Ashfield House: A Country House Wedding Venue Near Wigan

Ashfield House sits in Standish, on the edge of Wigan and a few minutes from the M6, so it’s an easy trip for guests coming from Manchester, Liverpool, Preston or Cheshire. Built in 1755, it’s a proper country house with period features everywhere you look, but it never feels stuffy. Katie Street took it over in 2009 when it was a tired little hotel on the brink of closure, and she and her family have turned it into one of the most relaxed and characterful wedding venues in the North West. It’s exclusive use, so on your wedding day the whole house and gardens are yours.

It’s always nice heading back to Ashfield House. The team are warm, down-to-earth and know exactly what they’re doing, which makes my job a lot easier. What I like most as a photographer is the layout. Every room branches off the Grand Hallway, so guests aren’t scattered all over the place and I can move between moments quickly without missing anything. I’ve also met several of my Ashfield House couples at the venue’s own wedding fairs, so it’s a place I know well.

Grand, Homely and a Little Bit Quirky

The venue calls itself a blank canvas, and from what I’ve seen, that’s fair. I’ve photographed a black and white wedding with a bearded flower man, a travel-themed wedding with passport invites and a world map table plan, and a music-themed wedding with vinyl records on every table. Three very different days, and the house suited all of them. Because it’s independent and family-run, there aren’t a load of rules getting in the way of doing things your own way.

Exterior of Ashfield House wedding venue in Standish, surrounded by gardens

Front entrance of Ashfield House with columned doorway

Getting Ready at Ashfield House

Most couples get ready on site in The Sitting Room upstairs, a big, bright room with plenty of natural light, makeup stations, comfy sofas and air conditioning. It’s big enough for bridesmaids, makeup artists and a steady supply of coffee without anyone tripping over each other, and the light from the windows is soft and flattering for getting-ready photos. I’ve seen everything in there, from nail painting sessions to bridesmaids ripping a t-shirt off the bride so she didn’t ruin her hair.

The house also has 15 guest bedrooms, so the other half of the couple can get ready nearby without anyone crossing paths. With both groups only a few doors apart, I can move between them all morning and catch the moments on both sides, like a groom’s dad seeing the bride in her dress for the first time.

The Grand Hallway and Staircase

The Grand Hallway is the heart of the house, with candles, flowers and lanterns dotted around and plenty of space for your own details. I’ve seen it used for welcome signs, a vinyl record table plan, a temporary tattoo station and a photobooth corner full of rock wigs and inflatable guitars.

The wooden staircase is the iconic spot in the house. Every bride I’ve photographed here has made her way down it before the ceremony, and it’s one of my favourite places to photograph that moment when family see her for the first time. It’s also handy for a quick group shot if the weather isn’t playing ball.

View through the front door into the Grand Hallway at Ashfield House, with a wedding welcome sign on an easel

Grand wooden staircase inside Ashfield House

The Ceremony Room

The Ceremony Room is one of the most distinctive spaces I’ve photographed in the North West. It has a vaulted ceiling with a stained glass skylight, a crystal chandelier, a fireplace at the front, and ledges around the top filled with curiosities. It holds up to 120 guests, and the chairs can be set out in traditional rows or in a circle so you’re surrounded by your guests.

The light from the skylight means I can capture the ceremony naturally without flash, and there’s space at the back and sides to move around without getting in the way. It’s also a room couples really make their own. I’ve seen a cocker spaniel bring the rings down the aisle, a couple raise shots in memory of family who couldn’t be there, and a whole room shouting higher or lower in a game of Play Your Cards Right to decide who said their vows first. It’s that kind of room.

Ceremony room at Ashfield House set up with rows of chairs and a stained glass skylight

Drinks Reception and Portraits in the Gardens

The gardens are looked after by Head Gardener Phil and his team, and in summer the place is covered in flowers, with pots of blooms and herbs dotted around the terrace. On a good day, this is where your confetti, drinks reception and lawn games happen. When the sun’s out, guests take their drinks onto the lawns and the terrace, and it’s the kind of setting that gets people who don’t know each other talking, which is where I get some of my favourite candid photos of the day.

For couple portraits, I keep things relaxed with no posing. There’s a lot to work with: garden paths under festoon lights and climbing roses, the tiny tin chapel with its arched wooden door, and the tree-lined road leading up to the venue, which looks like proper woodland in summer.

And if the weather doesn’t cooperate, that’s fine too. I’ve photographed a wedding here where it rained for most of the day, and we made the most of a 10-minute pocket of sunshine for a quick walk around the gardens. With so many interesting rooms inside, a rainy day here is no reason to panic.

