1920s Inspired Ashfield House Wedding
Lauren and Michael’s Ashfield House wedding photography story. A vintage-themed wedding that was deeply personal, emotional, and a lot of fun to photograph.
Lauren is my cousin, and she was a bridesmaid at my first wedding as a photographer in 2006, at Langdale Chase in the Lake District. So I was overjoyed to have photographed her wedding to Michael.
The autumn celebrations took place at Standish’s Ashfield House. A warm and welcoming privately owned exclusive wedding venue bordering Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside.
When it came to their photography the newlyweds were looking for a natural but creative style of wedding photography and chose Wes Simpson Weddings because that is exactly my speciality.
Even though the couple planned a vintage-themed wedding, they didn’t feel the need to hire a ‘hipster’ photographer, and they definitely didn’t want the latest Instagram filters on the pictures.
They did, however, want their wedding photography to be authentic, timeless, and perfectly reflect the day.
Here is their story…
Wedding at Ashfield House Inspired by the 1920s
Lauren is from Skelmersdale and Michael is from Burnley – a cool and trendy couple who met online, and after a week of talking, they decided to meet up.
Michael said it was love at first sight and jokes “It’s soppy but it’s true.” The couple had a whirlwind romance, with Michael proposing a year to the day they met.
Michael had planned to propose in the Manchester Jazz bar where they had their first kiss, but as they walked past where they first saw each other, Michael, being the romantic that he is, decided to recreate the moment.
He told Lauren to stand by the same lamppost with her back to him; it was raining and seemed like the perfect time to get down on one knee for when Lauren turned around.
Ashfield House wedding venue
When Lauren and Michael were looking for their dream wedding venue they instantly fell in love with Ashfield House.
Ashfield House is a unique wedding venue that is both modern and quirky, it has a homely family astrosphere and is full of personality yet thoroughly modern at the same time.
The Standish wedding venue, on the outskirts of Wigan, was ideal for family and friends travelling from the couple’s hometowns of Skelmersdale and Bury.
Surrounded by private gardens and spacious interiors, Ashfield House wedding venue provides the perfect backdrop for your wedding photographs. It’s easy to see why it’s an award-winning venue.
Add to that the super-friendly staff and amazing food, and you have one of the best wedding venues in the country.
Ashfield House was everything the couple was looking for from a wedding venue and perfectly complimented their dream of a vintage wedding.
The couple said that the wedding venue felt more like a large home offering a uniquely modern take on vintage antique styling and design. Just what they were looking for.
The couple remarked that the light and airy magical reception room at Ashfield House blew them away. They loved the 1930s-style speakeasy bar and taxidermy on the walls throughout the venue was right up their street.
Ashfield House is situated on the outskirts of Wigan. The venue address is Ashfield House, Ashfield Park Dr, Standish, Wigan WN6 0EQ.
Vintage wedding style
Lauren and Michael are a unique, fun-loving couple who always do things their way. They chose a lifestyle rather than a traditional wedding theme.
Wedding styling came very naturally to them, they are lovers of 1920s, 30s and 40s vintage style so they incorporated a lot of that into their wedding.
Michael’s suit was a brown 1930s Cuban-style suit from Thomas Farthing. Lauren’s dress was the 1930s/40s style vintage wedding dress which was complemented with a vintage vale.
Lauren wore a magnificent headdress from Etsy and an epic pair of vintage Vivienne Westwood shoes.
As for the flowers, Lauren and Michael’s flowers were warm, rustic and very colourful, complimenting the bridesmaid dresses and the Autumn celebrations perfectly.
Ashfield House wedding reception
After the ceremony, guests enjoyed the exclusive wedding venue’s drinks and snacks, which included Pims, cocktails, and real ale from hand pulls supplied by super friendly staff.
The layout of Ashfield House created a relaxed flow to the day. Natural light, beautiful grounds and interesting interior decor provided lots of opportunities for candid photography.
For the family group shots, we utilised the Ashfield House garden terrace, and for some unique bridal portraits, we made use of the staircase. This was all done with good humour and in no time at all.
Ashfield House wedding menu
The couple’s wedding reception at Ashfield House took place in the venue’s reception room which overlooks the gardens and terrace.
With 75 close family and friends in attendance, the day was very relaxed, and instead of a traditional wedding breakfast, they served pulled pork burgers and buffalo wings.
Everyone was treated to crispy crème doughnuts for dessert… It was fantastic!
2 BECOME 3
When Michael married Lauren, he not only gained a wife, but also a daughter!
So, during the speeches, Micheal gave Sienna a beautiful antique sapphire ring that he bought from the same shop as Lauren’s engagement ring to celebrate them all now officially being “family.”
Ashfield House wedding photography
Lauren & Michael chose Wes Simpson weddings as their photographer because they wanted natural-looking wedding pictures.
They did not want anything staged or over-posed but for the images to trigger memories and emotions for years to come. See portfolio.
Alternative wedding photographer
“Just because you’re having a vintage wedding, which some might call ‘alternative’ doesn’t mean you have to have an ‘alternative wedding photographer,’ in fact we thought the exact opposite.
We fully embrace our fashion and lifestyle, so we didn’t need a hipster photographer nor did we want the latest Instagram filters on our photos…
We wanted our wedding photography to capture us at our best, and for the images to be real and authentic without gimmicks…
And for that, there is no better wedding photographer than Wes Simpson” – Lauren
Wedding album
“Wes did a lot of research on the eras we love and that showed in the pictures. He captured everything we wanted and put his artistic licence on it.
We have a beautiful bespoke vintage-styled storybook wedding album that compliments both our wedding day and home decor perfectly.” – Michael
Ashfield House wedding photographer
Most couples are worried about wedding photography, awkward poses, and how it will impact their wedding day.
I capture you at your best and the moments that matter so that you can have meaningful photos and a wedding you love.
Choosing me as your Ashfield House wedding photographer means you won’t be away from your family and friends for too long. Nothing will be staged or over-posed.
Every photo will be a true insight into your wedding and a timeless reminder of the best day of your life.
Check out my portfolio for examples of work, the blog for the latest weddings and my approach to photographing your wedding.
If you’re getting married and would like to talk to me about becoming your Ashfield House wedding photographer Contact me today, I would be thrilled to hear from you.
