Very Small Wedding

MsRyan

Hello
We got engaged few months back & hope to get married May/June 2016.
We could jump on a plane & come back married, but it is important to us to have our immediate family with us & would like a church ceremony.

Our wedding party will just be 8 adults & 3 children. If we go 1 more-there will be no stopping & it will end up a huge wedding which neither of us want. Keeping it to the immediate family there is nobody put out.

The thing is-What do we do to make the day special for us all?

My dad is not a great flyer-I’d get him as far as France at a stretch which sounds nice.
But I think we will need a civil marriage before getting married in France-so what is the point! ??

Is a wedding outside Irl hard to organise? Is there alot of red tape in European countries?

So we are thinking someplace “very nice” in Ireland. Preferably Munster so we could get married in our local church & travel to venue after. But if the Venue is special we would travel. We will need a nice church-and priest in that area to marry us.

We are open to a mid-week wedding. Venue should have a pretty small room to cater for small wedding. We don’t want a miserable conference room. Must be something special!

Has anybody had such a small wedding?
I’m thinking the day & dinner will be fine.
But what could we do for the evening entertainment? Don’t want us all yawning by 10pm.

I’d appreciate any ideas on venue (Irl or nearby countries) or quirky ideas you may have to make our day special.

We really want a special day but will be a lot of time organising our perfect honeymoon also


Thank you

Pistachios & cream

Check out the mustard seed in ballingarry co. Limerick. http://www.mustardseed.ie/weddings.htm They say they do weddings from 6 to 75people

hoareni

I had a similar sized wedding 6 mths ago with just both families. We got married in the place at 3.30 with a humanist ceremony, then fee glasses of prosecco from 5-6, dinner then till bout 10.00 and then we all got taxis to the pub in the village. Pm if you want more details. I do understand your frustration, it took a long time to find a place that would do such small numbers.

Milly33

You can do anything really, when you say something fun to do after do you mean as such dinner and the pub or would ye like to have some entertainment for yerselfs...

PhoenixParker

Going abroad, the level of red tape depends very much on the country you choose.
France is very difficult, hence you basically need to have a civil ceremony here first. Take a look at Italy, especially since you're looking for a religious wedding.

In Ireland, search for "Private Dining" and the county you're interested in. Many hotels and restaurants will have a few smaller rooms that cater to groups your size. They're perfect for big birthday celebrations etc. and should definitely take a wedding midweek. Weekends can be trickier because most venues promise a big wedding that they'll be the only wedding on the day, but you may be lucky.

This might offer some inspiration http://kevinmorris.ie/blog/?p=3282
(A tiny wedding my photographer shot in Kilronan Castle a few weeks before mine)

MsRyan

Thanks for comments
I will try Ballingarry-thank you ahayes

I guess I dont know what the thing to do in the evening Milly
Is it just to go down to a bar or bring in some light entertainment...Suppose once there is a bar we would have a dance or 2...Little weird though? I dont know

those pics are lovely PhoenixParker. Will have a good look online tonight & maybe get some ideas.

I will PM you also hoareni-thank you

Milly33

You could pick someplace perhaps where ye could book and area and bring in a small two piece band or something or set up a DJ spot... Again it all comes down to what ye would really like for the evening itself.. Don't be afraid to go all out there or do something different as nothing is standard as such now a days..

Could take a look at some restaurants that may have a function space that they might not be using at the time and would be willing to rent it out.. Is it Amicus in Cork city we went for a look at the upstairs. they have a bar up there and a floor to dance on..

There are houses too around that ye could rent out, and have the after ceremony fun there. Ye can still have lets say a two piece band come in later or just set up a DJ spot. Have yer own little mini bar set up, and decorate it nicely. Ye could hire in someone to do the food...

There are a few places around Clonakility might be worth a look. I have a few caterers names and venues if you would like...

Dolbert

I remember a poster on here had a very small wedding in Waterford Castle, might be worth a look?

freshpopcorn

There's a church in Cork called Gougane Barra. It's a very small little chapel and it only seat 40 people max.

Delphinium

The hotel in Gougane Barra caters for small weddings and could possibly organise music for dancing.

Dolbert

freshpopcorn wrote: »

There's a church in Cork called Gougane Barra. It's a very small little chapel and it only seat 40 people max.

Gougane Barra would be *amazing*. It's one of my favourite places on earth.

Milly33

would be sweet there, I think the hotel was quite pricey but the bar by it might work.. Such a loverly place

Milly33

Just thought of another place, now not sure would they do one for that small but you could ask. The Pirate Castle in Baltimore Dun Na Sead.. Not sure about the church I have never gone into any down there but might be worth a look

bbbbb

We had our wedding in temple house Sligo . Beautiful venue and they really looked after us. Bit of a trip from Munster though

Electric Sheep

Delphinium wrote: »

The hotel in Gougane Barra caters for small weddings and could possibly organise music for dancing.