Landscaped gardens and lawn at Ashfield House

The Reception Room

The wedding breakfast is served in the Reception Room, a bright, airy space with chandeliers and big windows looking out over the gardens and terrace. It seats up to 120 guests, and because it’s separate from the Ceremony Room there’s no turnaround time, so your tables are ready whenever you are.

The natural light makes speeches easy to photograph, with lots of room to catch guests’ reactions as well as whoever has the mic. At the weddings I’ve photographed here, the Reception Room has also doubled up as the dancefloor later on, so the evening stays in the same space.

Reception room at Ashfield House set up for a wedding breakfast with round tables and chandeliers

Reception room at Ashfield House viewed from the Library Bar doorway

Food at Ashfield House

If you’ve heard about my time on Come Dine With Me, you’ll already know I’m a foodie, and after years of photographing weddings I’ve had my fair share of wedding food. Ashfield House is one of the venues I look forward to most for that reason. The canapés are some of the best I’ve had anywhere, and I’m always excited to see a main coming my way. Everything is cooked in-house and the portions are generous, which guests tend to notice.

In the evening, the venue steers well clear of the standard buffet. Homemade pizzas come out on the terrace, and couples can also go for grazing tables or something more personal, like fish and chips with butter pies.

Breadcrumbed canapés topped with diced cucumber and a dot of sauce, served on a white plate at Ashfield House

Glazed cocktail sausages served in a mini wire basket at Ashfield House

The Music Room

The Music Room is the cosy one, with dusky pink panelled walls, velvet sofas and plants on every shelf. It’s a flexible space that couples use as a coffee bar, a chill-out lounge, a photo booth corner, a grazing station or somewhere for the kids to play. For smaller weddings, it can also be used for the wedding breakfast. With its big windows and soft colours, it’s a a good spot to grab a quiet five minutes together once the ceremony is over.

Plant display on a shelf in the Music Room at Ashfield House

The Library Bar and Langtree Bar

Ashfield House has two bars, and between them they can host an evening reception of up to 220 guests. The Library Bar has dark wood panelling, tartan carpet, stained glass, Chesterfields and a fireplace, the kind of room where guests sink into a sofa and stay for hours. The Langtree Bar is lighter, with big windows looking out to the gardens and plenty of comfy seating. With the bars, seating and dancefloor all close together, the party stays in one place, which is ideal for evening photos because I’m never far from the action.

The Library Bar at Ashfield House, a wood-panelled room with a fireplace and armchairs

The Langtree Bar at Ashfield House, seen from the bar looking out over the seating area

Evening at Ashfield House

Every wedding at Ashfield House includes a DJ from The DFC Experience, and the evenings here tend to get lively. So far I’ve photographed live bands, inflatable air guitars, a T-shirt toss on the dancefloor and a groom’s dad dancing with giant printed photos of the couple’s cats.

As the light drops, festoon lights come on along the terrace and the back of the house glows, which is always worth stepping outside for.

Ashfield House lit up in the evening with string lights along the terrace

About Ashfield House

Ashfield House is on Ashfield Park Drive, Standish, Wigan, WN6 0EG, close to the M6. It’s an independent, family-run country house offering exclusive use for weddings, with a Ceremony Room for up to 120 guests, a Reception Room seating up to 120 for the wedding breakfast, and two bars for evening receptions of up to 220. There are 15 guest bedrooms on site, in-house catering, and a DJ from The DFC Experience included with every wedding. Dogs are welcome too.

Latest weddings at Ashfield House

Check out my latest Ashfield House weddings:

Ann-Marie and Paul’s Music-Themed Wedding at Ashfield House
Some couples take months to choose their photographer. Ann-Marie and Paul took about five minutes. I met them at a wedding fair at Ashfield House. I’d finished chatting to another couple when they walked straight up and said, “We want […]
Travel-Themed Wedding at Ashfield House – Rachel & Scott
Rachel and Scott got married at Ashfield House with one rule above everything else: keep it relaxed. No stuffy formalities, no long ceremony, and a firm adults-only policy so guests could enjoy themselves without worrying about their little ones. Add […]
Hannah & Steven’s Black and White Wedding at Ashfield House
Hannah and Steven’s black and white wedding was hosted at the beautiful Ashfield House in Wigan. Built in 1755, this country house wedding venue provides the ideal setting for a couple looking for a warm and informal wedding. Ashfield House […]