Bellingham Castle

Wow, I honestly don’t know where to begin. I feel like typing up a review just doesn’t give enough justice to how incredible Bellingham Castle is as well as the staff who work there are.

To provide context, my husband and I live in the UK so trying to plan a wedding in Ireland wasn’t the easiest. From the very beginning, Bellingham Castle was phenomenal and we had the BEST experience with them, by far, vs other venues we spoke with. They were the fastest to respond with available dates and they sent their availability in a calendar format, which was so much easier on the eye. We found that with other venues they would just send a list of dates via email and only narrowed this down to months you suggested. With Bellingham Castle, we actually went for a month that wasn’t what we originally had in mind, so we’re thrilled that we got a full year view on availability.

What’s more, as we were planning a wedding with no wedding planner, I had a lot (and i mean a lot) of questions and the staff were amazing at addressing these. Also as we didn’t live in Ireland, the staff were kind enough to allow for some of our wedding props to be delivered directly to the castle. This took one less stress off our shoulders also.

Now on to the wedding itself….
1. Food - We did have a few nerves about not being able to taste the food before the wedding, but honestly we had nothing to worry about. The food at the venue was cooked to perfection and we didn’t have one single complaint from our guests. Everyone loved the food and highly praised the staff for being extremely attentive and well organised. We were particularly impressed that Bellingham Castle caterers to everyone (including those with specific dietary requirements, i.e. gluten, dairy, halal, etc).

2. Atmosphere - Out of all the weddings I've been to in Ireland, there’s something that was different at Bellingham Castle, the level of care and attention was something on a whole different level. We as well as our guests were completely blown away on the day. We received so many compliments on how incredible the staff were.

3. Organisation - Despite running a little over an hour late to my own ceremony, Bellingham Castle were amazing at trying to get the schedule back on track and the day ran so smoothly in the end. Even though I was getting flustered at times, the staff were great in helping me to calm my nerves.

Thank you so much Bellingham Castle, the day was just pure magic and we can’t thank you enough for the memories you have given us.

Bellingham Castle was without doubt a spectacular setting for our wedding day and indeed our wedding pictures. The stand-out feedback of our family and friends was consistently: the quality of service throughout and the quality of the food. The entire team at Bellingham, Ciara, Patrick and team were so professional from our first enquiry to the day itself. No question or request was too big or too small. The Castle itself has the wow factor, the attention to detail of staff simply made the day for us and our guests. The food is second to none and was the talk of the wedding. A few helpful tips for other couples: the Castle do table plan names that's very elegant, so there's no need to be paying for an external table plan to be brought in, we had our ceremony in the Woodside Chapel (an eight minute walk away in the village) which allowed the castle be the "wow" after our ceremony, we had 168 for our meal which we felt was a good fit for the size of the room for weddings. We really do not have one negative comment to make and you won't regret booking Bellingham!!

We got married here in June 2023 and are only coming back down to earth now after the best day of our lives.

It was the first and only venue we looked at when we got engaged as it ticked all of our boxes, including being wheelchair accessible for one of our guests.

They were so efficient and organised when it came to the planning of the big day and helped us in every way.

On the day itself, a couple of things went against us like bad weather and terrible traffic but all the frustrations were forgotten once the warm welcome was received, not just by us but all of our guests. Staff were at the door with umbrellas to escort guests inside and offer them an appetiser and drink from the off.

The food was impeccable and cooked to perfection. The presentation was 10/10 too. They catered for all dietary requirements also.

Iosaf oversaw everything on the day and dealt with any issues in an extremely professional manner. Every single manager, waiter, cleaner, receptionist and bar tender we dealt with was kind, friendly and went above and beyond in every way. A few of our guests said that they felt like celebrities as they were being treated so well by the staff.

Rain, hail or shine it really is the perfect venue as the grounds are so beautiful if you’re lucky enough to get the sun but for us, we had one of the many gorgeous drawing rooms to get our photos taken and the venue lends itself to being extremely cosy if it is a cold, rainy day.

We couldn’t recommend Bellingham Castle highly enough and only wish we could do it all over again.

A thousand thanks to everyone who made it a truly special and memorable day for us, our families and all of our guests.

