Plan Your Big Day

Firstly….Congratulations on your engagement, from all the team at The Hardiman.

We know this is a very exciting time and a busy one too, full of decisions and plans being made, one of the biggest is the venue.

Our Wedding Team is on hand to meet and exceed all your expectations before, during and after your wedding day.

Every couple have their own vision of their wedding and in this regard all celebrations at The Hardiman worked on with our team and you both as a couple to make your dream day come true, we are experts at what we do, we have had over 170 years experience as a top, luxury, iconic Galway wedding venue. We are traditional, elegant and guests invited to a wedding at The Hardiman as always excited to see The Hardiman as the venue on wedding invitations!

Our iconic hotel is a very popular Summer and Winter wedding venue as this is when Galway comes alive at its best, Winter is an especially gorgeous time as the place looks wonderful with its Christmas decorations over looking The Galway Christmas Market, a photo backdrop like no where else in Ireland.

When will a wedding planner be available to meet with me?
The Hardiman’s wedding planner is in the hotel Tuesday to Saturday 9 – 5.30pm. Meetings are subject to availability, and to avoid disappointment, we advise for you to contact the team to arrange an appointment in advance of your arrival. We can also arrange virtual meetings online
How much is the deposit and when is it due?
The initial deposit of €1,000 is required on booking the wedding. A further €1,000 is due 3 months prior to wedding date, The final balance is to be settled on departure.
Do you have minimum numbers for a wedding at the weekend?
There is a minimum requirement of 140 adult guests on a Friday and Saturday. Should your numbers fall below these numbers then a venue fee would apply which would be implemented of €500.00
Can you facilitate a civil ceremony and is there a cost for this?
We are licensed to hold civil ceremonies. A suitable room will be advised to you, depending on the amount of guests you wish to attend. A fee of €500 will apply to civil ceremonies. It is the responsibility of the wedding couple to make arrangements with the HSE to arrange all paperwork and book a registrar.
Can you recommend local churches to us?
We are fortunate to have some beautiful ornate Catholic and Protestant churches in the area and we are happy to provide contact details and photographs of these.
Is a Menu Tasting included?
An initial menu tasting is included with the hotel’s compliments for the bride and groom only. You will also have the opportunity to taste a selection of the hotel’s banqueting wines at this point.
When should our menu tasting take place?
We recommend that this should take place 3 months prior to your wedding. Menu tastings are facilitated on Wednesdays & Saturday from at 2.30pm or 4.30pm subject to availability. We do recommend that you book this as early as possible to avoid disappointment, as dates do book up early. We do not offer tastings of the days of Weddings or Functions in house
When should the menu be finalised?
We would ask for all menu items and wines to be selected at least one month prior to the wedding. If we have some menu ideas other than those in the brochure, will the chef be
able to accommodate us? Our suggested dishes have been specially selected to enhance your guests wedding experience at The Hardiman. Consideration will be given to special menu requests; however, it is not always possible to facilitate these.
Is there a children’s menu?
We have a children’s menu available for €15.95 per child. Under 5 Years are free of charge
Can special diets be accommodated?
We are more than happy to accommodate your guests’ special diets. We would ask for you to inform us of these in advance of the wedding.
Can we bring our own wine? How much is corkage?
It is possible to provide your own wine for your wedding. A corkage fee of €15 per 75cl bottle of wine and €17 per 75cl bottle of Champagne and sparkling wine will apply.
Can Food or Beverage be brought in from an outside caterer?
All food and beverages must be provided by The Hardiman. The only exception to this is wedding cake and if you chose to provide wine with the meal.
How much wine will we need?
If you are offering sparkling wine / Champagne at the drinks reception then we recommend that you allow for 2 glasses per person. (There are 6 glasses per bottle).

Do expect to serve at least half bottle of wine per person through out the dinner.

How do you serve evening food?

Evening food is served between 11pm and midnight. We will arrange with you in advance a suitable time for serving this. Evening food is served from a buffet point, and we recommend that you cater for 70% of the total amount of guests attending the evening reception.
Is any accommodation included with my wedding package?
A Suite is provided for the wedding couple with the hotels compliments on the evening of the wedding.
Is there a special wedding rate for my guests? Will any of our guests receive upgrades?
We will be happy to discuss the amount of rooms that we are able to hold for your wedding. This allocation is dependent on the time of year that your wedding is taking place.
How can my wedding guests enjoy the special room rate?
Your wedding planner will let you know the amount of rooms that are holding for you at the special wedding rate. These rooms are to be named by yourselves, and we would ask for you to e-mail a list of names that you would like to be allocated to these rooms.
Do you provide any decoration or additional services for the wedding?
Red Carpet – A red carpet will be at the entrance to The Hardiman to greet you on arrival

What shape is the top table, and how many can it accommodate?
Typically, the top table shaped in one of the below options.
1. Round Top Table – this is the same as your guests tables and can hold up to 10 guests
2. Traditional Long – Top table guests sit on only one side of the table facing into your other guests. We can make this table as large as you wish, but consideration may
need to be given to the size of your wedding, as a large long top table does reduce the amount of tables in total that can fit in the room.
Chair covers

White coloured chair covers and sash colour of your choice are provided with our compliments.
Candelabra’s

One Candelabra with candles is provided per table. You are welcome to decorate these with flowers, providing that the arrangement in no way damages the candelabra.
Menu’s

We are happy to print these for you, . The Bride and Groom’s name and wedding date will be stated on these. Should you wish to provide your own menu’s, then please submit
a draft to us to be proof read by the chef prior to printing.
Cake Stand

We do have a cake stand suitable to hold a 3 tier cake.
Dance Floor

Our dance floor is recommended for up to 220 guests. It is mahogany in colour and is 21ft by 21ft. The dance floor is placed prior to your wedding. Depending on the
size of your wedding, it is quite possible that tables will be set on the dance floor and removed after dinner. Your wedding planner will discuss this with you in further detail.
Stage

The maximum size of the stage is 12ft in depth by 16ft length.
Table Plan

We need the table plan to be sent to us by the Monday prior to your wedding , We will get your plan professionally printed, Please note that changes cannot be done after
5.00pm on the Tuesday as plan will be with the printers. This table plan is displayed at the drinks reception prior to your guest being called for dinner.
Place Names

We can provide these for the top table only. Should you wish to supply place cards for the rest of the tables – the hotel is happy to place these on the tables for you, once
they are sorted table by table.

Can you recommend wedding related suppliers to us?
We are more than happy to send a list of local suppliers that are familiar with the hotel. You would be responsible for contacting and booking your own suppliers, as you will need to make very personal decisions that you are comfortable with. The hotel reserves the right to approve all vendors hired. We will need to know in advance the
names and contact details of all suppliers that will be on the premises at any point