Bellingham Castle Wedding: A Fairytale Romance
Ireland is famous for its beautiful castles, but Bellingham Castle holds a place of its own. Unlike other darker, medieval-looking venues, it truly brings you into a fairytale. Just under an hour from Dublin or Belfast, this 17th-century castle estate is perfect for couples who want a wedding that feels both luxurious and deeply personal, with privacy and total use of the castle and grounds for your day.
Dating back to 1660, the castle is steeped in history. The romantic feel is enhanced by sweeping lawns, riverside walkways, weeping willows and lush pergolas of roses and wisteria. One of its main historic highlights was the 1905 lavish wedding of the 4th Marquis de Bute’s to the daughter of Sir Alan Bellingham. The event received worldwide attention in society and placed Bellingham Castle high on society radar.
Exclusive Use and Reception Spaces
Bellingham Castle is an exclusive-hire venue — which means you and your guests have the castle and grounds entirely to yourselves for your wedding day. It’s a spacious venue, accommodating up to 200 guests.
The castle’s elegant interiors and landscaped gardens offer a variety of reception spaces, including:
- The Bute Suite — a grand banquet room with spectacular chandeliers and plenty of natural light — ideal for dinners and speeches.
- Period Drawing Rooms & Library — perfect for drinks reception or quiet, intimate conversations before dinner.
- The O’Bryen Bar & Napper Room — stylish spaces for mingling, relaxed drinks or evening music.
Guests can spread out between elegant rooms, lush gardens and charming riverside settings, creating a relaxed flow from drinks to dining and dancing.
What I love the most about Bellingham Castle is the little nooks and crannies you would never find in a standard hotel wedding venue. There is the incredibly cute Buttery Kitchen where your guests can pop in any time for a bit of quiet time and a cup of tea. There’s a really cool room with a low vaulted ceiling – it makes for incredible photos as well as a cool selfie station! There’s also a beautiful wine cellar and games room with a chess set and an arcade machine. Your guests will never be bored!
Bellingham Castle Wedding Packages
Bellingham Castle’s main wedding offering is the ‘Blissful Bellingham’ package, designed to cover the core parts of your day with ease and style.
Package highlights include:
- Exclusive use of castle and grounds for ceremony, reception and evening
- Arrival drinks reception with prosecco, beer, mulled wine and seasonal canapés
- A five-course wedding banquet with wine and prosecco toast
- Evening reception food and tea/coffee
- Full wedding coordination by the castle team
Pricing for the 2026 & 2027 seasons typically starts from €145 per person (Friday/Saturday) and €125 per person (Sunday-Thursday) with seasonal minimum numbers.
Ceremony fee: There is an additional fee (around €1000) if you choose to host your ceremony on-site at the castle.
Minimum guest numbers vary by day and season — from about 50 midweek to 140+ on peak weekends — and the castle team can tailor options for smaller weddings too.
Ceremony Options – Indoor & Outdoor
Bellingham Castle is licensed for civil, humanist and civil partnership ceremonies, and offers multiple beautiful locations for saying “I do.”
- Indoor Ceremony: Choose one of the castle’s elegant interiors — from the grand Bute Suite to intimate rooms with historic character.
- Outdoor Ceremony: If the weather is kind, exchange vows in the castle’s manicured gardens, under its pergola or overlooking the river and landscaped lawns — a superb backdrop for photographs.
Whether you prefer an atmospheric indoor setting or a garden ceremony surrounded by willow trees and landscaped borders, both feel timeless and romantic.
Accommodation at Bellingham Castle – Sleep Like Royalty
One of Bellingham’s true strengths is that your wedding guests can stay on site.
The castle offers 28 luxury en-suite bedrooms – 19 within the main castle and 9 in the riverside boathouse – all finished to a high standard with beautiful views, modern comfort, and historic charm. The rooms overlook the castle’s formal gardens, the River Glyde, fountains or the nearby church steeple.
As part of your wedding booking, a minimum number of bedrooms must be reserved (e.g., 26 rooms for weddings in 2026).
Breakfast is included for overnight guests, and the castle’s accommodation means your celebrations can continue without guests needing to travel. It’s a fantastic way to spend more time with all your friends and family, especially if you are having a destination wedding.
Wedding Photos at Bellingham Castle
One of the biggest attraction of Bellingham Castle is, of course, its stunning grounds. There aren’t many other venues in Ireland with such amazing opportunities! Turning into the driveway you are greeted with a gorgeous view of the castle itself and a fairytale fountain at the entrance. The castle is located on a hill so from the entrance you have an amazing view of the river, the bridges and the willows.
Besides the gorgeous castle backdrop, the grounds offer:
Manicured gardens & riverside footbridges — perfect for couples portraits and golden hour photos.
Tree-lined lawns and weeping willows — add timeless romance and natural framing in every season.
Pergola and garden features — great focal points for first-look portraits and formal photos.
Historic interiors — drawing rooms, libraries and suites offer gorgeous indoor shots with character. Even on a rainy day you would have no problem finding lots of variety for your photos.
Bellingham’s 17-acre estate means you never run out of photo locations — and most are just steps from your reception room.
