Why a Pre or Post Wedding BBQ Might Be the Best Part of the Wedding?
The wedding day will always be the main event.
But sometimes, the moments around it become the ones everyone talks about just as much.
A relaxed BBQ the evening before. One more gathering the day after. Good food, familiar faces and nowhere else to be just yet.
At Boyne Hill House, pre and post wedding celebrations can give couples a little more time with everyone who has travelled to be there, turning one rather special day into two or even three.
A relaxed start before the wedding
When guests are travelling from different parts of Ireland or from overseas, the evening before the wedding can often be the first time everyone is finally in the same place.
A pre wedding BBQ keeps things easy.
It gives everyone time to arrive, settle in and get to know one another before the wedding day begins. No formal introductions or strict running order. Just good food, drinks and the people you want around you.
It can be particularly lovely for destination weddings, where an extra evening together makes the journey feel part of the celebration rather than simply the travel before it.
The Courtyard at Boyne Hill House, captured by Memento Photography.
And one more reason to stay the day after
Then there is the morning after.
The speeches have been made, the dancing has finished and everyone is still talking about what happened the night before.
A post wedding BBQ gives the celebration somewhere to go next.
It is deliberately more relaxed than the wedding itself. A chance to gather again, enjoy the estate at a slower pace and spend a little more time together before everyone starts making their way home.
For guests staying at Boyne Hill House, it can make the end of the wedding feel much less abrupt.
Can you have a two or three day wedding at Boyne Hill House?
Yes, depending on the wedding date and availability.
Couples can explore a pre wedding or post wedding celebration alongside their main wedding day, with minimum guest numbers applying.
For Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday weddings, there is generally greater flexibility to plan additional celebrations around the wedding itself. This makes midweek dates particularly suited to couples imagining two or three days together, whether that means a BBQ before the wedding, something relaxed the following day, or both.
For Friday, Saturday and Sunday weddings, the days immediately before and after are naturally in much higher demand. Because of this, pre or post wedding dates around a weekend celebration cannot be held far in advance and are subject to availability closer to the wedding date.
If extending your stay is an important part of how you imagine your wedding, it is worth mentioning it to the Wedding Team from the beginning. They can talk you through which dates offer the most flexibility and what may be possible around your chosen day.
You can find more practical information in our Wedding FAQs.
The Manor House Hallway, captured by Memento Photography.
Why a BBQ works so well
The beauty of a pre or post wedding BBQ is that it does not need to compete with the wedding day.
Quite the opposite.
The wedding itself can still have all of the anticipation, ceremony and celebration you imagined, while the BBQ feels noticeably different.
More informal. More spontaneous. More time to actually sit down with people.
There is no need to recreate the wedding twice. Sometimes the nicest contrast is simply swapping the timeline for a plate of food, a drink in hand and a few more hours together.
Particularly lovely for guests travelling to Ireland
For couples planning a destination wedding in Ireland, the time around the wedding can become just as important as the day itself.
Boyne Hill House sits on a private 38 acre country estate in the Boyne Valley, around 35 minutes from Dublin, giving guests the feeling of escaping to the countryside without travelling hours from the city.
With accommodation across the Manor House and Courtyard Mews, family and friends can stay close to the celebration rather than immediately disappearing in different directions once the evening is over.
That is where an extra gathering can really come into its own.
Autumn day at Boyne Hill House, captured by Memento Photography.
One day, two days or perhaps three
Not every wedding needs to become a full itinerary.
A multi day celebration can be as simple as adding one relaxed moment either side of the wedding.
Day one: arrive, settle in and gather for a pre wedding BBQ.
Day two: the wedding.
Day three: sleep a little later, share the stories from the night before and come together once more before heading home.
Or simply choose the part that feels right for you.
At Boyne Hill House, the idea is not to make the wedding bigger for the sake of it. It is simply about giving yourselves a little more time with the people who matter.
Make a little more of your time at Boyne Hill House
Some of the best memories may happen before anyone walks down the aisle, or after the last song has played.
A BBQ before the wedding. A slower day afterwards. One more meal together before everyone says goodbye.
If a two or three day celebration is part of what you are imagining, our Wedding Team can help you explore the dates and options available around your wedding.
Explore weddings at Boyne Hill House, or come and experience the estate for yourself with a private wedding viewing. Take a wander through the grounds, tour the estate and see some of our signature spaces in person.
