The Mansion House York – Wedding Venue

As a York wedding photographer I have had the pleasure of photographing numerous weddings at The Mansion House in York, so I decided to put my experiences together in this (totally unbiased) guide about Mansion House weddings.

Table of contents:

A bit about the Mansion House as a wedding venue

-location

-history

-flexibility and service

Ceremony room options

The Mansion House, York is an approved venue for civil ceremonies covered by York Registrars. The whole building is covered so you can choose the space you feel will work the best for your wedding.

The Drawing Room

Usually the pre-wedding interview is conducted in the small Drawing room upstairs (adjacent to the State room). If the ceremony is being conducted downstairs, this allows a lovely entrance down the stairs as can be seen in this photo.

The Drawing room would be a lovely space for a very intimate wedding, though I have not experienced any ceremonies in this room.

The Dining Room 

This ground floor room is large enough for a ceremony with about 30 guests or so. Here are some photos to show a ceremony in the dining room with approximately 30 guests.

The State Room

This is the large upstairs room. I have seen this room used for both large and intimate ceremonies and it works very well for both. These photographs show the seating arrangements for different guest numbers.

This intimate ceremony with only 9 guests worked very well with the seats arranged in a semicircle

Drinks receptions at the Mansion House

If you are having a drinks reception at the Mansion House, the Dining Room would be a perfect space for this. There is enough space for about 60 people standing in the dining room, and guests often spill out into the entrance way too.

During the drinks reception there is the option for your guests to have guided tours of the Mansion House. This always proves to be very popular with guests and encourages people to move about and chat with different people. 

If you have had your ceremony in the State Room, it works very well if you (the couple) go straight into the drawing room after exiting the ceremony room. Then as your guests leave, they can line the stairs. Once all your guests are in position, you can both exit the Drawing Room and walk past all your guests so they can greet you before joining you for drinks and canapes downstairs.

Wedding Breakfast at the Mansion House

The York Mansion House has catering facilities so you can bring your own caterer in for your wedding breakfast. For smaller weddings, the dining room will seat 14 guests, and for larger weddings the State Room is ideal.

Here are some photos of the State Room set up for a wedding breakfast.

Real weddings:

Intimate wedding at York Mansion House

In May I photographed D+L’s intimate wedding at the Mansion House. They had hired the venue for the 2 hour ceremony only package. 

Their 9 guests arrived and gathered in the dining room while D+L had their pre-wedding interview with the registrars in the Drawing room upstairs.

When it was time for the ceremony, all guests made their way upstairs to the State room where the seats were arranged in an intimate semi-circle.

D+L entered the room together. It was a lovely ceremony with touching readings and a few tears and laughter.

They signed the register at the other side of the room, before returning to their guests and being announced as Mr and Mrs.

Everyone made their way back downstairs to the dining room for a drinks reception (they had brought their own non-alcoholic drinks and glasses along with them).

Within the 2 hour booking slot we had time for group photos and then I took D+L for a walk around York for some photos of just them.

D+L continued their celebrations with some axe throwing! https://www.thehilt.co.uk/

Small wedding at York Mansion House

J+D had their small wedding at the Mansion House in York in May. 

Their ceremony was in the dining room with about 30 guests. 

After the ceremony I took the couple for a walk around York for some photos before they joined up with their guests for a pub crawl around York.

Large wedding at York Mansion House

Guests arrived and gathered in the dining room before being invited upstairs to the State room which had seating for the 60+ guests.

After bridal preparations at the Guildhall (which is situated just behind the Mansion House) with her bridesmaids, K entered the ceremony in the State room and was walked down the aisle by her dad. 

Their friend played the music for the ceremony on a keyboard in the Minstrels gallery.

After the ceremony, K+J waited in the Drawing room while guests lined the stairs to greet them as they walked down to the dining room where drinks were served.

During the drinks reception I took group photos outside and guests had guided tours of the house.

The wedding breakfast was then served in the State room. 

After speeches, the whole wedding party moved on to the Guildhall for the evening celebrations.

FAQs about weddings at York Mansion House

-How much does it cost to get married at the Mansion House in York?

The Mansion house operates on a “venue hire only” basis. This means you are paying for the space only. Any extras will need to be organised by you. This makes the Mansion House an excellent venue for all ranges of budgets – if you want to DIY your drinks, food, flowers, you can, but similarly you can bring in external suppliers to do this for you.

The 2023 prices for venue hire only were:

£450 (exc VAT) for 2 hours – Ceremony only (note this does not include the cost of the ceremony which needs to be paid to York Registrars)

£1300 (exc VAT) for 7 hours – full day exclusive hire

To have the York Registrars come to the Mansion House to perform a ceremony for you, the price on Monday to Thursday is £644, and on Friday or Saturday is £747.

Are dogs allowed at my wedding in the Mansion House in York?

No, dogs are not allowed in the Mansion House in York.

What is the capacity for weddings at the Mansion House in york

The Mansion house has a maximum capacity of 100 guests, however realistically this may be too many to be comfortable. The State Room can seat 80 guests for a meal and ceremony.

Can we serve alcohol at the Mansion House?

The Mansion House is fully licensed, however you will need a caterer with a PLH.

York Mansion House caterers

The Mansion house does not do catering, so you will need to hire your caterer directly. They do  have a number of recommended suppliers who are familiar with the kitchen and facilities.

• Poppy Caterers
• A La Tarte
• Baba Ganoush
• Pastelle Kitchen & Events

York Wedding Photography

Having such a beautiful venue is a dream for a wedding photographer. Combine this with the being right in the centre of York and you are bound to have beautiful wedding photos!

I am a local York wedding photographer and I would be happy to receive enquiries from couples planning a wedding at York Mansion House.

For small weddings in York with up to 30 guests, I have a short, midweek package which is £650 for up to 2.5 hours of photography. 

For larger/ longer weddings, I offer half day photography for £1000 and full day wedding photography for £2000.

Accommodation in York for wedding guests

As there is no accommodation at the Mansion House you may be looking for somewhere close by to stay. 

The Grand, The Judges Lodgings, Grays Court, and Dean Court Hotel are all lovely hotels in walking distance from the Mansion House. It would be sensible to choose somewhere to get ready within walking distance because driving into the centre of York is not easy and traffic is a stress best avoided on your wedding day!