Based on a weekend wedding in July. Includes 2-night venue hire and accommodation.
Based on a weekend wedding in July. Includes 2-night venue hire and accommodation.
Please contact the venue for detailed prices.
Undiscovered, exclusive and wildly romantic.
Mapperton House & Gardens, hidden in the rolling hills of West Dorset near Beaminster, offers a secluded and exclusive atmosphere, making it one of the most romantic wedding venues in the region. Voted Britain’s Finest Manor House by Country Life magazine, it has also received the Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award. The estate exudes timeless beauty, offering a range of enchanting spaces for couples to create their perfect day.
The venue offers multiple options for ceremonies, each steeped in charm.
Garden Pavillion
The Garden Pavilion, set amid fine shrubs and specimen plants, provides a grand yet inviting backdrop for outdoor ceremonies. It is perfect for exchanging vows in the open air.
The Orangery
Once you’ve exchanged your vows in the Garden Pavilion, it’s just a few steps down to outside the Orangery, where you can raise a glass with your family and friends. With exclusive use of the gardens you can allow your guests to explore the winding gravel paths, hidden grottoes and secret walkways with views over the cascading countryside beyond.
The Orangery is also licensed for civil ceremonies, so you can exchange your vows here too!
The Chapel
All Saints Church is a medieval church dating back to the 12th century and houses a monument by Peter Scheemakers, who also created Shakespeare’s famous memorial in Westminster Abbey. Located next to the manor house, All Saints Church boasts stained glass windows, beautiful carvings and romantic candelabra-style lighting and is available for intimate blessings with up to 90 guests. There’s room for musicians, too, and the red carpet leading to the altar, guarded by stone relief angels, looks wonderful, peppered with natural rose petal confetti.
The Coach House
Built in 1670, the Coach House at Mapperton has recently been converted into a magnificent entertaining space that accommodates up to 120 seated guests.
This spectacular building is part of one of Dorset’s most important manorial complexes and has a Grade I listing with Historic England. Steeped in local history, it has had many functions over the centuries-as a coach house, stables, and a sawmill-and most recently, one of the locations for the 2015 romantic hit ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’. Guests will enjoy spotting the remaining elements of the set.
The meticulous renovation has retained all the historic features, including exposed stonework, lath and plaster surfaces, and full-height ceilings with original trusses and cross beams. A new biomass heating system ensures plenty of warmth on colder days, while a projector, professional sound system, and controllable lighting bring the venue into the 21st century.
Alongside the main space is a second large room containing a fully stocked and licensed bar, an area for guests seeking a break from the festivities.
While the Coach House will impress with its historic features and enduring charm, it is an entirely flexible space that can be decorated in many styles, whether you are going for a vintage theme or perhaps a more classical look.
The Marquee
Included in their package is a 9m x 12m clear-span marquee.
You can use this for your ceremony, wedding breakfast, evening do or as a comfy lounge area for you and your guests to enjoy. It can comfortably seat 100 guests or 200 standing.
If you have more than 100 guests, don’t worry; our marquee can be placed in other locations within the grounds here at Mapperton, allowing you to extend it to seat up to 500 guests.
Garden & Keepers Cottage
Mapperton provides on-site accommodation for up to 11 guests in its luxurious Garden Cottage and Keepers Cottage; both included in the venue hire for two nights.
Additionally, Mapperton partners with local hotels and cottages to offer over 100 beds, ensuring guests have a range of high-quality options nearby. For convenience, transport can be arranged for guests between accommodations and the venue.
Mapperton offers two exceptional catering options for weddings. Oxbridge Farm Catering, led by local chef Joanna Killin, provides modern British cuisine with international influences. Fossil Farm Catering delivers a more personal touch, offering a menu shaped by their own experience as a recently married couple. Both caterers emphasise locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients to create menus tailored to each couple’s preferences.
Sustainability is a key priority at Mapperton. The venue uses a biomass boiler system to provide heating, hot water, and energy-efficient lighting throughout the estate.
