Choosing where you are going to celebrate your wedding day is one of the most significant decisions you will make when planning your marriage. It is not just about finding a building that looks nice in photographs, but about finding a space that feels genuinely welcoming, where you and your family can completely relax without feeling rushed or treated like just another booking on a conveyor belt.
Tucked away just outside Larne near Drains Bay, Hillmount House sits quietly at the very gateway to the Causeway Coastal Route. It is a privately owned, three-hundred-year-old Georgian manor house set within ten acres of mature, beautiful grounds that look right out over the sea. Whether you are planning a relaxed weekend house party with your closest friends or a larger, elegant gathering, this guide covers everything you need to know about planning your day with us.
The Hillmount House at a Glance
| The Hillmount House At A Glance | |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Drains Bay, Larne, County Antrim (Causeway Coast) |
| Estate Size | 10 Acres of private sea-view lawns and mature gardens |
| Main Barn Capacity | Up to 150 guests for dining and entertainment |
| Exclusivity | Strictly one wedding per day for absolute privacy |
| Accommodation | 5 luxury bedrooms sleeping up to 10 guests in the house |
The Wedding Spaces at Hillmount House
What makes the estate quite unique is the way the historic architecture blends naturally with modern, custom-designed facilities. You do not have to compromise between historic charm and modern comfort, as the spaces have been carefully restored to offer both.
The Barn
Set directly within our magnificent grounds, The Barn is a beautiful, light-filled space that can comfortably accommodate up to 150 people for dinner and your evening entertainment. While it offers all the modern facilities, heating, and structural benefits you would expect from a premium new build, the interior design radiates an ambiance of total decadence and classic style.
The Barn features our signature Art Deco-inspired cocktail bar, which was added as part of a significant refurbishment project to give guests a sophisticated, dedicated space to enjoy their drinks throughout the day and evening. It provides a spectacular backdrop looking out towards the Antrim Coast, making it a wonderful setting for a wedding meal.
The Coach House & Courtyard
If you are dreaming of a slightly smaller, more intimate celebration, or an atmospheric setting for your drinks reception, The Coach House and its open courtyard provide an enchanting, rustic backdrop. The architecture here beautifully blends historic stone features with modern amenities, offering a lovely sheltered terrace area upstairs that is perfect for guests to gather and chat with a glass of bubbles. For an indoor ceremony, The Coach House can comfortably seat up to 100 guests, giving you a warm, beautifully textured stone setting for your vows.
The Sea-View Gardens & Meadow
The gardens at Hillmount House are a true oasis, sweeping gently down in lawns towards the sea. Surrounded by vibrant seasonal flowers and lush greenery, the rear lawns offer a breathtaking panoramic backdrop for an outdoor ceremony or relaxed lawn games during your drinks reception.
Beyond the formal lawns, our wild meadow and charming stone pathways offer countless quiet spots for your photographs, allowing you to slip away for a few peaceful minutes together while your guests enjoy the courtyard.
Ceremonies and Outdoor Celebrations
We are completely flexible when it comes to where you say your vows, and the estate is fully licensed for civil, religious, and humanist ceremonies. If the weather is on our side, you have two distinct outdoor options to choose from: the formal lawn with its sweeping coastal views, or the more relaxed setting of the wild meadow. We provide a beautiful floral arch, lanterns, and all the outdoor seating required for your guests, so you don’t have to worry about hiring extra furniture.
Of course, given our typical Northern Irish weather, we always have a seamless indoor backup plan ready. If it rains, your ceremony can move smoothly inside to the rustic elegance of The Coach House (for up to 100 guests) or directly into the spacious surroundings of The Barn, which can host up to 150 ceremony guests.
Ceremony Capacity Options
| Ceremony Capacity Options |
|---|
| Outdoor Lawn or Meadow: Full estate capacity (weather permitting) |
| The Coach House (Indoor): Up to 100 guests seated comfortably |
| The Barn (Indoor): Up to 150 guests seated comfortably |
Complete Privacy: Our Exclusive Use Policy
We know how uncomfortable it can feel to arrive at a wedding venue only to spot another bridal party crossing the lobby, or to feel like you are being hurried along so the staff can set up for the next group. That is why we maintain a strict policy of hosting only one wedding per day.
When you book your celebration here, the entire ten-acre estate, the gardens, the courtyard, the barns, and the historic Georgian country house are completely yours for the duration of your stay. Our owner-operated team is dedicated solely to your day, ensuring a personal, down-to-earth service where nothing is rushed and everything runs exactly to your pace.
Overnight Stays in the Georgian Country House
For couples wishing to stay on the estate, the main Manor House is available for exclusive, fully serviced hire for up to ten people. This Grade II listed gentleman’s residence, originally built in 1728 for the Countess of Antrim, has been painstakingly refurbished to offer real luxury while maintaining its historic soul.
Manor House Accommodation Layout
| Manor House Accommodation Layout | |
|---|---|
| Bedrooms | 5 luxury double or twin bedrooms sleeping up to 10 |
| Bathrooms | 3 spacious, high-end bathrooms |
| Living Spaces | Elegant drawing room and a cosy family living room |
| Dining | Large kitchen-dining room and a formal grand dining room |
Staying in the house feels like hosting your own elegant house party. You will have the support of our dedicated housekeeper, who will get you completely settled in on your arrival and prepare a relaxed breakfast buffet for your bridal party the following morning, ensuring your preparation is calm and completely stress-free.
