Help! Indecisive Bride - 3 venues - which one?!!

Hello ! This is my first post on this site - I am really hoping to get some help on deciding which venue to go with for our reception. Trying to decide between: 1 - Dromoland Castle 2 - Belleek Castle 3 - Lis Loughrey Lodge ('safe option') I really am dreaming of a castle wedding...Dromoland is bright and beautiful with gardens...and Belleek is dark and romantic and very historical... and then there is Lis Loughrey Lodge, which is a safe option but leaves much to be desired in terms of character and scenery for photos... My gut is between the 2 castles...but I've never been to a wedding at either and I want to make sure my day is perfect! Has anyone been to a wedding at both - or either - that can give me some feedback? Trying to do this all from America is getting hard - Thanks so much in advance !!!!!!!!!!! <3

I've been a to functions at dromoland and it's a bit dreary in terms of interiors (that's castles I guess) but nice food and nice grounds. I've never been to Belleek. Lis loughrey is a bit meh, I thought it was overpriced and shabby but the food is meant to be amazing. Did you look at Ashford? Fabulous but maybe a bit shabby on the interiors, max numbers 140. Other castle suggestions.... Kinnity, Cabra. Would you consider country house? K club, carton house, Castle durrow, dunboyne, I've been to weddings there and all top notch. Farmhouse - rathsallagh, bellinter both great although rathsallagh is far superior but priced accordingly! If you want the romantic castle I think Ashford or Kinnity.

Kinnitty is a drab and frankly dirty building inside and outside. I've been there and stayed there. The room was awful. Dromoland is the opposite end of the scale and also price. I like Dromoland but even though it is a castle there is something just regular hotel feeling about it than a castle. I'd consider Ashford Castle, Adare Manor and Doonbeg Lodge(voted one of the best hotels in the world this year).

I agree with MrQ on Kinnitty. In the last 10 years or so it just really has deteriorated. We stayed there about 2 years ago and were really disappointed - no TV in the bedroom, rooms grotty, spiderwebs on the ceiling. We're getting married in Castle Durrow and the interiors and exteriors are fabulous. It's a country house rather than a castle, but would definitely recommend you check it out.

Oh yes Doonbeg is gorgeous (they only do marquee reception though and it's new but still looks like a castle) I haven't been to Kinnity for about 7 years so perhaps it has gone downhill.

[quote="Hbombadero":b0rq1bnw]Oh yes Doonbeg is gorgeous (they only do marquee reception though and it's new but still looks like a castle) I haven't been to Kinnity for about 7 years so perhaps it has gone downhill.[/quote:b0rq1bnw] Kinnity was bought by somebody because the last crowd went belly up. I couldn't ever recommend to anybody as it was just awful. They didn't even open the bar midweek or the main restaurant so you had to eat or drink in a library and it was limited in size and offering. For me I couldn't consider having a wedding there because I know all the guests would have to stay and I wouldn't like knowing that they wouldn't think much of the place either. There's much better out there. I just remembered the episode of Don't Tell the Bride with the Tipperary colours Groom. It was Johnston House Hotel. Now that's a fine looking place.