Unveiling the magical charms of Ballymagarvey Village: A unique Wedding Venue in Ireland

Are you dreaming of a fairy-tale wedding set against the backdrop of historic charm and natural beauty? Look no further than Ballymagarvey Village, one of the most sought-after and unique wedding venues in Ireland.

Nestled in the heart of County Meath, Ballymagarvey Village is a little oasis of stunning gardens, fairy lights and cosey interiors that blend a mix of ornate furnishings and a down-to-earth vibe.

The dining room is a magical wonderland of fairy lights and vines that change their theme with the seasons of the year. Honestly, the prettiest dining venue I have ever seen!

Let’s delve into what a Ballymagarvey Village wedding day.

Bridal and Groom preparation at a Ballymagarvey Village wedding

If you are choosing to get ready at Ballymagarvey Village, you are welcome to arrive as early as 9am to the bridal suit. Plenty of time to settle in, enjoy a sumptuous breakie and start your hair and makeup.

The bridal suit is more on an apartment than a suit and provides ample space for the wedding party to roam about freely without feeling as if they are in the way. This is super useful for hair and makeup as they tend to set-up in different parts of the suit to create space.

The suite also has its own private garden, perfect for girlie and family pics (weather permitting) and of course a first look option if you don’t want any gusts to see you!

The groomsmen would getting ready in the coach house with is facing the gardens closer to the ceremony room.

There is a dedicated team member to assist the bridal party with whatever they need. Ana abundance for food and refreshments is continually supplied to keep everyone happy!

The ceremony at Ballymagarvey Village

Just to the right of the coach houses is the stunning stone Mill Loft. This was corn and flax Mill that has been restored to keep its old stone charm. The upstairs hosts a stunning ceremony room which overlook the Mill lake.

The venue is fully registered and is able to host Civil Ceremonies, Civil Partnerships, Humanist Ceremonies and Blessings. No registry office! If you’re looking for a wedding celebrant that will truly rock your wedding, why not reach out to the lovely Moya Corcoran who is fully registered.

The room can hold a max of 170 guests and ceremonies start at 3pm. The venues can host a wedding every single day of the week!

As with the fairy-tale dining room, the ceremony is decorated with magical vines and fairy lights that keeps the mystical wonderland theme running right from the start.

During the height of summer you can opt for an outdoor ceremony which takes place in Gwenllian’s Garden in The Barn suit. This is up to 170 guests.

Cocktail hour at Ballymagarvey Village

Guests are then invited to stroll through the stunning courtyard gardens and settle in the Manor House for cocktail hour. The vibe is classy, yet down to earth with a farm house style.

Drinks and canapés are served in the kitchen which is a nice meeting point for the guests and then they are free to relax in the conservatory and enjoy the walled gardens which are fabulous for Spring or Summer weddings.

Guests are also free to roam around the courtyard to enjoy the beauty it has to offer.

Portraits at a Ballymagarvey Village wedding

Where do I start??!! Everywhere, literally everywhere outside is a picture perfect shot! From the front of the house, through the walled gardens, into the courtyard and to the bride at the Mill lake, no photos is a bad photo! If it is a particularly sunny day, there is plenty of shady spots under the large handing trees to give some romantic imagery.

What is it rains?? Understandably, slightly sad not to be using the beautiful grounds, this is Ireland and it does rain. Often! The chances of lots of rain, especially during the months of February and March can be quite high.

Luckily you are free to roam around indoors to the dining room to enjoy it’s fairy-tale scenery and make the most of the rest of the Mill house. Once the guests move to the dining area, the Manor House is free for you to make use of all the rooms.

It’s a little dark, especially during the winter season so flash photography may have to be applied but that’s no big deal for photographers. In fact these days, flash is pretty en vogue.

Finally, between speeches and first dance, make sure to get a few night time pics out the front with the hanging chandeliers. Magic!

Need a guide to planning your wedding day from start to finish, why not check out my blog: Rock your wedding!! The complete wedding guide to planning a dream day.

Dining at Ballymagarvey Village

As I mentioned before, this banqueting hall is one of the most beautifully decorated I have ever seen at a wedding venue. And it changes to suit each season! I would say it’s puts the wow factor on your guests overall experience for sure.

The food it’s is all sourced locally from the Boyne Valley region making some of the highest quality produce in the country. The chefs do it justice! They make beautifully crafted dishes to suit all tastes and requirements.

Extend your stay at Ballymagarvey Village

You also have the option to either stay the night before, for a intimate rehearsal dinner or you can offer your guests the chance to stay an extra day for relaxed drinks and BBQ. Who doesn’t love a day two!?!

Amelia and David’s Story

For some visual inspiration why not delve into Amelia and David’s big day. This is the perfect opportunity to see what can be done for photo’s if it does rain all day!

Dress: Dublin Bridal House

Suits: Protocol for Men

MUA: Julie Martin

Flowers: Flowers By Moira

Amelia and David enjoyed their wedding with their beautiful baby boy. He was only a couple a couple of months old and as a mother myself I was worried how it would all pan out for them but Ballymagarvey Village them with most amazing childminder who included him in all the main occasions and treated him in a way that a doting grandmother could!

So! With that in mind, if you’re expecting to have a little baby at your side and worried about how things will go, fear not at Ballymagarvey Village. It’s just another reason why the venue has the astounding reputation it does.

I started shooting the bridal preparation on a very wet morning! It was one of those days that even if it did get dry for a little bit, there wouldn’t be much walking around due the ground being soaked. Being the venue that it is, with all the stunning outdoor surroundings, some might allow this to get them down. Yet, there wasn’t one moment throughout the day that I saw this dampen the mood for Amelia and David. The love around the place was enough!

The mood during bridal prep was calm and relaxed with a loads of lols along the way. Amelia wore a stunning dress from Dublin Bridal House and David and his crew looked super smart in their tuxedos from Protocol for Men. The stunning flowers were made by Flowers by Moira. Julie Martin did fabulous work on all the girls make-up.

The rain continued through the ceremony and into cocktail hour with a very small window of dry sunlight for the family portraits out the front of the house. We decided to make use of the beautiful banqueting hall for some shots and then continued photos inside the manor house once all the guests had left for dinner call. After the speeches, I took the two out for a few night time shots in the gardens and under the chandelier tree.

I’ve had a few very wet weddings in my career and all I can say is, this is Ireland! What can you do but roll with it!!?? All of my couples have had the same frame of mind and at the end of the day, the portraits photos always turn out great but are only a tiny portion of the day.

It’s the magical time you spend with your family and friends that counts. Embrace those photos!

A very big thank you to Amelia and David for trusting me to capture their beautiful day and for allowing me to share it.