15 Best Wedding Venues in England - Stately Manors
England’s luxury manors, parklands, palaces are decidedly British and extraordinarily beautiful. And when it comes to choosing the right wedding venue for its character and style, there’s no one better to give you an insider’s view than a photographer who has looked at it from every angle. We reached out to the best wedding photographers in England and the UK to discover the most photogenic places to get married, and we’re thrilled to share the results with you. Read on and find 14 gorgeous English mansions and one out-of-this-world palace that are bound to leave your guests breathless.
Estates and Manors in Alphabetical Order
Ashridge House - Hertfordshire, England
www.ashridgehouse.org.uk/weddings/
Capacity: Up to 170
Investment: From £179 per person
Style: Classic luxury, historic elegance
Best features: 190 acres of landscaped grounds, impressive artwork
Recommended by: Ed Peers
A once-upon-a-time royal residence of King Henry VIII and home to his daughter Princess Elizabeth I, Ashridge House is the dream wedding venue. This spectacular, award-winning estate in leafy Hertfordshire is just 30 miles from London and surrounded by 190 acres of gorgeous gardens. With grand, turreted façades and choice of elegant heritage reception rooms with stunning artwork, Ashridge House is licensed for civil ceremonies for up to 170 guests and can accommodate 190 for your wedding breakfast in one room. Ask about their high and low season packages for a minimum number of 80 adult guests, and find out more on hosting your dream wedding at Ashridge House by visiting their website and contacting their helpful staff.
Swinton Park Hotel - North Yorkshire, England
www.swintonestate.com/hotel/swinton-park-weddings/swinton-park-wedding-packages
Capacity: up to 100 in castle - 250 using marquee
Investment: Ranging from £1,500 (for 2) to £11,000+
Style: Castle Luxury to Woodland Elegance
Best features: Extraordinary options for weddings of all sizes and styles
Recommended by: Jeff Ascough
On 20,000 acres of remarkable property set in the North Yorkshire Dales, Swinton Park is a Celtic Castle with 32 splendid rooms and numerous options for weddings from small elopements to truly grand affairs. The castle is 4-star, with the Paneled Room and Library functioning as lavish spaces for ceremonies. Outside in the sprawling Parklands couples can choose from the totally private Lake Island with a quaint Georgian summerhouse, the idyllic Deerhouse, or the incredibly quaint Swinton Bivouac complete with Druid Temples. The Parkland itself boasts ancient trees and sweeping views of the castle and Home Lake. Outdoor candle-lit settings provide enchanting ambiance for weddings straight out of a fairytale while the world-class staff ensures your dining experience and celebration are simply unforgettable.
Babington House - Somerset, England
https://www.sohohouse.com/en-us/houses/babington-house
Capacity: Up to120
Investment: £60,000+
Style: Classic elegance, historic country manor
Best features: Gorgeous grounds and complete privacy
Recommended by: Ash Davenport of MIKI Studios and Andy Gaines
Dating back to medieval times, Babington House remains a Grade II listed building featuring much of its original Georgian architecture. Beautiful and private, the manor is set on 18 acres just 30 minutes from London. With 33 sumptuous bedrooms for you and your guests embellished with handpainted wallpaper, 4-poster beds, velvet sofas, and antique furniture, it is decidedly British in architecture and design. As a wedding couple, you will have the run of the House, along with a champagne reception and wedding dinner. Your cake, flowers, DJ, drinks, midnight snacks and a full English breakfast are all organized by their staff so you never have a thing to worry about. Civil ceremonies are held in the Orangery and Library, and religious services take place at the charming St. Margaret's Church right on the grounds. Please note: reservations for bedrooms must be made well in advance.
Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons - Oxfordshire, England
https://www.belmond.com/hotels/europe/uk/oxfordshire/belmond-le-manoir-aux-quat-saisons
Capacity: 2 to 50
Investment: £85,000 or less
Style: Charming, horticultural, rural idyll among trees and flowers
Best features: Gorgeous gardens and romantic architecture, Michelin-starred menu
Recommended by: Ed Peers
Simply breathtaking in every season, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons with its spectacular gardens and Michelin menu is a private, world-class gem of a wedding venue. From the photogenic backdrops to the extraordinary customer service, every detail makes it an ideal place for lovers of outdoor elegance to get married and host their guests. Accommodations are opulent with large lush suites, and all-weather ceremony options are decidedly photogenic. No wonder the 5-star reviews from guests make it clear that Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons is a location of rare beauty with chefs who have mastered the culinary arts.
Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire, England
https://www.blenheimpalace.com/hospitality/weddings/
Capacity: 20 to 300 - parkland available for larger weddings
Investment: £30,000+
Style: Royal, magnificent
Best features: Majestic architecture and grounds
Recommended by: Ross Harvey
Unique and magnificent, the 300 year old Blenheim Castle hosts weddings for an elite and discerning clientele. A favorite filming spot for movies, the jaw-dropping architecture in every one of the five reception spaces will impress your guests no matter which one you choose. Get married in their light filled Orangery, then seat your family and friends in the white marble Long Library, or choose the Saloon with soaring ceilings, huge windows, and frescoed walls. Explore the expansive, manicured grounds with your photographer and get photos that look like you just stepped out of a fairy tale.
Ditton Manor - Berkshire, England
Capacity: From 600 to1,000
Investment: £7,000+
Style: Historic, eclectic
Best features: Close to Heathrow, has an ivory tower, managed by a professional event planner, good for multicultural celebrations
Recommended by: Rahul Khona - F5
Situated in picturesque gardens and surrounded by a centuries old moat, Ditton Manor House offers weddings throughout the year with an array of spaces to suit your discriminating desires. The combination of hidden history and idyllic gardens is captivating, creating a sense of mystery and magic that is palpable at this historic venue . Conveniently located just 10 minutes to Heathrow Airport, couples can have sole use of the manor house and gardens, including the ivory tower complete with a Juliet balcony that works beautifully as a bridal suite. A location steeped in character and charm, Ditton Manor’s exquisite ceremony and celebration settings give you and your photographer a multitude of delightful backdrops to work with. All weddings here are planned by world renowned wedding planners at White Rabbit Events.
Dorfold Hall - Cheshire, England
Capacity: From 50 to 200
Investment: £6,000 - £20,000
Style: Historic, Jacobean
Best features: Exclusive use, magical grounds with lake, flawless personal service.
Recommended by: Ash Davenport of MIKI Studios
Thought to be one of the most beautiful Jacobean country houses in England, Dorfold House sits nestled on 800 acres of idyllic English countryside. With the charming white-washed Coach House for civil ceremonies and several stunning churches nearby you’ll find the perfect place for your ceremony here. Their large reception site, L’Écurie, with its elegant modern decor can accommodate up to 200 of your guests for a truly extraordinary reception while their exclusive use policy will ensure total privacy for your celebration.
Elmore Court - Gloucestershire, England
Capacity: Up to 200
Investment: £6,000 - £14,000
Style: Grand II listed Mansion
Best features: Extraordinary food and wine and exquisite 13th century church
Recommended by: Andrew Billington
With views over the Cotswolds and the River Severn, Elmore Court was established in the 13th century and opened for celebrations in 2013. Hosting civil ceremonies on property and religious ceremonies at the exquisite Elmore Church just a mile away, they offer all the amenities of a 4-star hotel and all the comforts of home. The magical Great Hall is lovely for ceremonies and receptions, and the 16 beautifully appointed bedrooms are a dream come true for couples and guests. With rich history and exceptional service, reviews are all 5-star.
Hedsor House - Buckinghamshire, England
Capacity: Up to 250
Investment: £15,000+
Style: Luxury - Grade II Georgian Mansion
Best features: Exclusive use, spectacular bridal suite, stunning decor.
Recommended by: Ash Davenport of MIKI Studios & The Crawleys
Memorialized in films including the Golden Compass and Quartet, the Hedsor House on 100 acres of gorgeous grounds is a pure luxury venue like no other. Offering exclusive use for a full 24 hours, couples and guests are welcomed into a one-of-a-kind experience that’s always impeccable and never rushed. Their beautifully appointed bedrooms and expansive bridal suite are nothing short of spectacular, and their location, just a stone’s throw from London, makes Hedsor House an ideal place to host your out of town guests.
