Quality Over Quantity: How Gloster House Creates the Unforgettable

In the heart of Ireland sits a 300-year-old country house with a fascinating approach to the wedding business. While most venues chase quantity, Gloster House deliberately limits themselves to just 25 weddings per year. The result? A waitlist of couples eager to experience what Director of Events Nigel Alexander calls "a weekend of a lifetime."

The Alexander family purchased the once-derelict property in 2001, spending 15 years painstakingly restoring it before opening for weddings in 2016. But their philosophy goes far beyond beautiful architecture; it's about creating exceptional experiences that are remembered for years to come.

"We're All on the Same Team"

What sets Gloster House apart isn't just their stunning venue, it's how they approach vendor relationships.

"What's crucial is just treating all vendors with respect, kindness, spending time with them, treating them all as partners, never as staff."

This philosophy stems from a simple truth: everyone at a wedding is working toward the same goal.

"We're all working towards a goal, trying to work for the same clients. Even though sometimes our priorities can slightly differ - the photographer wants to get great wedding photos, whereas I want to make sure people are on time for reception - but overall we're all working towards the same goal."

The approach pays dividends. Vendors often express gratitude for how well they're treated, which makes Nigel wonder if other venues are missing this fundamental truth.

Building Through Authentic Relationships

For new vendors working with Gloster House, the welcome extends beyond wedding day logistics.

"Any new suppliers or vendors, they're welcome to come to Gloster separately, either with the couple or on their own."

This might mean a site visit for a new florist or videographer - a little extra hand-holding that ensures everyone feels confident on the big day.

This investment in relationships creates a powerful network effect.

"We tend to end up working with the same people as well, which is why it helps to always be good to other vendors. Because that's a lot of your marketing - they're promoting you to other people."

Six Months Off, Always Improving

Gloster House shuts down for half the year - not for vacation, but for constant improvement.

"We're trying to constantly improve the venue every year with new additions. The idea is we want quality, not quantity."

Their most ambitious project? Rebuilding the entire west wing of the house.

"When we came along 25 years ago, we found out there used to be a west wing - a billiards room and a few other things that was knocked down by the Catholic church for some reason we don't know."

The year-long reconstruction added a 40-person rehearsal room, and completed their central courtyard. The challenge? Ensuring no signs of construction were visible during wedding weekends.

"There's no possibility that we could ever have any sign of building works while the wedding was on."

Serving Global Couples with Local Wisdom

While many couples travel from Ireland, the United States, Australia, and Dubai to marry at Gloster House, most arrive feeling overwhelmed.

"For most of them, they've never planned a wedding before and they feel they don't know what they're doing."

The most common question during viewings? "What should we be asking that we're not asking?" Nigel's response focuses on the emotional connection first:

"The initial viewing is just to get a sense - if you could imagine it feeling right, getting married here, that's the start. We can work through details after that."

This is where strong vendor relationships become invaluable for couples. Through Style Me Pretty, couples can discover vendors who've already worked successfully at Gloster House, creating seamless team dynamics.

Strategic Advice for Breaking In

Nigel's advice for new vendors is refreshingly specific:

"Find the venue you want to work with, and rather than just trying to get any wedding anywhere with anyone, you want to build up the portfolio you want."

His strategy involves targeting specific venues and connecting with existing vendors:

• Partner with photographers or other vendors already working at your target venue
• Ask them to recommend you to couples, even at a significant discount
• Offer services at cost or even free for your first few weddings to build your portfolio
• Focus on venues that align with your brand rather than taking any available work

"Once you get your Instagram and once you get your word of mouth out, it can really snowball. But just trying to get those first few - do whatever you can to really target the particular venue or vendors that you want."

Style Me Pretty's Role in Their Journey

For Gloster House, Style Me Pretty has been instrumental in reaching the right audience.

"[Style Me Pretty] has a huge audience - not just huge, but huge to the right people. The kind of couples that we want to have for venues here and those vendors as well."

But beyond marketing reach, Nigel values the vendor community aspect most:

"A couple or wedding guest are unlikely to talk to huge amounts of other couples getting married. But your photographer or your band is going to be talking to potential wedding couples daily. So that's a much better way for the word to get out."

The platform creates what Nigel calls "a real community of vendors which can help us share ideas but also promote each other because we all want to work with each other."