The award winning family run Shamrock Lodge Hotel has recently celebrated 70 years in business, and I am delighted that they are the first featured venue on JanayMac.ie.
Situated in the heart of the midlands, the wedding team at the Shamrock Lodge Hotel specialise in providing a personal service throughout. Their motto is “there is no question too small”
To find out a little bit more about the Shamrock Lodge Hotel and what sets them apart as a wedding venue, I caught up with their Sales & Marketing Manager, Mary Glynn.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the venue?
Home really is where the heart is when it comes to the Shamrock Lodge Hotel. With generations of families celebrating the biggest day of their lives here, fond memories and sentimentality certainly isn’t lacking. We pride ourselves in offering a very personal service to couples on their journey to their special day. Every couple are treated with great care and as we are a close-knit team, there is always someone to lend a hand for any questions couples have.
Tucked away at the end of a tree-lined avenue in beautiful Athlone, our family-run venue has a touching family history spanning over 25 years. Customer satisfaction is first on the list for us. We feel we succeed in making couples feel that the hotel is their own for their day. Nothing is too big an issue for us. We give our couples 100 per cent attention at all times, great quality food and great service in a comfortable, beautifully furnished venue. Also, our landscaped grounds are a huge addition as they are unique in that you have a country feeling in the heart of the town.
What trends are you currently seeing in the industry, and how has it been impacted by Covid?
There have been more enquiries for smaller weddings, maybe this is just because people don’t want to commit to larger weddings until things are a little more normal. Of course, Covid has impacted how things are done now and some traditions unfortunately cannot be used however with that brings new traditions, new trends and new attitudes. It also brings something different for couples. Whatever trends or changes come along, we will give couples the most amazing day we possibly can and we must say that our couples from 2020 and 2021 would agree that their smaller weddings were amazing and just as special as they had wanted upon booking pre Covid. I suppose we just try to see the positives rather than the negatives and use that to help our couples.
What changes do you see coming down the tracks for your industry?
There will always be changes and new trends coming along and there always has been. In our 25-year history, we have learned, grown and adapted to the ever-changing needs of our wedding couples over the years understanding that times are changing, wedding requirements are changing and with that our flexibility is expanding to meet every couple’s requirements.
What is the best thing about hosting a couple’s big day?
Creating memories for couples and seeing their smiling faces on the day. It is a privilege that couple’s trust us to give them their dream wedding day and we don’t take that for granted at all. It is a huge thing and something the couple will remember forever, it’s a very special thing to be part of.
What advice would you give to couples when it comes to their wedding day?
Utilise our experience, we are here to help every step of the day to make your day as stress free as possible. There will of course be some nerves on the run up to the wedding, nerves are good! However, on the day, we check in with our couples as much as possible to ensure everything is going smoothly and as they wish. Things can change, and as much as you plan, something may happen that you hadn’t foreseen. That’s where we come in and we have seen it all, we have even sewed bride’s dresses before they have walked up the aisle, so we are here for you every step of the way!
