Great Country House Wedding Locations
Christian Micahel are an award winning Wedding Photographer Devon and Cornwall company and have been commissioned for wedding photography at nearly all of the great country house wedding locations in Devon, Cornwall and the South West.
There are hundreds of beautiful Country House’s in the South West, and a great many of them are available for hire as wedding venues. There is a vast range of houses, from small intimate venues such as the Boscundle Manor in St Austell, through to a large estate such as Boconnoc House in Cornwall, or Halswell House in Somerset.
A large proportion of these houses are available for exclusive hire, meaning that you, and your wedding party will be the only people there, except the staff! Many of them also include bedrooms for you and your guests to stay overnight.
As experts in photographing Country House Weddings in the South West we get to travel to many of these locations and always enjoy the challenges they present to a photographer. Available light can always be an issue, particularly with some of the bigger venues. Flash is typically the way a photographer would counteract this problem but again due to their size often the ceilings are very high so that bouncing the flash to achieve soft, even lighting is impossible. This is where a great technical knowledge of camera settings and techniques come into their own. An amateur photographer would find some of these locations very difficult to photograph.
Aside from some of the difficulties mentioned above, Country House Wedding Locations in the South West make for some of the best wedding photographs. A great number of these houses are large and imposing offering an impressive, photogenic backdrop to your images. The majority of these houses are within their own grounds or estates, for example Orchardleigh House near Bath, which is set within 550 acres or parkland and lakes. This is similar to Bovey Castle on the edge of Dartmoor. Set within many acres of parkland, lakes and a truly fantastic 18-hole golf course. Having such beautiful and extensive grounds means that we are never without a great location for the romantic Bride and Groom photos you see here and on our gallery pages.
Should bad weather hamper us from getting outside into these grounds for photos the classical beauty of the internals of these houses will still allow us to get some fantastic images. Quite often these houses have large staircases that we love using as a backdrop to images, and also as a very useful way of taking a group shot of all your guests should you wish to have one.
The most important, and appealing feature about many Country House Wedding locations in the South West is the fact that they are licensed for Civil Ceremonies and Civil Partnerships. What could be more romantic than tying the knot in a Country House? We are big fans of couples choosing to have their wedding ceremony and reception in the same location. There are many reasons for this, mainly the fact that your guests will not have to travel between venues, which if they don’t know the area is a godsend!
We have noticed that a lot of Bride and sometimes Grooms get ready in the Country House that they will be having the ceremony and reception in. This is something we really like, although we can never work out how the Bride is still late to the ceremony despite only getting ready upstairs. A Bride’s prerogative?
We’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite Country House Wedding Locations and why we like them:
Cornwall;
Penventon Park Hotel – They have a great reputation for weddings in Cornwall that has been going for over 40 years. They also provide an experienced wedding coordinator, and can cater for Civil Ceremonies, Wedding Breakfasts and evening receptions. On a selfish note it’s also only about 10 miles from our Cornwall Studio!
Scorrier House – A large private family owned Country House that can accommodate up to 160 people, There are extensive grounds (450 acres), and an outdoor swimming pool, as well as a good many indoor locations for photography. A favorite of ours is the large stone staircase.
Trefeife House – This Country House has been the family home to the Le Grice family since 1798, and has a unique olde-worlde feel that we’ve not come across anywhere else! It has dozens of locations for photography, and has views through a valley to St Michaels Mount and Mounts Bay, which we have used as a backdrop to group shots.
Boconnoc Estate – From the long private drive through the Deer Park you know you are in for a treat, and when the House comes into view you will not be disappointed. As well as having a private deer park, the estate also has a Church capable of seating 250 people, a reception room for up to 120 and enough space for a marquee on the lawn for up to 450 people. It is without doubt one of our favorite locations.
Trevarno Estate – With a history that dates back to 1246 and having a glowing endorsement by the Sunday Times is just one reason why we love this location. The other main reason is the beautiful boathouse on the private lake, which is just the most wonderful photo location.
Boscundle Manor – More of a boutique style hotel, but never the less is a beautiful 18th century Country House and also a finalist in the wedding TV best of British Wedding Venues. We love this location, although smaller than others on this list, its fantastic food and intimate nature make this a wedding venue we could photograph time and time again.
Devon;
Bickleigh Castle – Whilst not strictly a Country House, we had to include this Castle, as it is an amazing venue, one of the most beautiful castles in Devon? You are also able to hire the estate exclusively from 5pm on a Friday until 11am on Sunday that gives us plenty of time to get amazing images!
Bovey Castle – A second mention for Bovey Castle in this text, as we do adore photographing at this location. Set within huge grounds, lakes, a golf course and having some of the most exquisite rooms we’ve ever seen in a Country House, mean this is a photographers dream. From shooting to fishing to golf there is something for everyone!
Buckland Tout Saints – A secluded Country House set in the South Hams area of Devon with over 4 acres of beautiful gardens. The house is a great backdrop for photography and can accommodate up to 100 people and has 16 luxury rooms that can be hired exclusively.
Kitley House – This house is full of big figures, 600 acres, up to 200 guests and a 500 year old Grade One listed Country House located near to the City of Plymouth that over looks a series of lakes on the banks of the River Yealm. It is available for exclusive use, with a choice of 3 rooms for civil ceremonies, I’m sure you will rate this location as highly as we do.
Powderham Castle – Again not strictly a Country House but it needed a mention on our list! Capable of accommodating 2 to 170 guests, or even more if you hired a marquee to put in the deer park.
Somerset;
Gerbestone Manor – The smallest House on our list, Gerbeston is a 13th Century Manor House that can accommodate 24 people. Its relatively small size means that it is a very intimate venue that is available for exclusive use.
Halswell House – The first time we visited Halwell for a wedding we couldn’t’ believe what a maze of corridors and rooms it presented! It has open Country Side Views, a lake, and all rooms are en-suite and even has a roof top terrace with hot tub! It is just a few moments drive from the M5 and just 2 ½ hours from London.
Maunsel House – A 13th Century Manor that is set in 100 acres of parkland and a 2000 acre estate of Farms, Lakes, Woodland, Walnut Groves, Orchards, Cottages and Ancient Barns. Within striking distance of Exeter, Bristol and their Airports makes this a great choice for couples that have guests that are traveling large distances.
Orcharleigh House – A spectacular wedding venue set in 550 acres and with accommodation for up to 165 guests, as well as many, many areas for stunning wedding photography.
Dorset;
Parley Manor – A Georgian Manor House set within 4 acres of parkland picturesque gardens. An elegant marquee is the setting for your reception within an Italian Walled Garden that is perfect for stunning wedding photography.
Althelhampton House – One of the finest 15th Century Country Houses in England and also an amazing place to get married. The exquisite food and extensive wine and champagne list is just one reason to choose this magical venue.
Chettle House – The House is still a much-cherished family home that gives a warm and intimate feel. St Marys Church that borders the gardens is a very popular place to get married and have the reception in the drawing room for up to 70 guests, or up to 400 for a lawn marquee.