We got married in Bellingham Castle in May and we couldn't have dreamed of a better venue, from start to finish the staff were amazing! They made us feel so at ease we didnt have to worry about a thing. Our friends and family have not stopped talking about the service and the food, it was incredible! The grounds are also stunning, if like us we had a bit of rain on the day there are so many rooms for your guests to explore! 10/10 wedding venue!

Bellingham is Ireland’s best wedding venue in our eyes. All staff couldn’t have done more for us in the lead up to the wedding, always so quick to respond to any queries we had and anything we requested wasn’t an issue.
We both felt so at ease that on the day the staff were handling everything and we could sit back and just enjoy the day!

***** WOW, WOW, WOW. Beyond incredible service! They deserve 5 stars! *****

I had been planning our wedding from the US for a few months. After looking at endless amounts of castles, I had a short email exchange with Bellingham Castle staff and knew I had FINALLY found the right place and boy was I right. The staff and property are everything you could want and more.

We were close to 50 people traveling all the way to Ireland so I wanted us to stay longer on the property. We stayed 4 nights in the castle with one of them being our wedding day and we had a few events on the other dates. It was the most magical experience and that combined with how perfect our wedding day, it was just more than I can put into words. Honestly I want to cry as I write this review because everything was just so beautiful and staff made it that much more enjoyable.

Even though I was in a timezone with 8 hours difference if I emailed or called they always responded right away. They made planning everything so easy and as the event happened they were very flexible to changes.

The food was sooooo good! The wedding day food was amazing but we had other meals and they were so great as well. Breakfast every morning was superb.

I cannot get over how friendly and helpful the staff are. Everyone loved Ciara and the rest of the team. You are welcome to visit your friends in Guadalajara and Las Vegas anytime!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Bellingham Castle Staff! You made our castle dreams everything we could have wished for and more.

If you are looking at booking please look no further. You can't go wrong here.

Coul not recommend this venue enough! They are amazing from the first day we viewed right up until our wedding day the communication and attention to detail was above and beyond!

We cannot recomend Bellingham highly enough. The staff were beyond helpful and friendly always. We received responses in great time and nothing was to much hassle. Our guests raved about the food and the service with compliments passed to the chef. The place is absolutely stunning and we felt like royalty for the day! Our wedding day was more incredible than we could have imagined and a large part of that was because of Ciara, Matthew and all the incredible staff at Bellingham.

Could not recommend Bellingham Castle highly enough. They are absolute professionals from start to finish. The venue itself is so stunningly beautiful, as are the grounds - and having it all to yourselves for the day makes it extra special. Their close proximity to Dundalk also gives your guests lots of handy accommodation alternatives given there are not a huge number of rooms available (28 at the time of our wedding). The service is exceptional and management have ensured that the experience is consistent throughout all interactions. While you don’t have the opportunity to do a menu tasting, everything plated is of a very high quality - and the approach saves you a job, in what is a very busy time for couples!! Their organisation and expertise meant that we could really relax on the day - they took complete control and there wasn’t a single thing we could pull them up on. Our guests were beyond complimentary about their experience in Bellingham! So delighted with our choice of venue. The entire team were incredible!

We couldn't recommend Bellingham enough, Ciara was amazing, so thoughtful and helpful, there was nothing she didn't accommodate. We were a bit disappointed there was no food tasting but the food was divine, we got so many compliments. The whole setting was fabulous for photos ans guests really enjoyed having the whole castle to ourselves

Our wedding at Bellingham unfortunately did not go ahead. Bellingham were most understanding in this sensitive matter. They were very professional and kind. We didnt lose all of our deposit. It's good to know that such genuine suppliers exist that help their patrons when things dont go to plan.

I can't believe nearly 6 months has passed since what was literally the best day of our lives. People say that but you don't necessarily believe them, but Bellingham ensured that it was! They accounted for every tiny, little aspect and every tiny little detail - things you wouldn't even think of. Everything from the moment we arrived to the time we had to leave was exceptional and was beyond over wildest dreams and expectations. One of the waiters even saved a guest's life when she had a near-choking episode on her dinner when he slickly performed the Heimlich manoeuvre before returning to serving champagne on the top table! I cannot thank him and Belligham Castle Staff enough and I couldn't recommend them enough!

