In 1905, Bellingham Castle was the venue for the society wedding of the year when the 4th Marquis of Bute, John Crichton-Stuart, married Augusta, daughter of Sir Alan Bellingham. The Marquis was then one of the wealthiest men in the British Isles and treated his bride and guests to a lavish celebration that attracted the world’s media attention.
Today, Bellingham Castle is still an exclusive-hire castle wedding venue where you and your guests can share in the history of the castle and enjoy a magical day in complete privacy.
Bellingham Castle offers a warm and inviting setting for the most magical day of your life. Full of romance, luxury and charm, we pride ourselves on being one of the finest authentic castle wedding venues in Ireland. The castle is 45 minutes from Dublin and an hour from Belfast via the M1.
Our elegant period drawing rooms are perfect for your arrival reception, while guests can enjoy tête-à-têtes in our library or catch up in our relaxing bars before dining in our grand reception room.
Clare McEntegart, Executive Chef, is renowned for her culinary creativity and use of fresh, seasonal, local ingredients and our Blissful Bellingham wedding package offers an extensive array of dishes to choose from.
Outside, mature meticulously kept gardens and the stunning riverside setting with footbridges, provide the perfect backdrop for your intimate wedding and photographs.
As an approved venue to host civil weddings, humanist ceremonies and civil partnerships, our wedding team would be delighted to provide you with contact details for both Spiritualist and HSE ceremonies; as well as the local Parish Office contact details.
We can cater for smaller intimate wedding ceremonies of up to 40 people in ‘The Oratory’ or larger numbers of up to 200 people in ‘The Bute Suite’. Alternatively, if the weather is kind, host your ceremony outdoors (please check with your registrar).
We also offer 19 luxury castle bedrooms for your family and guests to relax and stay in. Surround yourself in luxury at Bellingham Castle for your fairy tale wedding.
More Images
Testimonials
My husband and I had our wedding at Bellingham Castle in September of 2019, and it was one of the most incredible and memorable experiences of our lives! Everything about our event was five stars from start to finish. Despite planning our wedding from afar (California), the communication process could not have been easier thanks to Ciara and the Bellingham staff. They would respond immediately to all of our email inquiries and were always willing and ready to jump on the phone (or FaceTime call) to discuss details.
When our big day finally arrived, we were met with red-carpet, white-glove service by an incredibly warm and welcoming staff. Of course, the venue and grounds themselves were absolutely stunning - truly the quintessential picture of a beautiful castle setting in Ireland.
As our wedding day began to unfold, the staff were extremely helpful and communicative with the wedding party and guests alike. They kept us apprised of timing and gracefully guided our family and friends through the castle, from welcome drinks, to our ceremony, to our cocktail reception, and finally onto our dinner reception.
The dinner service was truly a Michelin-Star level experience. The food was absolutely incredible and the attentiveness of the staff to our guests' needs was truly above and beyond. Many of our guests said it was the best meal they've ever had at a wedding, and we agree!
The excellent service continued late into the night, as the staff was on hand to serve late-night bites to our guests in the Buttery Kitchen! They even had the late bar open until 4am for some of our braver guests, who simply had to soak up as much of the experience as they could!
When my husband and I reflect on our wedding at Bellingham Castle, our only regret is that we could only do it once! Given the chance to go back, we would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Thank you, Bellingham Castle, for giving us the experience of a lifetime!
- Testimonial 1
Myself and my husband Seán had our wedding in Bellingham Castle in December. We had the most amazing day ever! From start to finish, Ciara and Patrick and all of the staff at Bellingham have been an absolute dream to deal with. Nothing is too big or small of an ask. We are so grateful to them for making our day so magical.
Everything about Bellingham is flawless! The service, the amazing food and attention to detail is just outstanding. I honestly don't think you would get it anywhere else in the country! We couldn't be happier that we choose you as our wedding venue and really appreciate everything you did for us both. Everyone is raving about the wedding.
Future brides and grooms with their weddings booked are in for a very special day. We highly recommend Bellingham. Thank you so much again x
- Testimonial 2
We had our wedding in Bellingham Castle in August - our Wedding Day was absolutely magical.
Everything was perfect and that is down to the amazing staff at Bellingham Castle. From our first meeting, they went above and beyond to make us feel special. The attention to detail was impeccable and we both said we have never felt more relaxed at a wedding which says a lot.
The food was simply beautiful and our guests are still raving about the best beef they ever tasted.
The amazing grounds speak for themselves, rain or shine it is breath-taking. On behalf of Alan and I, we'd like to thank everyone involved in making our day so special. In particular, Patrick who went out of his way to ensure our day ran smoothly, nothing was a problem.
We will be forever grateful for all his hard work and attention to detail.
I would recommend Bellingham Castle to anyone getting married.
The most perfect location and staff, we were totally at ease all day knowing that everything was being taken care of to the highest standard.
