48 hours in Cork
A castle wedding in Europe is truly unique, just as a wedding should be. It can be as intimate or lavish as you like, whether you want a quaint Italian destination wedding or a dramatic day in a magnificent Irish castle. Take your pick and say “I do”…
1. They’re designed to shelter you from the outside world
Image: Castello di Gargonza
By their very nature, castles are private and secluded havens. Take Castello di Gargonza, a fortified Italian castle located between Arezzo and Siena. Dante Alighieri – the Italian poet and moral philosopher famous for his epic poem The Divine Comedy – found refuge within its walls way back in 1304. Today, you can tie the knot in the same historic setting, turning your special day into an unforgettable escape where the only people who matter in the world are you and your nearest and dearest. With 22 stylish apartments, a restaurant, swimming pool and new wine bar, it blends luxurious facilities with ancient architecture for a truly unique castle wedding in Europe.
2. Your wedding photos will be glorious
Image: Schloss Wartegg
Castles are the most photogenic of wedding venues. From their handsome turrets to the paintings, suits of armour, and pristine gardens – there are endless opportunities to capture the perfect picture. Schloss Wartegg in Switzerland has a particularly stunning 19th-century English Park and many a wedding takes place in this green oasis. Nature surrounding this castle means your food served at your wedding is vibrant with organic freshness, prepared gently and according to what’s in season. Hire the castle exclusively for your wedding here.
3. The scene is set for you
Image: Barberstown Castle
Elaborate decorations aren’t needed when you’re celebrating in majestic rooms stuffed with opulent furniture, grand paintings, rich tapestries, roaring fireplaces and extravagant chandeliers. For this reason, a castle wedding in Europe is not only spectacularly glamorous, but also wonderfully cost effective. Take a look at 13th century Barberstown Castle – its roaring fires, four-poster beds, Victorian and Elizabethan dining rooms – and you’ll see no extras are possibly needed. Just 30 minutes from Dublin, it’s a dream destination to host your perfect day: read more about bespoke wedding celebrations at the castle here.
4. Everything in one location
Image: Hotel Castel Rundegg
Just as decor is a no-effort job, the services and features of a castle wedding in Europe are equally convenient. Many of our castle properties offer a destination wedding package, where you can hire out the venue, relax beforehand in the spa, tie the knot in the venue’s chapel, book in a grand breakfast, lunch and dinner… all before retiring to your stunning bridal suite. Hotel Castel Rundegg in Italy is perfect for an intimate ceremony that covers everything you’ll need for the best day of your life. This Merano-based beauty may date back to 1152, but its facilities are spectacularly forward thinking.
5. History in bucketloads
Image: Chateau Liblice
Some wedding venues have little about them. But castles in Europe have rich histories spanning back centuries. If you choose somewhere like Chateau Liblice in Czech Republic for your castle wedding in Europe, you’ll be saying “I do” in a building that dates back to 1699. Once the home of Ernest Josef Pachta of Rájov and designed by famous Italian architect Giovanni Battista Alliprandi, the newly restored building has won awards for its magical castle weddings in Europe.
6. Regal service
Castles have centuries of experience in serving royalty. A castle wedding in Europe might well be a magnificent and glamorous event, but your hosts will make you feel like you’re the only people in the world that matter. The little things matter, after all.
7. You’ll dine like king and queen
Image: Kasteel Maurick
From the breakfast wedding banquet to the elegant supper, expect exquisite attention to detail when it comes to food. 15th-century Kasteel Maurick in the Netherlands not only looks like a fairytale dream with its drawbridge and towers, it also serves high tea that’s almost too pretty to eat and luxurious gastro dinners. On the menu? Everything from lamb to lobster to the loveliest strawberry and white chocolate desserts.
8. Create your love story
By marrying the one you love in a castle, you’re entwining your own history with centuries of romance, passion and drama from the past. Browse more of our wedding venues in Europe to find more historic hotels for magical marriage celebrations.
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