We cannot recommend Bellingham Castle enough! Their attention to detail is amazing! From the second we got there they had everything covered- even things we had never thought of! We could switch off and enjoy our day and knew everything was in great hands! The food is of the highest standard and the staff are so attentive and kind! Ciara, Patrick and the team were amazing in the lead up to the wedding and were always there to answer any questions (no matter how big or small). We cannot recommend Bellingham castle enough!

From the very first meeting with Ciara we fell in love with everything about the castle. Always made feel very welcome in every visit.

Our day was everything we dreamed of and more. We have had numerous comments from guests complementing the food and the service and just generally in awe of Castle itself.

We could not recommend this venue highly enough as there is nothing that they couldn’t do for us.

Shoutout to Ciara and all the staff for such an amazing day.

Bellingham Castle went above and beyond for us from day one. We booked pre Covid and right along the journey they reassured us, we’re flexible and responsive at every turn. We had the most magical day with a garden ceremony in the venue and a beautiful reception. It was the most magical day. We couldn’t recommend it more highly for anyone considering it as their venue. We still have friends and family telling us it was the best day and the staff/ food/ service was beyond exceptional. We would one million percent recommend Bellingham Castle.

Bellingham Castle was the most magical wedding venue. In the lead up to the wedding, in such uncertain times, the team at Bellingham Castle could not have been more helpful and accommodating. They made our whole planning process such a breeze.
On the day of our wedding we were absolutely thrilled with how everything went and how amazing each member of staff were. We've had countless comments from our guests on the amazing food and how well they were looked after.
We had a wonderful day and would highly recommend Bellingham Castle to anyone.

We got married in Bellingham Castle on 23rd December 2020. The entire experience was just incredible. Planning a wedding during the Covid pandemic could have been quite stressful but Ciara and all the team made the planning so fun and enjoyable. Nothing was too much trouble and they were so helpful and prompt with any questions we had. When we arrived on the day we were all treated like royalty. The welcome, the food and the rooms were all excellent. Our guests were blown away by it all. Thank you so much Ciara and all the staff for making our day so special.

We knew how stunning this venue was as we previously attended a wedding in 2016. The staff, service, food and venue itself speak volumes! From our first meeting with Ciara we had nothing but professional correspondence during our short 12months to the big day with emails being responded pretty much immediately. I can never repay the staff for their love and kindness on our big day, we felt we were the only couple who’ve ever been married in Bellingham and our guests were equally blow away. The best venue there is and will always hold a very special place in our hearts xx

If we could give 100 Stars to Bellingham Castle and its staff we would in a heartbeat!!

From the minute we stepped inside for a viewing in December 2019 we fell in love with it. It was one of the first venues we went to see and we had pretty much decided it was to be our one before we went through the gates at the end of the driveway on the way home! The castle itself and the grounds are of course spectacular but the icing on the cake for us was your team and hospitality.

Every time we got in touch during our year of planning there was an email back within hours telling us exactly what we needed to know. We made a few trips up during the year with our parents and family and each time we came we were welcomed us with open arms.

On the day itself there were so many little details that the staff picked up on which meant so much. We made an error ourselves on our printed table plan forgetting a table…they picked this up and printed the extra table for us. Every time I sat down or stood up during dinner, there was someone there to help me with my dress and train. They treated us like royalty! But not only that they treated every single one of our guests like royalty too. We had so many people mention how amazing the service was and it meant so much to us that they treated everyone so well. Whenever anyone stood up from their seat there was someone close by keeping an eye with their napkin. Peoples glasses were constantly topped up. Our guests literally wanted for nothing on the day.

And the food….where do we even begin! We were bit anxious that there was no food tasting but I had been assured by a friend who had been at two previous weddings with you that the food was spectacular. And my god was she right. It was out of this world! Pretty much every single person commented on how amazing it was. They went above and beyond for our guests with dietary requirements - our two friends who are Vegan said it was the best food they have ever eaten!

The following morning it was so lovely to be able to sit and relax with our family and digest the day. We know they had a wedding coming in after us but it was so great to be able to stay in the venue for a few more hours into the early afternoon.

