CEREMONY

The second chapter of our wedding will take place on the Northern Coast of Ireland. The ceremony will take place at Mussenden Temple. Built in 1785, the temple was built as a summer library and, perched on a cliff, it commands breathtaking views of the sea.

Please park for the ceremony at the Lions Gate Car Park. Mussenden staff will direct you by foot to the ceremony site. We will also have a mini-coach to bring those who don’t want to walk up to the cliff.

[FYI: Because of the historic nature of the ceremony site (and the unpaved walk to the temple itself) we’ve been asked to request you don’t wear sharp-heeled shoes to the ceremony. I know, I know, but these are the prices we pay for gorgeous + significant locations. You’re free to change up footwear, should you desire, for the reception.]

RECEPTION

From Mussenden, you will take a five minute drive up the hill to the Ballymaclary House for dinner, dancing and other lovely silliness.

DATE AND TIME

Saturday, the 21st of July, 2018

1:00pm – Mussenden Temple – Ceremony
2:00pm – Mussenden & Park – Exploring, gorgeous photo ops, etc!
3:00pm – Ballymaclary House – Snacks, drinks, fun, dinner, more fun, dancing!

ADDRESS AND DIRECTIONS

TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATIONS

AIRPORTS

Here you have a couple of options. When we fly into Ireland, we always fly into Dublin, and then rent a car and head up to Belfast. We have often found that the flights into Dublin are significantly cheaper than those into Belfast, but do check both. It’s about a two hour drive up to Belfast (all interstate), and then another hour up to Mussenden.

RENTAL CARS

When reserving and picking up your rental car, be aware that while you may have international rental car coverage (from American Express or some other situation), cars rented in the Republic of Ireland are almost never covered by those policies. Be sure to add on additional coverage. That being said, there’s usually reciprocity between the North and the South, so they won’t charge you extra for driving north across the border – but MAKE SURE that’s in your rental policy. We don’t want anyone facing surprises when they check out.

We have used these sites to find cheaper car rentals: kemwel, AutoEurope

If you’re looking to split a car rental, let us know and we’ll try to do some logistical matchmaking!

OTHER TRANSPORT

There are buses and trains that go between Dublin and Belfast, and a train that goes from Belfast up to the Castlerock Train Station (from which taxis should be available. We’ll look into this more!)

HOTELS & VACATION RENTALS

Seaside Hotels. We attempted to secure block bookings or discounts in the local area for hotels, but this was not an option for most, as this is a premium time of the year, in a very gorgeous area. SO… folks will have to find and book their own local accommodations, as needed.

There are a variety of hotels and B&Bs in both Portstewart and Portrush that can be easily googled. (These are probably the nicest/most tourist-friendly towns in the area nearest the wedding.)

Other options are Coleraine, or further afield in Derry.

House Rentals. Renting a house is also a good option! While they don’t do wedding room blocks, we do have a referral link you can use to get $40 in travel credit! (Only good if you’re signing up for the first time)

Staying in Belfast? We are considering hiring a bus for Saturday to bring people from Belfast at the the beginning of the day, and back to the city after the festivities have died down, for the convenience of local guests and any out-of-towners who would like to stay in the city, rather than on the coast. Please let us know if you’d avail of this so we can gauge interest.

Finally, if you’re stuck, please let us know and we’ll help individually.

ATTRACTIONS

Ireland is gorgeous and full of things to see, including tons of castles and beaches all along the Northern Coast. Just a few famous stops include Dunluce Castle (inspiration for Cair Paravel in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia), Ballintoy Harbor (GoT’s Isle of Pyke), Giant’s Causeway (a gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (a lovely walk with an exciting final crossing).

Let us know if you plan on sticking around Ireland for a longer visit and we’ll be happy to recommend stuff to see and do!