Walking through Kilkenny Castle's rose gardens, it's hard not to imagine a string quartet cueing your entrance beneath stone battlements. Yet today's couples can blend such medieval majesty with sleek lighting rigs, five-course tasting menus and late-night DJ sets.
This article dissects five fortress venues—from intimate tower-house keeps to grand state-room wings—detailing licensing restrictions, décor allowances and sample weekend itineraries that weave falconry displays, artisan market brunches and whiskey cellar tours between ceremony and send-off.
Our styling experts reveal how to juxtapose 12th-century archways with acrylic ghost chairs, and culinary curators share seasonal menus celebrating Kilkenny beef, foraged mushrooms and local farmhouse cheeses. Castles aren't relics—they're blank canvases waiting for your contemporary love story.