Weddings/Celebrations
Weddings & Celebrations
We can work with you to create a private, informal wedding for up to 80 people in a relaxed atmosphere surrounded by all your family and close friends. We can accommodate 37 – Westcove House sleeps 10, The Stables 11, Pier Cottage 11 and Garden Cottage a further 5 – all within the same grounds, making it an ideal venue when you have family and friends coming from abroad, so the guests can combine the wedding with a few days holiday/reunion in this beautiful area.
Although not an official wedding planner, Katherine Casey (katherine.westcove@gmail.com), our manager/cook, has helped many young – and not so young (!) – couples to arrange very varied but always successful events as your will see from our enthusiastic reviews.
Katherine and her team are able to provide ‘in-house’ catering for up to 55 guests for a formal celebration dinner in our function/games room in The Stables building. The tables and most of the chairs can then be cleared for ‘dancing the night away’ to a live band or disco.
For larger celebrations, a marquee for up to 80 guests can be erected on the lawn in front of The Stables. Although outside caterers would be needed for these numbers, Katherine and her team are happy to provide delicious home cooked meals in Westcove House itself….although the dining room only seats 26 max, informal ‘buffet style’ brunches, suppers and barbecues can also be arranged for up to 55 guests before or after the wedding night itself in the Stables “Games” room.
Our Local Info page will give you an idea of the numerous possible activities/excursions in this fascinating area. We will be happy to help you arrange one or more of these Kerry experiences for your guests, including golf, guided nature walks, fishing etc…. and of course a selection of musical evenings can also be organised at Westcove House itself.
For wedding/celebration guests not staying at Westcove, who may need one or two nights accommodation, here is a list of local places to stay. You will find links to local churches, marquee providers, caterers, etc in our Local Information section below.
A damages deposit of €500 will be payable in cash on arrival. Wedding/Celebration Reviews
Small Weddings and Celebrations (Without Marquee)
Our minimum stay for groups wishing to have a celebration meal at Westcove House for under 55, but not requiring a marquee is 4 nights (5 nights in May, June and September or 7 nights in July and August from Saturday to Saturday). Our games/function room is the perfect setup for your seated formal dinner for smaller groups. The table and chairs can then be quickly cleared away, leaving space to dance the night away to live music or a disco. Please see our catering options here. The normal daily rates apply, with a minimum stay of 4 nights (even for a 2 night weekend).Large Weddings and Celebrations (With Marquee)Our minimum stay for larger wedding parties requiring a marquee is 4 nights (5 nights in May, June and September or 7 nights in July and August from Saturday to Saturday). Add 10% to the daily rates to cover the extra costs of our staff time needed to supervise the erection and dismantling of a marquee, a security guard to keep a discreet eye on the properties during the festivities, and additional electricity required for this sort of function.
Local Information:
Churches | Church of Mary Immaculate at Lohar, near Waterville & with stunning views over the Atlantic, is an extremely popular choice & advisable to book early. St Crohan’s Church in Caherdaniel has the advantage of being only 5 minutes drive from Westcove and is adjacent to 2 excellent pubs! The Church closest to Westcove is The Church of the Most Precious Blood and only one mile away in Castlecove. The churches above are Roman Catholic but there are also very pretty Church of Ireland churches in both Sneem and Waterville (20 minutes drive away)- info on request. |
Humanist Celebrant | Ealish Whillock has been to Westcove many times and offers legal and symbolic wedding ceremonies, vow renewals or naming ceremonies. These can take place on our terrace with Kenmare Bay as a stunning backdrop, or in a reception room of your choice in one of the Westcove houses. If you are looking for a celebrant with a calm, friendly approach who has a passion for crafting warm, personal ceremonies which reflect you and your family, then please email her on ealish@humanistcelebration.com or call +353 (0) 85 176 4489 to discuss your requirements. www.humanistcelebration.com |
Marquees | Party Time Ltd. offers everything you need to create the most memorable events. With a choice of Wedding Marquees, Luxury and Corporate Marquees, which are custom built to fit your proposed site, we stock a large collection of decorative interiors to put the finishing touches to your marquee including Marquee carpets, Marquee linings, Furniture Hire, Event lighting, Stage Hire, Mobile bars and luxury Toilet Hire to mention just a few. Visit us at www.ptmarquees.ie. Call us on +353 (0) 87 2344149, or email info@partytimeltd.ie for a no obligation quote. LPM Bohemia, a large European company, offers a large selection of marquees of all shapes and sizes for those looking for ‘something a bit different’. Visit us at www.lpmbohemia.com or contact ireland@lpm.com +353 (0) 41 9884771. Magnakata provide stunningly beautiful Nordic Tipis (or Katas) for hire to help create a unique event which will leave a lasting impression on you and your guests. Our Katas are Atmospheric, spacious, flexible and above all, different, with charming traditional features to suit every occasion. Find us at www.magnakata.com or contact us on +44 (0) 28 4483 9796. |