Efforts to reduce waste include using glass and paper products instead of plastic, minimising printed materials, and prioritising recycling. Mapperton also works with local suppliers to reduce delivery miles and offers couples guidance on planning an eco-friendly wedding, from using seasonal food to repurposing wedding attire.
Mapperton’s location in the heart of West Dorset provides easy access to local attractions. Beaminster, Bridport, and the nearby coastline offer charming towns, beaches, and countryside to explore, making it a perfect destination for a wedding weekend. Guests can enjoy local activities or simply relax in the tranquillity of the estate’s extensive gardens.
By car:
Mapperton is located near Beaminster, Dorset.
If you’re using a sat nav, the postcode is DT8 3NR, and there’s a car park on-site. Travel time from London is around 3 hours.
By train:
The closest train stations are Crewkerne (15 minutes away) and Dorchester (25 minutes away), with direct links to London.
Best Day of Our Lives.
We had an amazing experience planning our wedding at Mapperton. Holly was incredible, staying late to meet with us and thinking of all the little things we may have forgotten. On the day, Holly ensured everything ran smoothly; she was always there just when we needed her. All our guests had the most amazing time! They were all very complimentary about the setting and local suppliers that Mapperton suggested. We could not have wished for a better day!
Married September 2023
I would have no hesitation recommending Mapperton Estate for your upcoming wedding. We had our wedding in July this summer and it was an absolute Fairytale. The venue is stunning and I couldn’t have been happier with my overall experience before and during. I would suggest that if you do book your wedding that you would book the cottage along with it. It was an absolute game changer having that space the night before and the day of. Not to mention, it was beautiful as well! I wish I could already repeat this day!
Married July 2019
Wonderful, unique experience.
The venue is so extensive you have all the best worlds in one place. If you want gardens, they’ve got them. A chapel for your celebrant, they’ve got it. A barn for your meal, done. A gorgeous house for picture backdrops; they’ve got that, too! They also have wonderful Holly who was fundamental to our day being so smooth and enjoyable. She was magically there when you needed her and disappeared when you didn’t. She was quick on the phone and email. Nothing was too big a deal. When we had a hiccup, she had a solution. We picked the venue after meeting Holly, and she was just excellent.
Married September 2023
The most perfect day at a dream venue!
Patrick and I had the most incredible experience getting married at Mapperton. From the moment we first visited we knew it was the perfect venue for us due to how flexible, versatile and stunning it is. Holly, our amazing wedding coordinator, was one of the reasons we chose the venue and is a true asset to Mapperton. She was there to take us through the whole process, being a fountain of knowledge for amazing suppliers in the South West and nothing was too big an ask. Most importantly, she ensured our day ran like clockwork, and we couldn’t have asked for a better day. Our guests have given us so many compliments, saying it is the favourite wedding they have ever been to, and this is all thanks to the hard work put in by the team at Mapperton.
We can’t wait to pop in, walk around the stunning Italian gardens, and visit the Mapperton family to remember our special day.
Married June 2024
Perfect wedding venue!
We got married at Mapperton in September and couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day—it was everything we could have dreamed of! When we first viewed Mapperton, we were torn between two venues, but Holly’s amazing knowledge and customer service swayed us. She is incredible at what she does and made our day so smooth! We cannot thank her and Amy enough for all the effort they put in for us! They made the whole planning process stress-free, and the venue is just beautiful! All of our guests loved looking around the gardens, and the Garden Cottage is the perfect place to get ready! Thank you again for making our day so special!
Married September 2023
We had the most amazing day thank you. You both worked so hard and we really appreciate all of your help and advice given on the run up to the wedding. Everything was perfect! Of course the venue is absolutely stunning and everyone commented on your beautiful gardens.
After few false starts thanks to the pandemic, we finally had our wedding in Mapperton! The mapperton team were lovely and flexible over dates. The venue is absolutely stunning and all the guests loved the garden and having the flexibility to roam and explore during canapés. This is a unique venue and would recommend anyone wanting to create a special day here.
Married July 2021
We couldn’t have been happier with the whole day. I can’t think of a more beautiful place for a wedding.
