The best Irish wedding venues for every couple and season …

Popular wedding venue platform SaveMyDay has announced this year’s winners of their annual Irish Wedding Venue Awards. In a landmark year for the awards, over 700 newlywed and engaged couples cast their votes, selecting the best venues that made their celebrations unforgettable. From historic castles to small weddings or city centre locations, this list is a must-read when planning your special day.

6 key trends in 2026:

1. Personality-led weddings dominate: Couples are choosing venues that reflect their identity, from design-led city spaces to alternative cultural venues.

2. Restaurant weddings are booming: Exceptional food, intimate layouts and relaxed hosting styles are driving a surge in restaurant celebrations.

3. Sustainability is now a core expectation: Eco-conscious venues offering energy-efficient design, local produce and nature-led aesthetics continue to rise in popularity.

4. Family-run venues are winning hearts: Warmth, personal service and a sense of home are major decision drivers, reflected in strong public voting for family-operated venues.

5. Outdoor and hybrid weddings remain strong: Couples want flexibility, indoor and outdoor flow, scenic backdrop, and immersive natural settings.

6. Dog-friendly and vegan-friendly weddings are mainstream: These categories continue to grow year-on-year, reflecting changing lifestyles and more inclusive celebrations.

Shell Holden, wedding expert and co?owner of SaveMyDay, said; “As someone who got married last year, I know first hand how important it is to find a venue that’s true to your story. The trends we’re seeing this year really resonate with me on a personal level. I got married in 2025 and we included our beautiful rescue dog, Chips, in our day. He’s since passed, so having those memories and photos is something we’ll always treasure. It’s a reminder of why dog?friendly venues matter so much to some couples. We also chose a restaurant wedding because we wanted exceptional food and an intimate atmosphere, and as a sustainability?driven couple our venue aligned with our values.” @savemyday.ie

Best City Wedding Venue

Stephen’s Green Club, Dublin: Stephen’s Green Club is that rare find: a city centre venue with a welcoming country feel. The historic members’ club specialises in intimate weddings, with the Hibernian Room overlooking St Stephen’s Green. Its magnificent domed ceiling dates back to 1840. The Card Room is an exquisite setting for civil, humanist and spiritualist ceremonies or to host a drinks reception. There’s also a secluded outdoor Courtyard. The Club is also home to twelve boutique-style Georgian bedrooms, with antique furniture. @sgcdublin

Best Historic Wedding Venue

Museum of Literature, Stephen’s Green, Saint Kevin’s, Dublin: For cultural appeal in the heart of the city, MoLI can accomodate up to 60 guests, with the opportunity for the newlyweds to take pictures in the Iveagh Gardens. @moli_museum Picture via; @storyofeve

Best Alternative Wedding Venue

The Ballroom at Fallon & Byrne, Dublin: Fallon & Byrne’s beautiful ballroom with its stunning chandeliers is the ideal setting for a gourmet wedding. Known for its fine food and wines, the onsite wedding team has a selection of curated menus, fine wines, bespoke cocktails and delicious desserts, and can cater for 50 to 150 guests. @fallonandbyrne

Best Castle Wedding Venue

Clontarf Castle, Clontarf East, Dublin 3: A stone’s throw from Dollymount Strand, Clontarf Castle offers the perfect spot for a seaside wedding, with kite surfing available on the beach and a strong sea swimming brigade at The Bull Wall. Inside the castle setting, guests have an eclectic art collection to peruse and multiple dining options. @clontarfcastle

Best Dog Friendly & Outdoor Wedding Venue

Marco Pierre White, Dublin: Tucked behind vine-covered wrought-iron gates, Marco Pierre White in Donnybrook offers the choice of its Library Room for weddings of 20 guests or the Garden Room for weddings up to 60 guests. Both of these reception options have access to the venue’s outdoor heated courtyard for drinks on arrival. Moving into the main dining room, the entire restaurant is available for exclusive hire for larger groups of up to 160 guests. @mpw_donnybrook

Best Luxury Wedding Venue

The Abbey, Athy, Co Kildare: Choosing The Abbey gives couples and their guests access all areas to this lovingly restored historic Kildare venue, including its own on-site 18th century chapel, spectacular ballroom, warm and welcoming whiskey room, bridal suite with gorgeous glam and dressing area, luxurious accommodation for up to 90 guests, and two prestigious wedding suites, garden parlour, landscaped outdoor courtyard … and not one, but two, secret bars! The Abbey has a capacity for 30 to 200 guests and a civil ceremony licence. @theabbeyie

