Very little to fault at Cabra Castle

We film at a lot of venues and it is rare to come away from one struggling to name a weakness. Cabra is one of those. The castle looks the part from every angle, the grounds are handsome, the interiors are strong, the staff know what they are doing, and there is enough space that a day never feels squeezed. If you want a castle wedding in Cavan that simply works, it is very hard to argue against.

For a film crew that reliability is worth more than any single feature. We are not hunting for the one good corner or planning around a problem room. Almost everywhere we point a camera here gives us something.

The one thing to know before you book has nothing to do with how it looks.

It is not an exclusive venue

Cabra operates as a hotel, so unless you have taken the whole property there will be other hotel guests around on your day. This is not a criticism. It is simply a different arrangement to a venue hired on an exclusive basis, and it is worth understanding before you decide rather than discovering on the morning.

In practice it shows in one place above all. The front of Cabra is the photograph everybody wants, and that includes the hotel's other guests, so in our experience the clean shot of that incredible facade can take a little patience. We go early, watch for the gaps, and we have always come away with it. Beyond the front lawn it amounts to the odd person crossing the background, and we work around that by scouting the quiet corners and staying light on our feet, which we would do anyway. If sharing the building bothers you at all, ask what exclusive hire would cost at the enquiry stage. Some couples take it. Most decide it does not matter to them once they know.

What the castle gives a film

Scale without coldness, mainly. The building is substantial enough to establish a wedding in a single wide shot, and warm enough inside that the middle of the day does not need rescuing. The grounds give us variety close to the house, so portraits do not cost you an hour away from your guests.

Small things worth doing

• Ask how busy the hotel will be. The venue will tell you straight. Knowing lets you plan rather than react.
• Take the grounds early in the evening. The castle takes low light beautifully and the walk is short.
• Do not over schedule. A venue this capable rewards leaving gaps. The best footage tends to arrive in them.

If Cabra is on your shortlist, you have chosen well. Ask about exclusivity, then stop worrying about the rest of it.