Planning a Destination Wedding in Ireland

Three Things to Consider When Planning a Destination Wedding in Ireland

We might be biased, but we think planning a destination wedding in Ireland is an amazing idea! Perhaps you have Irish ancestry or just love the cultural experience Ireland has to offer. Maybe you’re coming home to Ireland to get married and want your family and friends there by your side. Whatever your reason for choosing Ireland as your wedding destination, you won’t be disappointed. While it might seem daunting at the start, we are here to set you up for success. Considering we have had the pleasure of planning over 250 destination weddings in Ireland over the past 12 years, we are pretty confident we can get you off to a great start. So grab your notepad and let’s start planning a destination wedding in Ireland!

When we engage with a client, we usually look at three planning details at the same time. This really helps us to establish a good foundation for the whole event.

• The budget
• The guest list
• The vision (ideal venue style, location, church or civil ceremony, season etc)

Simply writing these down is a great start as they will inevitably impact on each other in some way. As you go through the process of adjusting and refining each element, the entire wedding will start to take shape.

For example, for a budget of €60,000 with 200 guests, approximately €30K of a spend goes on the venue costs.. Typically, 40 to 60 percent of the global budget ends up on these three items. The difference in percentage allocation depends on the style of venue chosen. An exclusive rental is generally more expensive than a hotel style venue. Breaking that down per head, you will need to focus on venues that have packages for around €150 per head. This will eliminate 5 star venues and possibly exclusive venues where you have both a rental and catering fee. If this doesn’t match the vision, either the budget or guest list needs to adapt.

Secure the Venue

The method above will help you narrow down the wedding venues in Ireland that are a great match for your dream wedding. Next, we have to find them. Google searches, Irish wedding blogs and Instagram are all fantastic resources but we would recommend getting specific and a little bit creative when using them to figure out your options. Irish wedding photographers and vendors will often tag the venues they have worked in on Instagram. We would also encourage you to get very specific and detailed in your google searches. For example, search for “intimate wedding venue in Cork”. Finally, browse all the “real weddings in Ireland” from your favourite blogs and wedding vendors to see what other options might appear. Looking at real weddings is a great way to envision what your own wedding day could look like too.

When you have made your shortlist, reach out to the venues you like the most and get the specifics on their packages, availability and venue capacity. While most venues will accommodate a virtual site visit, if you can plan a trip to visit them in person, you will be able to take other important planning elements into consideration such as distance from the airport, attractions nearby etc.

Check the Date

When you have decided on your reception venue and know the dates that are available, make sure that you can also secure your ceremony venue (or at the very least check availability and options) before you sign any contracts. It’s also well worth your while to check your options for dates against any public holidays, concerts taking place in the city or sporting events that might make travel and accommodation a lot more expensive for guests travelling with you.

Legal and Religious Requirements

It is possible for non – citizens and non – residents to have a legally binding wedding ceremony in Ireland. And incase you didn’t know, same sex marriages are also legal in Ireland. Although it’s not complicated, you will need to be organised when applying for your marriage license by post. Paperwork should be lodged a minimum of three months before your wedding date. In addition, you will have to meet with the registrar in person at least 5 days before your wedding. Alternatively, you can travel to Ireland before the wedding to deliver paperwork and meet with the registrar in one go ( a minimum of 3 months beforehand). Documents might require an apostille stamp if neither partner are Irish. The registrar will confirm this before you lodge your paperwork.

If you choose to have a religious ceremony, the church will require additional paperwork and documents also. The first step here is to meet with the priest in the area in which you reside to discuss specifics.

Of course, many couples choose to keep it really simple and have their legal ceremony in their own country first, with a beautiful symbolic ceremony in Ireland afterwards.

Consider hiring a destination wedding planner in Ireland

While it’s not impossible to plan a destination wedding in Ireland by yourself, it will undoubtedly remove a great deal of overthinking, stress and uncertainty if you do hire a wedding planner in Ireland. A good planner will know exactly what venues suit your requirements after an initial meeting and will very quickly put shape and structure to your dream wedding plans, leaving you to just enjoy the process and look forward to one of the most amazing days of your life.