Caterers | O’Carrolls Cove. Originally a beach-side bar, O’Carroll’s Cove, Caherdaniel, only 2 miles from Westcove, has been extended and now boasts 2 chefs, trained by Rachael and Darina Allan at Ballymalloe. They can cater for over 100 guests with space for a dance floor on the premises, but are also happy to produce a delicious celebration dinner in a marquee at Westcove. Please contact Ray or Catherine on +353 (0) 669475151 or visit us at www.ocarrollscove.ie Just Cooking. If you are planning a large event – a marquee wedding, party or any special occasion – at Westcove House, Mark and Bernie Doe would be delighted to discuss various options and menus with you. With their creative ‘hands-on’ approach, Just Cooking will tailor your event to suit your needs – from informal ‘canapé’ parties and buffets to BBQ’s or formal celebration meals. They can also bring their expertise from their cookery school to Westcove House and tailor make a cookery course for you e.g. Easy Entertaining, BBQ Thai Cookery, Fish Cooking, Afternoon Tea and more. You can then enjoy a meal that you have prepared! Website: justcooking.ie Email: info@justcooking.ie Telephone: +353 (0) 669793660 / +353 (0) 866095318 Ted Berner of Wildside Catering – is also a DJ – an excellent chef and has catered for several functions at Westcove. Happy Hog Roasts are a local family who run ‘pig on a spit business’. “We cater for larger groups by cooking local succulent pork. We provide fresh baps, fresh locally made salads and all condiments”. Please ring Liam Rawson or Sam Lowes to discuss your requirements: +353 (0) 4504217 or +353 (0) 7508820 happyhogroasts@gmail.com Celebration Cakes by Petra are a Castlecove-based home bakery offering a wide range of baked treats with the main focus on wedding and other special occasion cakes. Visit Petra’s Instagram or Facebook pages, or call her to discuss your needs on +353 (0) 87 607 0115 |
Music | Disco: Very popular locally, DJ Tony Mulcahy has his own Disco – +353 (0) 646645183 www.videodjkerry.com. +353 (0) 876757093 ‘The Boutique Wedding DJ Service’ Donal Clifford has been filling Kerry Dance floors for the past 20 years and will tailor a package to suit your needs. As one of Irelands only Video DJ’s you can now dance to all your favourite music videos from the 50’s to the charts. The Screens can also be used to display Photographs and Video messages. He also can provide up lighting and a Photo booth service. So if you need a DJ to play after your Band, a DJ only wedding reception or you would like to hire speakers and disco lights and have your own party Donal is here to help. Live bands: www.katsquire.ie, +353 (0) 874163673 Katsquire made their name touring Europe for many years, but since relocating to Kerry in 2002 have gained a reputation as one of the most popular and versatile bands in Munster… www.trulydiverse.com All members of Truly Diverse have roots in Irish music and ‘are the newest sensation to hit the wedding scene in the South of Ireland’. |
Florist | Contact Fiona, an excellent and creative florist based in Sneem windowbox@eircom.net, +353 (0) 877712865 |
Photography | Nick Cavanagh is a friendly wedding and portrait photographer specialising in the use of natural light which is perfect for the space at Westcove House. Nick has a portrait studio in Kenmare but spends a great deal of time on location throughout the region. He can be contacted directly via email nick@nickcavanagh.ie or phone +353 (0) 879 491 002 His website is nickcavanagh.ie and recent work can also be seen on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nick.cavanagh/ Pauline Dennigan loves to photograph genuine, fleeting moments where people connect. She is used to communicating with people from all over the world who are coming to Ireland for their event. She can make the photography planning process very easy by scouting locations in advance to ensure you have the best landscape Ireland has to offer as a backdrop for your photos. Web: www.DenniganPhotography.ie email: info@DenniganPhotography.ie phone +353 (0) 86 345 4620 |
Wines and Champagne | AC Wines +353 (0) 87 9873650 Alain Bras, is the co-proprietor of AC Wine Merchants and Shop on Henry Street in Kenmare, Co. Kerry. Alain Bras is a Multi-Award Winning Sommelier (Wine Captain), Wine Importer and Lecturer. If you have any questions about your Wine/Champagne requirements please just ask Alain! Alain is always adding to his stock so he will have additional wines available as well as what is on the website. Delivery to Westcove House can be arranged. The website is: www.acwine.ie and the email is: info@acwine.ie |
Transport Services | Kerry Experience Tours +353 (0) 862554098 Gerrit for Airport Transfers, Taxi or Coach Services, and private day tours that will treat your Wedding & guests to a unique sightseeing experience. You can find us and more information at www.kerryexperiencetours.ie |