Donegal's Sinead McGowan has a passion for making wedding day dreams come true

“Every couple has a vision of what their perfect wedding day will look like, and our mission is to make their dream come true,” says Sinead McGowan, Deputy General Manager at Lough Eske Castle.

The venue is exceptional, but it is the team and the attention to detail, from initial enquiry through to every aspect of the big day that make each wedding extra special.

Every wedding that Sinead oversees is a collaboration with General Manager Donal Cox, Sales and Events Manager Stepen Bell, and the entire staff, particularly those in the kitchen and banqueting teams. She takes great pride in meeting couples and discussing their wishes while showing them the many options that Lough Eske Castle can offer.

Some choose to have the ceremony in a church and arrive at Lough Eske Castle afterwards. For those who choose to have the wedding ceremony on site, there are indoor and outdoor options to meet all tastes.

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“No two weddings are the same,” says Sinead. “Couples like to put their own personality on the day, and we are very happy to accommodate them.

“Some arrive here after the church ceremony and have a drinks reception in the famous red room, or by the ballroom entrance.

“Those who have their ceremony here can choose one of several suites in the hotel, or the library, or outside in the beautiful rock garden. We have couples getting married under this wonderful tree in the grounds that is large enough to give shelter to the wedding party even if it is raining!”

The beautiful ballroom can be opened in a number of ways depending on the size and style of wedding.

“We can move everything around depending on the seating choice,” says Sinead. “The dancefloor can be moved too, so there is a lot of room for personal choice. Some prefer the traditional top table, others like a more central layout with the bride and groom in the middle.

“The lighting and colour scheme in the ballroom can be tailored too. We have fairy lights behind white mesh drapes at the moment, but the whole ballroom can be redesigned. We tell our couples that it is a blank canvas.”

Floral displays too can greatly enhance and characterise the ballroom, as can many other little touches that are on offer.

The decor of the hotel lends itself to magnificent photography, as do the grounds. From old world luxury to extensive gardens which stretch to the shore of the lake, there is a wealth of picture-perfect locations.

“We can put out the red carpet for their arrival to the front of the castle,” says Sinead. “Or a couple may prefer to make their entrance to the reception from inside, coming down the grand staircase. We have the horse and carriage if they would like that. Some couples come by helicopter.”

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Regardless of how they arrive, the wedding party and their guests are guaranteed to sit down to a delicious meal that has been planned in great detail well in advance.

“Couples often have an idea of what they would like on the menu,” says Sinead. “We go through that with them, and then add more options and invite them for a tasting day. The team in the kitchen prepares everything on the tasting menu, and the couple narrow it down to two or three options. You would often see that they might have had a definite idea of what they wanted, but after tasting everything, they actually go for something that they might not previously have considered.”

While some of the weddings are local, couples travel from across Ireland and all over the world to get married in Lough Eske Castle.

“Wherever they come from, we want every couple to experience what their idea of a perfect wedding day is to them,” said Sinead. “And every member of our incredible team from management and sales to kitchen and bar to banqueting all work together to make sure that happens.”

No wonder Lough Eske Castle is among the most sought after wedding venues in Ireland.