Policy proposed on wedding photos at Coronation Garden and Platinum Jubilee Clockwork Garden

The Coronation Garden at Hazelbank Park in Newtownabbey was officially opened by King Charles III and Queen Camilla during their visit to Northern Ireland on May 24.

The 16-metre structure is a three-floor pavilion topped by a crown and provides visitors with a musical performance of dancing topiary and spinning conical trees every 15 minutes.

The Clockwork Garden was created at Antrim Castle Gardens for Her late Majesty The Queen’s platinum jubilee, the return of Garden Show Ireland after the pandemic and as a permanent attraction on the 10th anniversary of the site’s refurbishment as well as the 100th anniversary of the Antrim Castle fire.

Both were designed by celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin.

On Monday evening, the council was asked to consider a request for the use of the Coronation Garden for wedding photography. It agreed the Coronation Garden could be used on August 25 for wedding photography with a voluntary donation to be made to the mayor’s charities.

Macedon Ulster Unionist Councillor Robert Foster said: “It will be good to see a policy coming forward. Anyone at Castle Gardens will see the amount of photo shoots going on there.”

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Mark Cooper has announced Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, RVH Liver Support Group and Action Deaf Youth as his chosen charities during his mayoral year.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter