your taste when you see it.

stinkle

Yeah the photos are accurate. We had a circular top table at one end of the room cos it fir more people, but our coordinator said you could fit a smaller one in the centre if bridal party preferred to be in the thick of it. It's not that long a room in reality - we had 4 tables in the "far end" (away from bar/doors to conservatory) and 6 in the rest. That was in addition to top table

stargazer 68

Went to see Finnstown over the weekend - not what we are looking for
Called into Palmerstown House but couldnt view - didnt think we would be able to anyway - we are making an appointment to go and see it
Went to Clonabreany House too - there was a couple viewing it so we had a quick look too. Gorgeous - will make an appt to see it properly too.

pooch90

Just be prepared, Clonabreany is approx €100 a head and wouldn't haggle at all on price when we viewed.
They also want full occupation of all the rooms, which are laid out funny and fairly hard to fill.
Have heard numerous bad reports, one of which was that on Day 2, some of the wedding party went to their local for a few drinks, Clonabreany then presented them with a bill for loss of earnings. :eek:

sweetie

Clonabreany have installed their own limiting PA system and have heard reports of people in the room barely being able to hear the music. Must have been some neighbours complaining.

stargazer 68

Yeah it is 100 per head all right! Will go and see it properly and ask all those questions.

sweetie

Have you considered Glebe house near Slane? I thought it was very nice. Also trudder lodge in wicklow, only 20 mins from dublin.

Seanie_H

Very interesting thread.

Has anybody any feedback or experience of Conyngham Arms?? Looks like it would suit us but difficult to find any wedding info from people who have seen or been

stargazer 68

Darver castle is currently in top place on my spreadsheet! ��

westernlass

Dovies wrote: »

Darver castle is currently in top place on my spreadsheet! ��

Be warned they make you leave by 10.30am the next day for the next wedding.

pooch90

And lots of reports that they close the bar early and only people staying in the castle,so 11 rooms, will be allowed residents bar.
We had Darver booked provisionally but pulled out for this reason.
Went for Station House instead.

stargazer 68

Will certainly check that out although my sisters were there and didn't leave until after 2 as the bar was open

stargazer 68

Folks have found what, so far, seems to be the perfect venue. We have had a quick look around but have an appointment in a couple of weeks for a proper viewing. Only issue is that the only days they have available for 2016 midweek or Sunday. We were thinking about Sunday - just wondering if anyone has any experience with Sunday weddings?

sweetie

Dovies wrote: »

Folks have found what, so far, seems to be the perfect venue. We have had a quick look around but have an appointment in a couple of weeks for a proper viewing. Only issue is that the only days they have available for 2016 midweek or Sunday. We were thinking about Sunday - just wondering if anyone has any experience with Sunday weddings?

depending on where the venue is in relation to where the majority of your guests live you may find a proportion of them leaving early to go to work the next day, if at all feasible.

stargazer 68

sweetie wrote: »

depending on where the venue is in relation to where the majority of your guests live you may find a proportion of them leaving early to go to work the next day, if at all feasible.

True but the way we were looking at it was they would have had to take the Friday off if we went with a Friday (which was the original plan) so now its a Monday instead.

pooch90

Do they have any bank holiday Sundays available?
We went with August B.H. Sunday and it was good craic.
Only issues are that hairdressers etc will not be open for guests.

PhoenixParker

Another consideration, presumably a Sunday is only available because they have a wedding on the Saturday.
What happens to the guests of Saturdays wedding?

Most weddings I've been to, I've spent half of the day after sitting in the hotel having a few extra cups of tea and catching up with people in the bar/reception. In some venues that wouldn't have been a problem, even with another wedding landing in around lunchtime, but in smaller venues that are more wedding focused I think it could be really weird.

It was one of the reasons we ruled Leixlip Manor out. The day we wanted already had a wedding the day before and the day after, and I didn't want my guests to feel rushed out of the place.

stargazer 68

PhoenixParker wrote: »

Most weddings I've been to, I've spent half of the day after sitting in the hotel having a few extra cups of tea and catching up with people in the bar/reception. In some venues that wouldn't have been a problem, even with another wedding landing in around lunchtime, but in smaller venues that are more wedding focused I think it could be really weird.

.

There is a BH availalble but it is the Halloween one which knocks off our honeymoon ideas - we can change those though.

Its not a hotel so there is no bar/reception etc to be able to catch up. Finish breakfast and gone! We wouldn't be arriving until 2 ish on the Sunday so Saturdays party would be well gone I would imagine. This will all be verified at our appointment but just checking all the ideas.

Pistachios & cream

Personally i would go with the bank holiday monday. I have no problem taking a day off to go to the wedding. However i probably wouldn't take a day off for the day after a wedding. To me it would seem like a bad return for my day off.

Day off= attending wedding would be good
Day off = Recovering from a wedding not so good.

If it was in any way feasible i would be looking to head home and probably earlier than normal if it was a sunday wedding.

lazygal

ahayes84 wrote: »

If it was in any way feasible i would be looking to head home and probably earlier than normal if it was a sunday wedding.

+1. I wouldn't take a day off after a wedding. I have seen this at weekday weddings too, people head home early on the night rather than stay late.

stargazer 68

lazygal wrote: »

+1. I wouldn't take a day off after a wedding. I have seen this at weekday weddings too, people head home early on the night rather than stay late.

Definitely something to consider. I have just gone through our guest list and, apart from my brothers and sisters who would definitely take the day off, there are 20-25 people who would fall into this bracket (as in working Monday) and 8 of those work for my OH. So out of 120 people if 20 left early wouldnt be too bad.

Ginny

We had a Sunday wedding and it was grand, we did it local enough so people could go home but they mostly all stayed in the hotel anyways. Main concern would be where are you actually getting married?

pooch90

AFAIK, the only diocese that allows marriage ceremonies on a Sunday is Kilmore (Cavan) but you can still get Spiritualists etc for an onsite ceremony.

MadDog76

Dovies wrote: »

Hi Folks

We are looking at the following venues as possibilities. Anyone got any recent experience with any of them?

Boyne Hill House
Boyne Valley Hotel
Finnstown
Palmerstown House
Conyngham Arms
Leixlip Manor
The Millhouse
De Burgh Manor

TIA

Been to all of these hotels at least once for weddings (most of them a couple of times) and the weddings we enjoyed most were at Finnstown Castle Hotel .......

ted1

MsBubbles wrote: »

I was at a wedding in The Millhouse last year. The canapes and wine before the meal were lovely but there wasn't enough food for every guest. The vegetarian option was tomato soup with a few slices of bell peppers.

If I were you I would avoid. I think it's bad value for €70 a head.
Plus the accomodation was €400 for one night

Was that for the bridal suite?

Seanie_H

MadDog76 wrote: »

Been to all of these hotels at least once for weddings (most of them a couple of times) and the weddings we enjoyed most were at Finnstown Castle Hotel .......

What djd you think of Conyngham Arms? Not much info out there on them.

MadDog76

Seanie_H wrote: »

What djd you think of Conyngham Arms? Not much info out there on them.

Been to two weddings there, the first time the food was terrible but the staff were lovely to deal with ........... the second time I found the staff to be atrociously rude and the food was still terrible.
Another couple at one of the wedding's were charged an extra 50 euro at checkout because they were 20 minutes late checking out ......... that didn't go down well at all.

My general impression of the place is low budget to be honest ...........