Weddings

WEDDINGS s a celebration for YOU and HER…

Taagepera Castle is an exceptional place – it combines elegance and a rural setting, history and modernity. It is a place where you can hold a grandiose wedding or celebrate privately – with just the two of us. Follow your dreams and make this day unforgettable for all those closest to you.

A successful wedding day involves many people and details. We are here to offer everything necessary for making your wedding day perfect. We will help you find a great wedding emcee, enthralling musicians, a professional photographer, delightful flower arrangements, a majestic horse-drawn carriage and everything else you have been dreaming of!

Taagepera Castle has been voted the best wedding venue in Estonia for the last eight years.

 

Planning a wedding

  • It is advaisable to start planning your wedding a year earlier, especially if you are planning a summer wedding.
  • Together with your spouse, make a guest list and put together an estimated wedding budget.
  • Conctact us for available dates and possible options.
  • We will arrange a meeting so we can introduce you the castle and all the available services we offer.
  • When we have found the suitable wedding date, you should start thinking about the next most important aspects of a wedding: the emencee, photographer, florist, and band. Over the years, we have gained experience and established excellent and reliable relations with the greatest vendors and professionals that we will gladly recommend.
  • When you have booked the date with all the professionals, you can go on with smaller yet still important aspects of the wedding. A great wedding seems effortles and have a unified theme and therefore it is necessary to consider every little details.  We are here to help you with our experience and advice.
  • When planning a wedding, think of the style, colour scheme and details that will characterize your wedding.
  • Depending on the style, coordinate/plan your wedding invitations, which is the most important source of information to your guests prior the wedding. A wedding invitiation should include:

– time schedule (arrival of guests, beginning of ceremony)

– flowers (whether guests are expected to bring flowers and what kind (e.g. If the bride has chosen gallas as the main flowers in the arrangements, we would advise you to  inform guests that galla is the official wedding flower).

– present – whether the bride and groom like to receive presents or envelopes (a good way is to write „we would appreciate if the gift would fit in the envelope“)

– information about accommodation – (whether you offer accommodation for your guests or not)

– information about children – are children allowed at the wedding

– the minimum RSVP time should be at least one month before the wedding. That gives enough time for the bride and groom to plan accommodation into rooms, the sitting arrangement, and other details.

  • Table plan and name tags – we suggest to think through how you want your guests to be seated. In case you decide for designated seats you should also prepare a table plan from where your guests can find their seat and name tag locations more easily. The table plan and name tags can be crafted by yourselves, however it is important that their style and colors will fit with everything else. We recommend to order the invitations, table plan and name tags from one maker. We also can organize it for you.

Wedding at Taagepera Castle

Wedding Day

 

  • The most convenient way is to start your day at the castle by arriving the evening before (if possible)
  • We will book a hairdresser and a make-up artist who will take care of the bride and groom, and bridesmaids, mothers’in-law, sisters, etc, if required.
  • We advise you plant about two hours for your wedding photography shoot before the beginning of the ceremony and before the guests start to arrive. If you want honour the tradition of not seeing each other until at the altar, you must make arrangement to organize a photo shoot after the ceremony. In that case, the ceremony should start earlier and you should talk to your wedding emcee about how the guests will be entertained during the time you are away.
  • We recommend for the guests to arrive approximately one hour before the ceremony. E.g. When the ceremony is at 17.00, you can write on the invitation that the castle welcomes guests from 16.00.
  • The ceremony can be conducted on location:
  • For a church ceremony, the closest and most beautiful place is the Taagepera St John’s Chuch, where you can come back in a horse-drawn carriage, slowly followed by the wedding car procession
  • The ceremony will be followed by congratulations, a group photo and formal photographs with friends and family
  • Soon it will be dinner time: the emcee will assign tasks and the bride and groom will soon have their first dance as man and wife…
  • After numerous fun activities, traditions and dancing, one of the most important things of the wedding will follow:
  • cutting the wedding cake. Depending on the season we will serve the wedding cake in the Hunter’s Hall or on the terrance in front of the castle where you will be able to enjoy the splendid view of lit outdoor candles.
  • Evenings are excellent for fireworks displays excellently suited to the manor miliueu. This service is offered in close cooperation with Hansa Fireworks and Ruf Ilutulestik, two professional service providers. The scene can be adjusted according to your budget. If you would really like to surprise your guests, why not choose fireworks that is set to music!

Wedding cake

Cutting the wedding cake is one of the hightlights of your wedding day. The bride and groom will cut the first piece together to symbolize the beginning of their life together. In general, a wedding cake is chosen in lighter shades to mark the festivie nature of the event.

But the cake can also burst with colour – topped with chocolate and covered in berries! The bride and groom can choose whatever they like to suit the elegant event and its overall theme and style.

