Madonna, princess of pop, was famously married at Skibo Castle in the Scottish Highlands. If you too want to
feel like royalty then the grandeur of a castle is the perfect setting in which to exchange your vows.

When it comes to planning a wedding with moats, towers and turrets, the thought of chancing the unpredictable British elements may be putting you off. Never fear. If your heart is set on a romantic castle, there are many to choose from around the world to host a destination wedding fit for a princess.

The luck of the Irish

For those who want to stay closer to home, whatever the weather, the luxurious five-star Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland is a beautiful choice for hosting a wedding. The castle dates back to 1228 and was once the estate of the Guinness family. Ashford Castle enjoys a stunning setting with open lawns, Victorian walled gardens and lakeside woodland paths, and offers health and beauty facilities, lake cruises and golf.

Wedding package:
With two churches located in and around the castle grounds, this spectacular castle can accommodate small weddings of up to 40 people or a larger wedding of up to 160 people. Wedding breakfasts start at approximately £70. You can enjoy exclusive use of the castle with your wedding guests by booking all 83 bedrooms for your wedding party. With the entire castle estate at your disposal, you can wander across lawns, and lakeside woodland to find the perfect backdrop for your wedding photographs.
www.ashford.ie

African Beach Castle

Hire your very own private castle on the spectacular South African Garden Route for an elite fairytale wedding in the lap of luxury. Pezula Private Castle, built into the cliff face on Noetzie Beach in Knysna, is a breathtaking exclusive resort that has been awarded ‘Best Property in the World’. The castle complex, which is part of the plush Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa, comprises five superb suites in three castles. Bride, groom and guests will live like royalty in this magnificent residence, indulged by the castle’s dedicated team, which includes a private chef and executive butler to ensure you have the ultimate experience in pampering and luxury.

Wedding package:
Pezula Private Castle is part of The Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa, which is the perfect place for your wedding reception, with a seating capacity for up to 120 guests. The resort’s staff can co-ordinate your reception from the entertainment and table settings to hiring a luxury limo or horse and carriage.

The Honeymoon Castle, adjacent to the Main Castle, is arguably the most romantic suite in the world. This totally secluded luxury beach apartment offers double windows looking out on to the beach and a wood-burning fireplace in the bedroom.

The Castle of Dreams Package provides accommodation at Pezula Private Castle for up to 10 guests, plus welcome bubbly and oysters, helicopter transfers to and from George airport, all meals, refreshments and South African wines as well, all activities at Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa including golf, spa treatments, horse-riding, canoeing, hiking and archery. The package starts at 8,000 Rand (approx £592) per person per night based on 10 people sharing. www.pezula.com
Book it: travel with Kuoni: 0117 927 2009

French Turrets

Just an hour from Paris, Chateau d’Esclimont is a unique hotel set in a magnificent Renaissance château, which was the former home of the La Rochefoucauld family. This stunning romantic retreat, surrounded by a moat, is set in 150 acres of park and promises seclusion in a beautiful location with refined cuisine.

From the towers, belfries and delightful grounds to pretty bedrooms with fresh flowers and balconies with views of the calming moat below – everything here has a sense of true romance with typical French flourish. Take a hot-air balloon ride or arrive in style by helicopter and see the château and surrounding area in it's magnificence from the air.

Wedding package:
Prices for the pavilion hire for your wedding start at approximately £2,000 and you can choose your menu from their traditional haute cuisine, from approximately £50 per head. A wedding in France would not be complete without great wine, and with a selection of more than 400 wines from the cellar you’ll be spoilt for choice! Weather-permitting, you can even marry in the exquisite gardens.
www.esclimont.com

American Dream

There’s more to marrying in the USA than exchanging vows with Elvis in a Las Vegas wedding chapel, so travel south to Texas and you’ll discover a unique castle that’s a world away from The Strip.

Falkenstein Castle is a fairytale building set in a wildlife sanctuary near highland lakes.
The castle is the private home of Terry and Kim Young. They discovered a set of initial plans and drawings for the next castle to be built by King Ludwig of Bavaria, who died before his dream could be realised. The couple took the plunge and built his dream in the United States, and it is now available for your dream wedding.

Wedding package:
The complete wedding package costs $5,995 (approximately £3,700) and includes castle rental, reception centre rental, a wedding consultant and photographer. You can bring in your own caterers and the castle won’t charge corkage, so you can use your imagination and theme your wedding reception according to your taste – from Tex Mex or burgers to a full Medieval feast!
www.falkensteincastle.com

Hawaiian Wedding

Water sports fans dreaming of combining world-class surfing with a romantic castle wedding should head to Hawaii where Iolani Palace, Honolulu, the only official royal palace on American soil, is the perfect setting for a castle wedding and surfing honeymoon. The Palace was built in 1882 by King David Kalakaua, the last of Hawaii’s kings, and hosts numerous festive events – from elegant dinner parties and gala balls to fairy tale marriages. The castle boasts dramatically-lit staircases, columns and flourishes, which characterise late 19th Century architectural style and provide a glimpse of Hawaii’s history. Your wedding guests will be allowed to walk through the palace galleries to view an impressive array of ancient historic and Western regalia, including the crowns of the last king and queens of Hawaii and priceless treasures collected from Hawaiian royalty.

Wedding package:
It is considered an honour to hold a wedding celebration on the grounds of Iolani Palace, so if you are interested in getting married at this historical palace visit their website to pencil in your preferred date on the Palace calendar. As all wedding receptions at the Palace need to be channelled through a professional wedding planner, you should then log onto: www.nacehawaii.com for a directory of recommended Wedding Planners.
www.iolanipalace.org