How much dancing do you think 8 adults and 1 child are going to be doing? Not sure why any evening entertainment is needed at all - surely for an immediate family affair you are not expecting a late night in a resident's bar?

lazygal

Electric Sheep wrote: »

How much dancing do you think 8 adults and 1 child are going to be doing? Not sure why any evening entertainment is needed at all - surely for an immediate family affair you are not expecting a late night in a resident's bar?

Yes I was thinking the same. I attended a very small family wedding and we just had drinks in the bar after the meal. It wasn't a late night, which the couple didn't want anyway. A friend of mine had a small wedding and didn't bother with entertainment, as she didn't think it was needed either.

A2LUE42

Had a small wedding and everyone just chatted with music in the background. We just loaded music onto an ipod and had that playing. We had the Wedding in one room and the meal in another in the same venue. Humanist ceremony at the weekend.

OP - is there a particular area that would suit you and your guests to have this?

Would also recommend the Mustard seed, or the Woodlands in Adare.

pwurple

Are either of you graduates of UCC?

The honan chapel is a beautiful small arts and crafts movement church on the grounds of UCC. Nearby are lovely places for afterwards. Fitzgeralds park is nearby popular for photos too, and you've lots of places around Cork for a party. I was at a lovely intimate wedding in Flemings restaurant, similar is the private rooms in Hayfield Manor. The penthouse suite in the clarion or the Imperial hotel would also be suitable for those numbers. Jacobs on the Mall in cork city also do private parties, probably loads of other places, and there is a place called Barden I think that dose private dining. Also near UCC is the cork cricket club, that can be hired for parties too.

Where ever you go, to make the venue very nice, I suggest you use a wedding stylist if you want to make such a small wedding very special and unique to you. They don't tend to cost much more than florists, but loads of them bring props (fabric throws, vases, even antique chairs, bicyles etc) and really style any venue to look absolutely amazing. I can recommend one in Cork who's work I've seen, and was impressed by.

MsRyan

Hello
Thanks for comments.

We had looked at Gougane Barra online & contacted hotel.
The only problem is that we will have to bring our own priest. Then we will have to bring him to dinner etc. It does look fab though & we will go visit in the next few wks & maybe talk to the Parish priest in the area.

Sligo would be a bit far out-but willing to travel if we found a nice place. Will check it out thanks.
Not sure about a Pirate castle-again worth a look thanks.

As for the evening-I just don’t know what the done thing is. I will be getting a wedding dress & I know everybody will be stylish so not sure if moving out to a pub would suit. Very good idea with the ipod & our own choice of music A2LUE42. I’m sure venue could organise a mini bar.

Very interested in the wedding stylist also-Would not have thought of that. I think it is the small things that make things special.
Might get the name from you pwurple once I get a venue sorted

We had many family weddings in Woodlands so going to stay clear I think.
I am waiting for Dunraven Arms in Adare to get back to me.

Also looked at Dromoland Castle-they have a room to suit us. Would like to see it decorated for a wedding.

We have looked at a few Country houses around which we could rent out for a few days. Has anybody done this?

Probably the best thing is to just go visit a handful of places to get a feel for what is right for us
The wedding is as much for our family as ourselves-Otherwise we could just book a flight & come home married.

Milly33

There is a place Dun Owen house on the outskirts of Clon you can rent out would be perfect for the amount you have

Neyite

Get married in a barn and wedding night in a yurt?

A friend of mine got married here and her wedding by all accounts was amazing - the guests keep talking about it.

Whoops, just spotted there you'd like a church wedding! This place does civil ceremonies, but there is a RCC church across the road from it.

pwurple

Country houses - Kilshane house is gorgeous, but probably too large for your group. They have 4 bedrooms in the main house, and 12 more in the other part. And I think you need to hire the whole house at once.

Maybe Blairs cove?
http://www.blairscove.ie/

Ballintaggart in Kerry
http://www.ballintaggarthouse.com/

Actually, have you done the venues search on onefabday.ie?

MsRyan

Omg I think we have found d Venue. I absolutely adore Kilshane House. Iv sent them an email enquiring if they can do such a small wedding. Mon/Tue even fine by us. Thanks purple. Fingers crossed. It is sooo beautiful and close by. Surprised I didn't know it was there even. 😄... Oh ya, himself is happy too 😄ðŸ¸

Dolbert

If Kilshane doesn't work out, look into Ashley Park in Nenagh. Stunning country house venue and perfect for a small wedding!

pwurple

MsRyan wrote: »

Omg I think we have found d Venue. I absolutely adore Kilshane House. Iv sent them an email enquiring if they can do such a small wedding. Mon/Tue even fine by us. Thanks purple. Fingers crossed. It is sooo beautiful and close by. Surprised I didn't know it was there even. 😄... Oh ya, himself is happy too 😄ðŸ¸

Oh brill!! Hope it works out.

I was at a really amazing wedding there before. It's so relaxed, and stunning. Very "country house" alright, they even let us walk the house Irish Wolfhound in the morning. Teehee!