But the cake cannot be only about looks – its taste equally important. Think about the possible preferences of you and your guests. Learn about choices and possibilities offered by different vendors. Many cake vendors have developed a fixed product range, but there are many bakeries who are willing to make a cake – one just like you have dreamed of! To be certain of your decision, try out different vendors and go on cake tasting. 

Seating at weddings

View More: http://dianaunt.pass.us/heidialgis

In weddings of 50-70 guests, we can arrange tables in the Hugo hall in a U-shape layout with plenty of room in the middle of the hall for the wedding emcee.

The buffet table will be laid out in the Bernhard hall. We can also arrange up to 70 guests to sit at smaller tables.

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Should you require large round tables and white seat covers, we can help you rent them. The Hugo Hall will accommodate up to 80 people and together with the Bernhard Hall, we can seat up to 100 guests at round tables.

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Recommendations

Wedding emcee

A wedding emcee is crucial for a successful wedding party, especially at Estonian weddings. His task is to coordinate and manage people so that they would be at the right place at the right time (ceremonial place, name ceremony, dinner, tossing of the bouquet, etc).

We definitely recommend you choose an emcee who has previous experience in hosting weddings. A wedding is not a regular birthday party, coroporate summer event or conference.

A wedding emcee who specialises in hosting weddings  has carefully prepared him for the event; he keeps up with current trends and know how to implement them. A great emcee will make the wedding day about the bride and groom and will not try to outshine them. A valued emcee is of great help to the bride and groom also in organising other aspects of the wedding.

Recall weddings you have attended as  guests and you will surely have an experience regarding wedding emcees, their role and importance.

In order to understand who will be the best and most suitable emcee for you, meet at least three different people. You will recognise the right one after your first meeting!

 

Band

We all have great friends who know how to play an instrument and sing but make sure you think about it – would you like them to enjoy the party as guests or actually work on your important day. It is one thing to play in front of a small group of people but completely another thing to perform at a large wedding where musicians are supposed to enthrall 100 guests.

Consider your wedding guests, their age and preferences; after all, these are the people you should know best. If there are many dancing queens and kings, a lot of young people and if you yourself love to dance, it is advisable to think about hiring a band with a more exiciting and upbeat repertoire.

Think about your true favourites; singers whose songs you know by heart, bands whose music makes you want to dance. Don’t throw aside your dreams thinking they will surely cost you too much. Always make a price request depending on your possibilities and wedding date. Even bands will gladly make exceptions and meet your requests during off-peak seasons. If you are choosing between different ensembles go and hear them live; then arrange a meeting.

Photographer

You will definitely have fond memories of your party, but photos will actually help you remember the day in detail.

Not every photographer is cut out to capture a wedding. Professional equipment and knowledge of the field is not enough. Your friend could be an excellent photographer, but if  he has never photographed a wedding he will lack the experience; and after all, he should be allowed to attend the wedding as a guest and enjoy the party.

When choosing your wedding photographer, make sure you see  and photos of the party. Anybody can make one or two great photos, but it is better to evaluate a series of photos of one wedding that will give you a much better understanding of the photographer’s professionality. You can always arrange a test shoot where you will recognise if you establish a great connection with the photographer.

 

Catering

When you have booked all important professionals, you must start thinking about catering. Specify, if the venue has catering or do you have to order it separately. Many venues, including the Taagepera Castle, offer catering on location. Take a look at our wedding menus…  Do not hesitate to make any specials requests concerning food. We also highly recommend you come and have a test meal – you can come and taste all foods and snacks so you could absolutely sure of your choice.

Dinner table seating depends on the number of guests. The traditional Estonian wedding table is a long table. The Hugo Hall, the largest hall in the castle can seat 100 guests at a long table. In case of a larger number of guests, we can set tables up at the Bernahrd hall adjacent to the Hugo Hall, in which case it is possible to accommodate 130 people at long tables. Cold buffet will be set up in the restaurant hall and the Hunter’s Hall will have plently of room for dancing.

Taagepera Castle recommends:

Wedding emcees

  • Virgo Jaani
  • Hannes Hermaküla
  • Tõnis Milling
  • Anti Einpaul
  • Vahur Jüris
  • Sass Nixon
  • Martin Liivet

Photographers

  • Rene Riisalu
  • Kristiina Männik
  • Tiina Luht
  • Urmas Aaro
  • Diana Unt
  • Annika Metsla
  • Allar Mehik

 

Bands

  • Plingers
  • Lehmakommionud
  • Nukker Kukeke
  • Sleepwalkers
  • Purple Gang
  • Ivetta Trio

Flower arrangements

  • Pulmalill
  • Kristel Veri (kataloogile ligipääs salasõnaga lilleait