Mapperton Weddings - a Tour with Julie Montagu

welcome to mapperton my name is Julie Montagu and I live here at mapperton house and gardens alongside my parents-in-law the Earl and Countess of sandwich in 2004 my husband Luc and I actually got married here and since then we've opened up the grounds and the gardens for other couples to enjoy Dorset's finest country wedding venue mapperton is an ancient village listed in the domesday book when it belonged to William Des Moines sheriff a Somerset mapperton is derived from the word mal Burton meaning farmstead where the maples grow the current manor house was first built in the 1540s with additions in the 17th and 18th centuries my husband's family moved to mapperton in the 1950s as his family has owned a smaller house and adjacent land here since the 1800s mapperton is the most wonderful place to get married enchanting intimate and wildly romantic the unspoiled landscape and breathtaking valley gardens provide an unforgettable backdrop for your day mapperton was voted the nation's finest manor house by Country Life magazine a few years ago we are so lucky to live here and are delighted to be able to share this extraordinary place with other couples on your wedding day so let me take you on a tour there are two entrance drives at mapperton the first is for your guests and runs along the top of the field providing a magnificent view down to the house the road runs to the carpark which is in a field close to the coach house where you will have your wedding breakfast and party you may also catch a glimpse at Percy our giant African tortoise who lives in his own luxurious tortoise house there are other animals around here too including Indian runner ducks phantoms and a very proud cockerel you are welcome however to use the main drive on your wedding day for a grand entrance in front of the house and did you know that you'll be walking in the footsteps of the stars one of Paltrow starred in the film Emma hair back in 1996 while in 2015 Carey Mulligan played the lead in far from the madding crowd and most recently mapperton was turns into Mandalay for the Netflix film Rebecca starring Lilly James and based on the famous novel by Daphne du Maurier on your wedding day you will have exclusive access to all of the grounds and our stunning gardens however I'm afraid you can't come inside the house as were still living here but you can take the most magnificent photos on the outside mapperton offers a variety of locations for your ceremony you can opt for a more formal setting at the garden pavilion followed by a blessing in our church or you can have a romantic ceremony right by the grottoes above the fountain court for those of you who want a more traditional service there is all Saints Church which dates back to the 12th century the church can hold up to 90 guests for a religious blessing which follows the same format as a traditional church service in fact my husband and I had a blessing here as did my sister-in-law All Saints Church is a charming medieval English church with original stained glass windows and oak pews it even houses a monument by Peter she makers who also created Shakespeare's famous memorial in Westminster Abbey there's lots of room for musicians and the space has a wonderful acoustic the church however requires a special license from the archbishop for a full wedding service but you are able to have a wedding blessing which follows a very similar format many couples do choose to get married here at the garden pavilion which stands at the end the croquet lawn overlooking the sunken gardens and having the main house as their backdrop of course you can get married inside the pavilion and your guests can be seated outside with an aisle in between [Music] and yes the croquet lawn can be used for croquet and any other games that your guests might enjoy plus you could put up a bouncy castle for kids and those couples who have large weddings can even place a marquis here that holds up to 400 gasps mapperton is best known for its stunning Italian at Gardens and it's a wonderful surprise for guests when they reach the edge of the lawn and see the extraordinary views down below these gardens were laid out by a fella Bashar in the 1920s after the first world war she loved to paint so she created various spots around the garden where she could set up her easel and today these same spots can be used as a backdrop to make extraordinary wedding photos [Music] take me by the hand I let me all I wanna be is all you need there's so much more to see whicka bought a bus service elfin dream [Music] I'm coming up to the majestic Orangery where you can serve drinks and canapes after the ceremony while your guests meander and mingle along the gardens and to the fountain Court down below and the smell of the cherry blossom and the tulip right now is sensational these gardens are so magical I can't help but smile because it reminds me of my own wedding in 2004 there are so many secret spots around these gardens that you can take wonderful wedding photographs and remember that romantic grotto I was talking about that's right over there where you can get married you can also have a string quartet here in the gardens and one couple even had a New Orleans marching band [Music] and now I'm walking through the glorious pergola with the sun shining through and it's so tenderly looked after by my wonderful mother-in-law who really does have a green thumb and remember I was talking about great spots to find for those wedding photos here's one of my favorite ones right here [Music] two nights in the garden cottage is included in your wedding so you can rest and recharge before and after your big day the cottage is in the most outstanding position overlooking the gardens and the rolling countryside beyond what a wonderful romantic place to start your new life together the cottage has been recently redecorated by a top London interior designer and is full of comfortable furnishings and quirky antiques there are three bedrooms including a master suite as well as a sitting-room breakfast room and a hall with a table that comfortably fits 10 the master suite has fabulous views and of course a full-length mirror so you can prepare for your big day I even remember getting ready here myself I'm standing next to the magnificent 17th century Coach house which we've recently converted into a wonderful wedding breakfast and party space welcome to the bar area of the Coach House this is where you can source all of your favorite drinks and cocktails we even have draft beer and cider on tap and of course this space you can do anything with you could put in sofas you could put in high stools and it's a nice place for people to maybe take a break away from the party itself and in fact you might even find me pulling my own pint behind the bar this is the main space of the Coach House when my husband was growing up though he remembers it as a working sawmill but we've recently renovated it so it can seat up to a hundred and twenty guests and then afterwards it turns into the most brilliant amazing party space so get ready to dance the night away right here [Music] you can see there is plenty of outside space for you and your guests included in your wedding is a nine by 12 Marquis usually place on the lawn and it provides some cover for your guests just in case the weather gets a little bit unkind other couples have used this space for an outdoor firepit or even a mobile pizza oven it's entirely up to you thank you so much for joining me here on this tour of mapperton I hope I've been able to give some helpful introduction to the stunning variety of locations that we have here for your wedding day if you do want to come and visit us please do call a member of our wedding team to book a visit and of course any other further questions you might have see you soon and hope to see you here on your wedding day

Channel: Mapperton Live: This (un)Aristocratic Manor Life

Views: 271,594

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Id: RqMDT-vuAF0

Length: 10min 24sec (624 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 19 2020