Maunsel House wedding photography – A slice of the Mediterranean in Somerset.

Who wouldn’t jump at the chance of shooting a wedding at the stunning and absolutely quirky bonkers location of Maunsel House? This has to be one of the best wedding venues in England for it’s mix of styles that just somehow work together to create a magical wedding day and photos to match. So we were more than looking forward to our first Maunsel House wedding photography exploit to cover the celebrations of Hannah & Steve’s day.

Somerset wedding weekend at Maunsel House

Hannah & Steve hailed from the bright lights of London as did most of their friends but a combination of last minute planning and finding this gem of a venue meant a weekend in Somerset was the order of the day. Hannah loved the festival vibe and wanted a chilled out relaxed wedding day with all her friends and family. Having also dreamt of a destination wedding abroad Maunsel House ticked so many boxes here with it’s definite Mediterranean feel, outdoor wedding ceremony and wedding breakfast options. Just add sun…the forecast wasn’t so sure on this front…but in the end the rain just added to the atmosphere for a cosy wedding breakfast with none of the festival mud and wellies!

Crazy quirky beginnings

So we got to Maunsel House early doors as we knew there were so many details in the house to photograph, to get a good flavour of the place we starting shooting early (our cameras not the many guns on show!) This place is stuffed to the rafters with art work, history, military paraphernalia, stuffed animals of every description.. you name it you could probably find it here! Upstairs the girls and boys all got ready in two equally quirky rooms, where the anticipation of the day had begun to build. The boys finished off the last minute touches of the day blowing up a few helium balloons and making sure the pergola was set up all ready for an outdoor wedding ceremony no matter what the weather. 

Intimate pergola outdoor ceremony

As the forecast had been for rain throughout the day the amazing team at Maunsel House had decide that the pergola was the best place for the deed of the day to be carried out. This was no compromise whatsoever, in fact in some ways we think it was even better then the bandstand on the lawns. With seats set up from both sides, the lush greenery and soft light through the roof it had such a cosy intimate feel and perfect lighting for photos too. One of the best wedding ceremony locations we’ve shot at. Hannah & her dad were sung down the aisle by one of their best men, to rendition of Elvis ably accompanied by their amazing duo for the day – Truly Madly Deeply. Words said, rings exchanged, rapturous applause and that was that Mr & Mrs, they were even joined by some of the estates peacocks as they left the ceremony too.

Confetti, tunes, photos and canapés on the lawns

With the formalities done it was time to celebrate and party, these guys exited the manor house through a sea of confetti and balloons. Congrats and appreciation of Hannah’s stunning vintage styled French dress flew through the air as did the many and varied tunes of the band. A quick wander through the stunning grounds of Maunsel House, just catching a bit of the forecast rain but nothing an umbrella couldn’t sort out! Then it was back to the gorgeous pergola for a BBQ wedding breakfast, and multiple ‘Colin the caterpillar’ cakes for all to slice to their hearts content! Into the night the bar and ballroom filled with all their guests for a complete party house atmosphere. Again Truly Madly Deeply played a few amazing sets and really set the party spirit on fire, helped by Hannah and Steve’s awesome friends dancing the night away.

No doubt there were a few sore heads the day after, but nothing that their planned garden games couldn’t sort out I’m sure. Shame we weren’t around for that too..in fact it gave us an idea if you’re planning a wedding weekend with activities over two or more days we’d love to tell the whole story of your wedding weekend, so do let us know.

Congrats to Hannah & Steve on a truly brilliant Maunsel House wedding day to remember.

Maunsel House wedding photography by Pixies in the Cellar • Blog • Home • Prices & Contact

Wedding Venue: Maunsel House

Music: Truly Medley Deeply 

Wedding Dress: Rime Arodaky

Maunsel House wedding

Fancy having your own wedding at Maunsel House, then here’s a bit more info – oh and don’t forget to drop us a line as we’d love to photograph your day (or even weekend) of celebrations :)

Where to start, well it’s yours for as long as you want it. As it’s private house you can arrange how long you’d like to stay – just the wedding day or the whole weekend, it really is like having your own quirky country manor for the weekend (or longer), complete with Lord of the Manor included ;) You’ll want everyone else to enjoy the unique feel of Maunsel House too, but of course – there’s plenty of accommodation on site (for up to 64) and they also have space to add your own glamping options in the grounds too, making it possible for everyone to stay a stones throw from the wedding celebrations.

The staff at Maunsel House are super friendly and resourceful – Hannah so wanted an outdoor wedding ceremony and with the weather threatening torrential rain they completely rearranged the dining pergola for the ceremony set up – so their wedding ceremony had a perfect outdoor feel whilst still being under cover. We really thing this was even better than a bandstand ceremony, with a great cosy intimate feel and a touch of the European lush summer greenery.

Your wedding day at Maunsel House

On your wedding day, the sumptuous rooms at Maunsel house are the perfect space to prepare for the day ahead and great for your photography, taking in the crazy eclectic nature of the house from the very start. Your guests will arrive to an inviting hallway leading on to the English country pub feel bar, with so many trinkets to keep peoples attention there will be no shortage of conversation about your stunning venue choice! Wherever you decide to hold your wedding ceremony inside the house or outside in the extensive grounds (no doubt joined by the resident peacocks) it will be magical and truly unique. Indoors choose from the Ballroom with it’s regal country house feel surrounded my hundreds of oil paintings, the very quirky cosy library (if you’re worried about being the centre of attention then this place will take the pressure off there’s so much weird stuff to look at), or there’s even the on site tiny church for guest numbers of 5o or so. Outdoors say your vows under the bandstand set on the lawns with the backdrop of the house behind whilst you’ll no doubt be joined by peacocks and other animals to witness your I do’s – also not officially on their website but the walled garden pergola was amazing for a cosy outdoors-in wedding ceremony under the fairy lit greenery bejewelled roof.

The best wedding party venue

The rest of the day well it’s your party and party space is what this place does so well. There are so many rooms which spill from one quirky space to the next, you have the whole run of the house – in fact you might loose a guest or two! There’s even the option to add more space with marquee/tipi options for the terrace or courtyard. With some great Somerset weather on your side most of your day will no doubt be spent on the lawns, sipping that celebratory glass of fizz with family and friends.

Into the evening Maunsel House loves a good shindig and with the option of a 1am finish there’s no stopping the celebrations, then lounge around in the library sipping on your favourite drinks whilst musing over the days events. It really is a wedding venue with the ethos of ‘your day, do it your own way’

Wedding photography at Maunsel House

For your wedding photography the opportunities for great documentary moments are endless. We loved just wandering through the house capturing the day from a fly-on-the wall perspective, capturing those moments which you’ll just miss or guests trying on the many hats or looking bemused at the many weird and wonderful antiquities. The light in the Mediterranean feel pergola was simply perfect and we just love the lush green feel it gave. If you’d like couple photos we can disappear away from the crowds for your moments alone together in the huge grounds or a sneaky corner of the house – no cheesy poses guaranteed! As the night progressing into dancing mayhem we’ll be there too, to capture the whole spirit of the day. We’ve found a great airbnb locally, so even though we’re based in Manchester we’ll happily have another fab weekend away in the rolling hills of Somerset :)