We do not have one bad word to say about Bellingham Castle and it staff. It is literally the wedding venue of dreams. The amazing castle itself and gorgeous grounds. If you're even half considering having your wedding day there - just book it!!

We had our wedding here in July 2019. From the moment we arrived at the venue, we were gobsmacked by the stunning entrance and beautiful grounds. From there things only got better. The welcoming and friendly nature of every single staff member we met on site is something Bellingham should pride themselves on. A special thank you to Ciara, Jack, John and Tomas also. Their attention to detail and efficient service left me stress free about the venue from when we booked it all in. We had an outdoor ceremony on an unbelievable hot Irish summers day, I cannot explain how beautiful it looked. It felt like we were in a fairytale movie, and this was the exact comparison repeated back to me by our guests. There are so many places around the grounds to take some unique and romantic wedding photos. The venue was ideal for all our guests, spanning different ages and lots of different nationalities, all just as impressed with this astonishing venue. The food was spectacular and every single dietary request was taken care of. We organised our Wedding from Australia and had no issues with communicating with the venue for all requests. Thank you for hosting our very special day!

We got married in Bellingham Castle this year and we had the best day ever in this beautiful venue. The staff are incredible they look after every single guest from start to finish nothing was out of the question when it came to requests. The food was unbelievable my wedding guests are still raving about the venue, food and wonderful staff!

Bellingham Castle were a pleasure to deal with all the way through from booking the venue to our big day! They made us feel so at ease and were so helpful with any requests I had.

I would love to go back to Bellingham Castle as a wedding guest so I'll be encouraging anyone I know to look at Bellingham Castle for their wedding venue:)

From the first day we booked Bellingham Castle as our wedding venue the guys where so professional and so nice to deal with. Nothing we asked for was an issue and even things we thought were not possible they made happen. I could recommend Patrick, Ciara, Jack, John and the rest of the staff enough. We are married 3 weeks now and everyone is still talking about the service and standards they set.

We had simply the most magical day.

Venue: Bellingham Castle
http://www.bellinghamcastle.ie/
I have 1st to mention our outstanding wedding co-ordinators Ciara and Jack. They were mind-readers! They knew exactly what we wanted before we even asked them! Ciara, Jack and all staff in Bellingham Castle on the day were simply fantastic. There are not enough words to express our gratitude to the staff of Bellingham Castle. They went above and beyond to make our day perfect.
The venue, Bellingham Castle itself, has the most magnificent grounds, offering the perfect backdrop/surroundings for our special day!
Our guests are still raving about the venue, the staff and the food!

There is literally not one aspect of the service that was disappointing.
I could not speak highly enough of this venue or service.

If you’re looking for a top class venue, you’ve found it!

From start to finish, our experience with Bellingham Castle couldn’t have been more amazing. We had viewed several other venues before we heard about Bellingham through word of mouth, and when we went to view, we were blown away. After more research we chose Bellingham as it was the only venue without any negative reviews. Our priority was to make sure our guests had the best possible day, and that’s Bellingham’s priority too.

Ciara, John and the team are experts at what they do, and we were struck by how much they cared about making sure everything went perfectly, from fluffing up my dress before I walked down the aisle, to making sure every steak was cooked to order. They literally won’t let you lift a finger!

The venue itself has a great flow throughout the rooms, meaning guests have plenty of gorgeous rooms to explore, relax & party through!

This venue is perfect for couples who want to make sure their guests have a great time.

Thanks to Ciara, John & all at Bellingham for a dreamy perfect wedding! X

Bellingham Castle from day one outdid themselves! From the very beginning the staff were outstanding and instilled in me confidence and belief through their professionalism. Hand on heart I can say that there is truly no other wedding venue like them.

Absolutely every one of the guests raved about the venue, the food, the staff, the service. The list was endless! Each and every one of the guests were treated like royalty.

Thank you so much to the wonderful team at Bellingham - Ciara, Jack, John et al. You made planning a wedding from Canada a breeze - thank you for answering all of my emails no matter what time of day or night it was! You are all exceptional and kudos to having top class staff. There was nothing we wanted or needed on the day. Honestly, if I or any of my bridal party even looked like we needed something you or your staff were right there beside us!

