by Scott Weatherup, Hotel Assistant Manager at Ballygally Castle
Perched on the tip of the famous Causeway Coastal Route, sits Ballygally Castle, Our stunning 17th century Castle which overlooks the golden sands of Ballygally bay and has uninterrupted views over the Irish Sea to Scotland. What could be more romantic than saying I Do in your own 17th century Castle on the Stunning Antrim Coast on your special day?
At Ballygally Castle you are the Queen of the Castle. It’s yours and yours alone for the whole day! With a one wedding per day policy, it’s your exclusive wedding wonderland in a truly unique Antrim wedding venue. The dramatic backdrop of sea, mountains and rugged cliffs just add to the character and charm of the Castle itself – a simply stunning spot for wedding photographs. We have recently undergone major refurbishment to the hotel and pride ourselves with our two new, well equipped Function Suites, large and small. The exquisite new Kintyre Ballroom boasts panoramic views over the Irish Sea to Scotland. Our 1625 Room, within the original Castle building is perfect for a more intimate wedding.
As a one of the wedding managers of the hotel, I personally have seen a lot of new trends in the past year. Photo booths are definitely an increasingly popular idea and a beautiful way to capture the atmosphere of the wedding. A very interesting trend has been camouflaging undercover singers within the crowd! They have been a great success surprising guests with a musical extravaganza that will rival any Broadway or West End performance. Many wedding couples have been treating their guests with a sweetie cart presenting a great range of sweets and treats!
As part of our Bespoke Weddings at the hotel we offer a Platinum Chocolate Fountain, or our quirky, old fashioned Popcorn Trolley. We have found these to be a unbelievably popular in the past year. At the hotel I work closely with a local company, Leaf Designs and have noticed over the past year more and more weddings seem to be adding extras other than chair covers. The likes of a draping fairy light backdrops and dancing the night away on a beautiful white LED dance floor that certainly brings the WOW factor.
With 104 weddings on the books for the present year and our one wedding per day policy, we all are very excited to hold each and every couples special day here in our fabulous venue. I am sure I will see some great new ideas throughout the year and meet many new regular friends to the hotel as our welcome above reception suggests “There are no strangers here, just friends you have not met”! I feel it is a great honour to be a part of a couple’s wedding day and I love the buzz and atmosphere celebrating the special day.
Thanks Scott for this great insight to Ballygally Castle and the fabulous weddings held there! Check out Ballygally Castle, Antrim wedding venue for your fairy tale wedding day. If you want to talk to Scott about your wedding at Ballygally Castle, send him an email at conf@bgc.hastingshotels.com.