Middleton Lodge - North Yorkshire, England
Capacity: Up to 200
Investment: £12,000+
Style: Rustic elegance
Best features: Great food and service (produce comes from the Kitchen Garden), comfy rooms, family friendly
Recommended by: Ash Davenport of MIKI Studios
An 18th century Georgian Palladian country estate set on 200 acres of private North Yorkshire countryside, Middleton Lodge features 45 rooms and two individual wedding venues located on its grounds: the 18th century Main House, full of its original Georgian grandeur and the wonderfully romantic Fig House, with views across the restored Walled Garden. The Main House has four Reception Rooms and 16 bedrooms centered around a sweeping staircase in the Grand Hall, where wedding couples can choose to host their ceremony in the elegant Drawing Room, Hallway, or in the summer months, under their lovely wooden Pavilion on the lawn. Wedding receptions in the Dining Room accommodate up to 65 guests, the Marquee holds up to 160, and the perfectly private Fig House on its own 2 acres suits the bill for events ranging from 90 to 200.
Morden Hall - London, England
Capacity: Up to150
Investment: £3,000+
Style: Classic and charming
Best features: Beautiful private property within the city of London
Recommended by: York Place Studios
Privacy, peace, and tranquility await you and your guests at Morden Hall right inside the bustling city of London. Built in the 1770s and meticulously restored in 2015, this property has been transformed into a modern day venue with meticulous design that creates a relaxing and inspiring environment. With multiple suites from intimate to spacious, Morden Hall accommodates weddings from 70 to 150, while the private grounds include lovely ponds and gardens. You, your guests, and your photographer will also have access to 125 acres of National Trust parkland to play in and create even more gorgeous photographs from bridal and couple portraits to group shots.
Parklands, Quendon Hall - Essex, England
Capacity: Up to 500
Investment: £7,200+
Style: Luxurious, spacious
Best features: Multiple reception options, enormous outdoor spaces
Recommended by: Rahul Khona - F5
An award-winning luxury wedding venue in Essex, Park - Quendon Hall is a 17th-century Georgian Manor House nestled on a hundred acres of lovely deer park. With a beautiful silk-lined Pavilion lit by elegant chandeliers, you’ll treat your guests to dining and dancing under a backdrop of the stars. This expansive property can accommodate up to 500 people inside Quendon Hall or outside in their gardens make it an ideal place for grand affairs, while the Tabor Room is ideal for intimate ceremonies and wedding breakfasts of up to 70. A welcoming place, the friendly staff has extensive experience with multicultural weddings and same-sex ceremonies.
Walcot Hall - Shropshire, England
Capacity: up to 100
Investment: from £1,800 to £8,000
Style: Rustic elegance, charming, horticultural
Best features: 30 acres of idyllic grounds and one of the finest arboretums in the UK
Recommended by: Andrew Billington & The Crawleys
Considered by many to be the top wedding venue in the very picturesque county of Shropshire, Walcot Hall is a Georgian country house full of character and eclectic furnishings. Featuring 30 acres of rolling grounds and lakes, the property includes one of finest arboretums in Britain and every inch provides beautiful backdrops for your wedding photography. Get married in their remarkable free-standing ballroom and host your family and bridal party in one of their 15 self-catering holiday cottages. Outdoorsy guests will love their choice of four glamping yurts, a gypsy caravan, and two shepherd’s huts where they’ll find peaceful countryside accommodations just as charming at Shropshire itself.
Wrest Park - Bedfordshire, England
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wrest-park/
Capacity: Up to 100
Investment: £1,800 - £8,000
Style: Rustic elegance, charming, horticultural
Best features: 30 acres of idyllic grounds and one of the finest arboretums in the UK
Recommended by: Motiejus
Wrest Park is a stunning 19th century mansion on 92 acres with multiple options for weddings both intimage and grand. Gorgeous from every angle, its breathtaking grounds showcase the best of French, Dutch, Italian and English garden styles. With sweeping landscapes and long woodland walks, an explosion of colour begins in the spring and lasts well into the autumn season. Choose from indoor and outdoor reception sites ranging from the opulent blue and gold Ante Library and the intimate Terrace to the sprawling Evergreen Garden that can accommodate up to 1,000 guests, and be sure to have the right photographer by your side to capture every picture perfect moment.
Wyrsedale Park
Capacity: Up to 400
Investment: £4935 - £9890
Style: Rustic elegance, glamping
Best features: Wonderful barn for ceremonies, idyllic grounds
Recommended by: The Crawleys
Best wishes on your wedding planning! We hope you'll find the perfect venue and one photographer that fits your style on our highly-vetted list of the 15 best wedding photographers in the UK.