The attention to detail and the care on the day and the day after was out of this world! We actually can't thank you enough - from the bottom of our heart though, thank you.

Much love - Lynn and Niall Thornton

Where do we start. From the minute we stepped foot in Bellingham Castle on our first visit as a newly engaged couple 2 years ago to the day of our wedding we were in love with castle. The staff were so friendly and welcoming and we just knew that this was the place we wanted more than anything to host our wedding.
Nothing was too big or too small of an ask of the staff in the run up to the day, John, Ciara & Jack outside themselves. They were so attentive to both ourselves and our guests on the day. Honestly people always say it is the best day of their lives but this truely was and the staff and venue certainly helped that.
Our guests are still telling us it was the best wedding they had been too which again was helped by the staff. We would only love to do it all again in a heartbeat.
We can’t thank you enough for everything you did for us and we would highly recommend you to friends and family for future events.
Thank you, Jennifer & David Clegg

Bellingham Castle in our opinion is second to none as a wedding venue. Our entire wedding experience was so special thanks to the wonderful team at Bellingham. The grounds of the castle are immaculate with beautiful gardens and so many unique photo ops. The castle itself boasts beautiful decor, so elegant yet homely. From the moment we arrived for our wedding reception, we did not have to think of one detail. Ciara, Patrick and the team at Bellingham took care of everything! Keeping all our guests entertained and content. The food was the best food we ever had! We had quite a few guests with dietary requirements who were blown away that their needs were taken care of without having to request a particular dish. The waiting staff in the dining room were incredibly attentive to each and every table. Excellent bar staff, and particularly the night staff were so helpful and again knew exactly what was happening throughout our day. Every member of staff are incredible! We had the most memorable day in the most spectacular venue!! Loved everything about Bellingham Castle!

We had such a wonderful wedding day at Bellingham Castle. Everything was exactly as we'd hoped - the decoration of the room, the organisation on the day, the professionalism of the staff. The food was absolutely delicious too, and the whole day went off without a hitch. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Bellingham for anyone planning their wedding.

The place is beautiful and staff are incredible!! Our friends and family were astonished overall! The food was excellent!!

Couldn’t recommend Bellingham Castle highly enough. Service and food were amazing and their attention to detail is second to none.

Bellingham Castle was the perfect venue for our wedding. They couldn’t do enough for us from the moment we booked. Any queries we had were immediately responded to and they were very flexible with everything we wanted. We would 100% recommend this venue and staff especially Ciara.

My husband and I got married in Bellingham Castle on December 22nd, 2016. Since we both live in San Francisco, we were at first a little worried about planning a wedding remotely, but thankfully we had literally nothing to worry about, all thanks to Ciara!

From our very first visit to the Castle, we knew this was the venue for us. To be honest, the surroundings, quirks and hidden treasures of Bellingham are truly phenomenal, but what really tipped it for us was Ciara. She is just so genuine, kind and a true professional. We were most impressed with her efficiency, attention to detail, fabulous advice & recommendations and honesty -- no question, request or change was too much for her and we always had great banter in person, on the phone or across email.

Everyone remarked on the beauty of the castle and the high caliber of each and every single friendly, welcoming employee. The service was first class, the food served at each part of our day was simply delicious, and in terms of presentation, it all really did look too good to eat!

All of our friends and family commented how it was the best venue they had ever been to - the castle, the food, the staff, the rooms, the nooks and crannies (especially the buttery kitchen!), the grounds, the fabulous Irish wolf hounds, the peacocks...all absolutely wonderful. I could go on and on!

Thank you to Ciara, Patrick and everyone at Bellingham Castle for the best experience & day of our lives!!!

Our Bellingham Castle experience entirely exceeded all expectations (and our expectations were high!) and was truly in excess of five stars.

The venue with its majestic grounds is stunning beyond compare: old world, with a modern touch and entirely at the wedding party's disposal for the day. The wonderful thing about booking Bellingham Castle is that you simply need to spend no time or money stressing about decoration as you would with a simpler venue or hotel, the venue needs no embellishments, it is a photographers paradise.