Best Winter Wedding Venue

Killashee Hotel, Co Kildare: Nestled in the rolling countryside of County Kildare with acres of splendid parkland, beautiful manicured gardens and a secret woodland hideaway creating the idyllic wedding backdrop, Killashee Hotel is a versatile setting for a winter wedding. The Manor House offers the perfect setting for the more intimate wedding with numbers up to 80 guests while the Thomson Suite caters for the larger celebration wedding from 100 guests upwards. Couples have the option to have their civil ceremony there and can enjoy pre-wedding pampering at Killashee Spa. @killasheehotel

wICKLOW-ESCAPE-Long-Table-dining-at-The-Wicklow-Escape

Best Woodland Wedding Venue

The Wicklow Escape, Co Wicklow: The Wicklow Escape is a beautifully intimate spot, with a lodge, wellness centre and private dining room to enjoy their incredible food with your favourite people. @thewicklowescape

Best Waterside Wedding Venue

Four Seasons Hotel, Spa & Leisure Club Carlingford, Louth: The Four Seasons in Carlingford boasts 58 well-appointed bedrooms making it the perfect spot for small to medium size weddings. The hotel also has a Full Leisure Centre for your extended family and guests to enjoy, sitting quaintly beneath the Cooley Mountains overlooking Carlingford Lough. The hotel offers wedding packages and will host your civil ceremony too if you so wish. @fourseasonshotelcarlingford

Best Family-Run and Vegan Friendly Wedding Venue

Mountain View, Ballyhale, Kilkenny: Set in the rolling hills of the Kilkenny countryside, Mountain View run by the O’Grady family boasts award-winning indoor and outdoor ceremony and reception spaces on its 120 acres. From spectacular parties in the Grand Marquee to the Greenhouse restaurant for intimate gatherings and the pergola for outdoor ceremonies, this one-of-a-kind carefully restored cow shed offers a rustic barn-style venue with 5-star quality food from celebrated head chef Rory Nolan. Mountain View has a capacity for 50 to 250 guests and has a civil ceremony licence. @mountainviewkilkenny

Best Exclusive Wedding Venue

Markree Castle, Collooney, Sligo: Standing on a secluded 500 acre estate with a river flowing through, this 17th-century castle is located along the Wild Atlantic Way. Arrive by wedding car, by boat to the estate’s boathouse along the River Unshin, or by horse and carriage through the port la coeur at the front of the castle. The castle has a capacity for 60 to 210 guests and has a civil ceremony licence. @markreecastlesligo

Best Intimate Wedding Venue

360 Cookhouse, Co Waterford: Whether you’re planning an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, The Castle Room’s adaptable layout allows for a variety of seating arrangements and decorative themes, ensuring that the space feels uniquely yours. Beautiful landscapes surround the 360 Cookhouse so guests can enjoy the view throughout the celebrations. The adjoining spaces, such as The Pergola and The Kitchen Room, can be used as additional areas for cocktail hours, after-parties or longer guestslists. @360cookhouse

Best Restaurant Wedding Venue

Jacks’ Coastguard Restaurant, Co Kerry: Set on an idyllic shingle beach nestled in the Atlantic Ocean with panoramic views of the mountains and sea. Jacks’ effortlessly combines timeless elegance and old world charm with award winning cuisine in a stunning location. This is perfect intimate wedding of 130 guests with a large seafront garden space – an ideal location for a marquee for larger parties. @jackscromane

Best Country House & Sustainable Wedding Venue

Fernhill House, Cork: This Georgian manor house that has been cared for by the O’Neill family for four generations and is rated the best wedding hotel in Clonakilty. In ancient Ireland, the fern (raithneach) symbolised the bond of love and marriage. Set among the picturesque gardens with breath-taking views of the West Cork countryside, this is a quiet spot to tie the knot. The unique Wedding Garden and Garden Marquee are available for ceremonies all year round, adorned with wisteria dripped chandeliers, which means it needs very little decoration. Fernihill has a capacity for up to 300 guests and a civil ceremony licence. @fernhill.house