The Wedding Packages Explained
We don’t believe in rigid, complicated tier systems that force you into boxes, but we have shaped three flexible approaches over the years to help give you a starting point for how your time on the estate can look.
The Weekend House Party Wedding
This is truly the signature Hillmount experience, turning your wedding into a relaxed three-day celebration with your absolute favorite people.
- Day 1: You arrive from 2pm to get completely settled in with the help of our housekeeper. We can arrange a traditional afternoon tea or a casual evening supper upon request while you relax in the drawing room.
- Day 2: You start the morning with a full breakfast buffet served by our housekeeper, leaving you completely free to enjoy your hair and makeup preparation. After your ceremony on the formal lawn, the meadow, or inside the barns, you host your main meal in the fully furnished barn and celebrate long into the night before retiring back to the house.
- Day 3: The following morning features a relaxed breakfast or brunch for the ten guests staying in the house. If you want to keep the celebrations going a bit longer, we can easily set up a casual backyard BBQ or a picnic in the courtyard for your wider guest list.
Day Hire Only
For couples who want the complete exclusivity of the estate for their big day but don’t require the overnight stay in the manor house, our Day Hire package allows you to arrive from 12pm. You get full, private access to the formal lawns, the wild meadow, the courtyard, and the main wedding barn to host your ceremony and evening reception exactly how you want it.
The Bespoke All-Inclusive Wedding
If you want to take the logistical weight completely off your shoulders, our bespoke package bundles the venue hire together with our most trusted local partners. This includes stunning, wild, and unstructured seasonal floral designs by Kim at Victoriana Floral, who was previously awarded wedding florist of the year for County Antrim. It also covers a glass of prosecco or a cold beer from our beer baths on arrival, a full three-course sit-down meal, and evening supper goujons to keep everyone going during the party.
Catering, Dining, and Custom Menus
Food is a massive part of any good celebration, and we want the dining experience to feel like a proper feast rather than a standard, mass-produced function meal. For our custom all-inclusive packages, we have designed menus that focus on brilliant, locally sourced ingredients. A typical menu might feature comforting starters like a traditional winter broth served with warm crusty rolls or parsnip and bacon soup with soda bread croutons. For the main course, couples regularly choose from a classic roast silverside of beef with a rich red wine shallot sauce, traditional turkey and ham with sage and onion stuffing, or a fillet of Irish salmon with a rich fish veloute.
| Sample Hillmount Banquet Menu | |
|---|---|
| Starters | Spiced lentil and tomato soup / Parma ham and melon salad |
| Mains | Supreme of chicken breast wrapped in Parma ham / Roast silverside of Irish beef |
| Desserts | A custom trio of mini house desserts |
| Evening | Fresh chicken goujons served with pokes of chips |
If you are opting for our standard wedding venue hire packages, we are incredibly flexible. While food isn’t automatically included in those rates, we have a carefully curated list of fabulous, pre-approved outside caterers who know our kitchens inside out, ensuring the service matches the high standard of the venue. We can even accommodate gourmet food trucks in the courtyard for a more bohemian, relaxed evening vibe, though we just ask for a quick chat beforehand to ensure the power and spacing setups are right.
Real Wedding Inspiration at Hillmount House
There is nothing quite like seeing how other couples have used the spaces to give you ideas for your own day. We have been incredibly lucky to host some truly beautiful and historic celebrations over the last few years.
You can explore the joyful summer details of Emma & David’s Wedding or look through the elegant styling of Laura & Neil’s Wedding. For couples looking for a relaxed, outdoor feel, Allie & Kyle’s Celebration and the winter warmth of Beth & Michael’s Wedding show just how versatile the barns and gardens can be throughout the changing seasons.
We were also incredibly proud to host the beautiful day of Chris McNaghten and Jon Swan, which made history as the first same-sex religious wedding to take place in Northern Ireland, covered widely across the national press. Whether it is a mindful, quiet outdoor ceremony or a big, bohemian party with a late license bar, the estate adapts naturally to whatever feels right for you.
Planning Details & Frequently Asked Questions
To help you with the practical side of your planning, we have compiled a few of the most common questions couples ask us during viewings:
- Are you dog-friendly? Absolutely. We are big dog lovers ourselves and your four-legged family members are more than welcome to be part of your ceremony and celebrations on the grounds.
- What are the maximum guest numbers? We have no minimum numbers if you want an intimate day, and we can comfortably seat up to 150 guests for your main wedding meal in the barn, with space for up to 200 total guests in the evening.
- Is there a minimum spend on the bar? Yes, we have a minimum spend of £500 to cover the logistics of staffing, storing, and sourcing our fully licensed bar, and we don’t permit couples to bring their own drinks.
- How do we secure a date? We are happy to hold a provisional date for you for 14 days. To fully secure your date, we require a booking deposit of £2000, which is then naturally deducted from your final package price.
For a more exhaustive look at the operational details of the estate, you can read our full Planning Your Wedding Day at Hillmount House – FAQs.
Take the Next Step
Photos and guides can tell you a bit of the story, but Hillmount House always looks and feels even better in person. We would be absolutely delighted to welcome you to the estate, make you a proper cup of tea, and show you around the manor house and gardens. Viewings are strictly by appointment only so that we can ensure you have our completely undivided attention.
If you would like to book a private viewing or check our current availability for the coming seasons, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Naomi and the team at enquiries@hillmounthouse.com or call us on +44 (0) 2828 276 751.