Ballygarry Estate Hotel & Spa: Wedding Bliss!

As things finally start to lift out of lockdown and we emerge like startled butterflies into the daylight, so I begin my tour of County Kerry (Ireland’s premier wedding destination I might add) to venues where I would love to create a ceremony.

First stop is Ballygarry Estate Hotel and Spa. This traditional country house hotel nestles in the green hillsides on the edge of Tralee. During my visit, the hotel was in full swing prepping for doors-open to staying guests next week. Did we ever think we’d get here? (permission to picture a GIF of woman tearing her hair out!).

Ballygarry Estate Hotel and Spa enjoys the most amazing views of its own private gardens and the vale of Tralee beyond. The 80 acres of land around the hotel and beautiful gardens make a picture-perfect setting for outdoor ceremonies (weather permitting). Indoors, the hotel has two event spaces, their fabulous ballroom and smaller Pavilion that opens out onto the gardens. Wonderful in the summer. I’ve been to many events, workshops and wedding receptions here and it’s a great place to network in your heels, and take them off for dancing.

Those identifying as girlie amongst you will love the luxurious Nadur Spa (outdoor hot tub anyone?) whose treatments I can personally vouch make a great birthday present (hint hint). Well known for its relaxation area, cocoon pods provide the perfect anonymity for happy snoring.

Best of all, the hotel is in the process of building a new wedding and event space, The Lodge (they were really nice and gave me a couple of sketches of it, below). This will be a “rustic inspired onsite ceremony venue” perfect for hosting civil, spiritualist or Humanist ceremonies, especially if it’s raining. Coooool! And you get it all to yourselves, so it will feel like you’re at a tiny wedding chapel in the middle of a forest in a film you saw and now it’s real.

Ballygarry GM, the super-smart Thys Vogels, told me the hotel is a really popular venue for celebrant-led weddings and events, so I’m crossing my facemask straps that I’ll be conducting a ceremony here pretty soon!

Ballygarry Estate Hotel & Spa:

• Currently has two wedding suite options: Boutique weddings in The Pavilion, and Signature weddings in the Monarch Suite ballroom.
• Is a registered wedding venue.
• Holds civil ceremonies.

Awards

• Trip Advisor Top 5 Hotel In Ireland 2020
• Munster Wedding Venue of the Year 2019 - National Hospitality Awards
• Kerry Hotel of The Year - Connect Kerry Awards

My Why or UWP (Unique Wedding Point)

• The Nadur Spa and the private gardens which are gorgeous for photos (I helped with a magazine photo shoot here once and the backdrops are just so pretty).