A truly one-of-a-kind place that we were incredibly lucky to have our wedding at. Not only is Mapperton stunning but it has a wonderful team there as well who were amazing in helping us put everything together for a really special day. Has to be seen, and an unbeatable wedding venue.
Married July 2021
Thank you to the team at Mapperton for making our recent wedding so special. It is a truly beautiful venue and so peaceful – a real hidden gem and a lucky find for a small, intimate ceremony. The perfect venue for our perfect day!
We wanted to thank you especially, plus everyone at Mapperton, for facilitating our day. Your flexibility and patience in the lead up was very much appreciated, plus how pragmatic and kind you were on the day… it honestly made such a difference. The Coach House and Mapperton in general is such a beautiful venue. The consistent comments we have had from all our friends and family are ‘lovely dress, amazing photos, gorgeous venue’. So I’m delighted with that!
Married October 2020
Wonderful – Mapperton is very special.
We are delighted to have married at Mapperton. Holly, the wedding coordinator, was very responsive and helpful and made us feel like No.1. She is confident and genuinely knows her stuff, covering bases we hadn’t even considered. The grounds and venue are stunning – even though it rained on our day, we barely noticed because we had so much fun. Holly was armed with brollies as my bridesmaids and I approached the Coach House for the ceremony.
There is nothing I would have changed about our wedding and Mapperton certainly was the solid foundation of what made our day amazing.
Married October 2023
Mapperton is not only the most beautiful setting with their stunning gardens and gorgeous Coach House but it allows you to have the day you dream of!
Their thorough communication, professionalism and calm manner gives you the confidence to relax and fully enjoy your day. Being adaptable and understanding throughout Covid and other situations such as the weather, created an easy lead up to the day and with experienced staff you’re able to trust them with any task! The options for where to get married is one of the best parts with so many lovely little places to choose from. The gardens themselves are so peaceful we immediately felt calm when visiting which we knew would be a lovely addition for the day. Although most of the pictures show the gardens on a sunny or dry day, it absolutely chucked it down with rain on our day but we can honestly say it didn’t matter. The ceremony was held in the coach house and the additional marquee meant we had somewhere for our guests to enjoy the reception drinks. When the rain calmed down just a tad, they were able to quickly pop out with their umbrellas to see the gardens which still looked incredible!
We honestly couldn’t recommend Mapperton enough!
Married October 2021
We had the most beautiful day at Mapperton and it was all possible due to the great staff and facilities. They were extremely flexible and kind during the worries of whether or not we’d be able to hold the wedding on the original date due to covid. We also keep getting compliments on both the stunning location and the food from our wedding even weeks later – so it left a lasting impression on guests!
Married July 2021
Thank you for helping us create the most perfect day! Mapperton is the most idyllic place and we truly got the ‘secret garden’ wedding I’d dreamt of! Everything was just perfect we have so many wonderful memories we will treasure forever!
Mapperton supplies wine, alcohol and other drinks at very reasonable prices. We have a carefully selected wine list and can source other items on request. However, Mapperton will allow couples to supply their own Reception drinks, Wedding Breakfast wine and toast drinks with no service charge or corkage fee.
We allow natural petals to be used for confetti.
The venue can be accessed from 11am on the day before your wedding day for set up and exclusivity on your wedding day. The wedding ceremony will typically start in the early afternoon.
The Gardens will close by 10pm, by which time your guests will have moved to the Coach House venue. If you are holding a marquee wedding, the Gardens will close at dusk, and guests must have moved to the marquee.
Guests must depart the Coach House by noon, with music off by midnight.
The Garden Pavilion, Grottos, Orangery, and Coach House are all licensed for civil ceremonies. If the weather looks uncertain, couples can hold their ceremony in the Coach House. A registrar from Dorset County Council conducts the ceremony.
The Coach House will accommodate weddings of up to 120 guests seated for the wedding breakfast.
A 9 x 12 marquee is included in our venue hire and is usually situated next to the Coach House for additional outdoor cover. Couples may erect a marquee on the lawn, accommodating up to 400 guests. The venue hire price, however, will remain the same.