Elegant and intimate weddings at Slane Castle

Posted on 20th January 2023

Couples choose Slane Castle because once they walk into the impressive main hallway, they understand this is a very special venue. We’re proud to host your wedding event and take particular interest in understanding exactly what you are looking for. Intimate weddings are becoming a real speciality as couples trust us to realise their vision exactly.

 

A bride stanging at the top of the stairs groom waiting below

Often couples prefer to have their ceremony at a different location and come to Slane Castle Estate for photographs and their celebration wedding feast. The Estate is a photographers dream with an almost overwhelming choice of backdrops at the Castle, at Slane Distillery and around our beautiful mature grounds. Summer might be the most popular time for weddings but we really can’t decide when the Estate looks best. Springtime is so fresh and new with spring flowers leaping out of the ground everywhere. In Autumn the trees really are in their Autumn beauty as WB Yeats put it. Winter brings its own charm and the stark shapes of bare trees stand out in statuesque glory. You can be sure that whatever time of year you choose, it will be the right one.

Our wedding co-ordinator will ensure that your bespoke wedding day is exactly the way you want it to be. We have many different alternatives for receptions, dining and socialising so you can choose whatever suits you best.

Below is an introduction to some of the options at Slane Castle:

Our rooms
Let’s start right inside the main door in the impressive main hallway which is a stunning location for a drinks reception. Two imposing fireplaces, fine Doric columns and magnificent plasterwork compete for attention and are beautiful for indoor photos. Champagne, canapes and your personal taste in music create the perfect atmosphere for your guests. U2s video for Pride (In the Name of Love) was filmed here so your party can buzz off that rock history in the making.

The King George IV Ballroom is a truly remarkable room and one of the finest examples of neo-gothic architecture in the entire country. It’s a circular room with perfect acoustics and a spectacular ornate ceiling and is ideal for an intimate meal (80-100 guests). Originally designed by Thomas Hopper as a library the tall windows allow sunlight to pour through, highlighting the splendour within – including your wedding dress.

For a smaller gathering, a drinks reception in the elegant drawing room followed by dinner in the original family dining room makes for a lovely close-knit event.

The Gandon Room is a completely different and more modern option for dining, designed in a warm, inviting club style. Accommodating 64 guests, it’s a contemporary alternative within the historic castle.

There’s nowhere else quite like Browne’s Bar, a cosy pub with an incredible Slane rock concert theme. If these walls could talk, they’d tell some stories! The memorabilia from 40 years of concerts make mesmerising reading. It’s named after the Castle housekeeper, Mary Browne.

The Castle Courtyard Marquee
For larger groups, the Castle Courtyard is the perfect place for a superior marquee, sheltered on all sides and close to the Castle entrance.

Accommodation
Our wedding couples often stay with us for a couple of nights, enjoying the regal surroundings on their pre-wedding night. We currently have five luxury double bedrooms and this number will increase in 2023. Expect four-poster beds, sumptuous furnishing and incomparable views. The names of our rooms hint at stories and maybe even delicious scandal … The King’s Room, The Earl & Countess…

Don’t forget the Groom
It’s not all about the bride you know. The groom and groomsmen might find exactly what they’re looking for at Slane Distillery, a world-class working Distillery and state of the art visitor centre. It is located opposite the Castle Courtyard, in a restored 18th century stable yard. Think leather upholstery, rock music memorabilia and incomparable whiskey tasting. It’s ideal as a novel location for photographs too.



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