The food experience from the petits fours, dinner, evening snacks to breakfast the morning after the wedding was delicious and the whole dining experience ran like clockwork. We loved the fact that so much Irish produce featured on the menu (Irish beef, Irish fish and lamb choices). The hotels wine list is very good and I would follow the chefs recommendations regarding suggested wines with the dishes you choose as this worked very well for us and ultimately they choose their wines to suit their plates.

From day one when we booked the wedding to the day itself, the professionalism of management, the responsiveness via email (literally 24 hour turnaround!), the frankness, practical advice and friendliness was something we have not heard of nor encountered before. In short it is the best service we have ever experienced and we have travelled a lot. Our guests have not ceased to compliment or comment on the service and most of our guests would not easily give a compliment in this respect, unless really impressed. Ultimately for me, this is the most important aspect to your day. When dealing with pleasant and helpful people, the whole day feels natural and painless. I felt from the moment we walked up the aisle in the ballroom (ours was a civil wedding) that managers, Ciara & Patrick, were in charge together with their staff and as a result of that secure feeling, my husband and I sat back, relaxed in the fact that everything was under their control. The peace of mind which comes with that feeling on your wedding day is priceless. Little details concerning service which guests mentioned on the day were staff members noticing one or two of our guests were pregnant and offering alternative drinks, non alcoholic wine or a cushion for their back, looking after small children's needs and helping to fix up a girls dress in the bathrooms (female member of staff - no worries) and further examples which I no longer recall. Additionally from a practical perspective, on the morning of the wedding, the few little wedding details which we had for the civil ceremony the staff took from us and arranged everything in place for us, thus allowing us time to relax even more. The hotel also recommended an amazing florist to us, who works with the hotel regularly and again reduced our organisation still more.

In terms of accommodation, as we travelled home from abroad to get married, we stayed in the beautiful Bellingham Estate which is adjacent to the grounds of Bellingham Castle and run by a fantastically friendly family (castle accommodation only available on the night of your wedding). For me, this was just perfect. However there are a plethora of local options in Drogheda, Dundalk and in the surrounding area (cottages to rent etc). We hired a local bus from Sevens Coaches as we had a number of persons staying from abroad in Drogheda but if your guests manage to stay in Dundalk Bellingham Castle have a deal with a hotel there and they run a free complimentary shuttle to and from the venue.

I really could compliment Bellingham Castle all day and truly my compliments would still not do our experience justice. The truth is the only thing for it is to simply book your wedding there (or get yourself invited to a wedding there ?) and experience the magic for yourself.

The best money we have ever spent and in truth very fairly priced given the exceptional quality venue and service. If we could do it all over again, we wouldn't change a thing and it would be the same venue.

We had our wedding at Bellingham Castle in County Louth. We chose it because it is so romantic and unique. It really is what dreams are made of. We had also heard so many amazing reports about weddings at Bellingham Castle and it definitely lived up to our high expectations. Their attention to detail and their willingness to accommodate our every wish made our wedding day experience at Bellingham unforgettable. Ciara and Patrick are amazing at what they do! Our guests are still commenting on the whole experience and how special they were made to feel on our wedding day

We organised our wedding from Australia and Hong Kong. Throughout the planning and the run up to our wedding, Ciara, Patrick and all the staff at Bellingham were outstanding. The made it a simple and stress free process. During the day of our wedding they couldn't do enough for us. The food and ambience were excellent coupled with attentive staff. We had a day we will cherish forever.

From our first visit to Bellingham Castle, we knew it was our dream location to celebrate our wedding. The grounds are stunning and everything within the castle is of the highest standards and quality.
Ciara and Patrick were extremely helpful especially with some of our unusual ideas (and patient with some of our last minute requests) and made sure that the day played out without a hitch.
All of the rooms in the castle are absolutely beautiful - pictures can not do justice to how stunning the whole place is.
We couldn't believe the quality of the food and the selection that was offered (we could offer the choice of 3 mains!). My husband is still raving about the steak.
And of course, we cannot leave a review without mentioning Ferdia, their wolfhound. What a fantastic, sweet dog! Might sound mad but he really adds to the atmosphere and we would have loved to have taken him home with us, if only there was a suitcase big enough!

Thank you so much for making our day so very special. We cannot thank you enough for all of the work you put in and helping us create what can only be described as the most perfect wedding day.