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 in a shared love of travel, a green colour scheme with roots in Rachel’s countryside upbringing, and a Preston North End food tradition making an appearance at the evening buffet, and you’ve got a wedding day that felt entirely like theirs.
It’s always nice heading back to Ashfield House. Leanne, the venue coordinator, and the rest of the team gave me the usual warm welcome, and this time of year the place was covered in flowers, with pots of blooms and herbs dotted around the garden and the building in full bloom.
Finding Ashfield House
I actually met Rachel and Scott a year earlier, at one of Ashfield House’s wedding fairs. Rachel had found the venue through Instagram while the couple were looking for somewhere private they could have entirely to themselves for the day, with accommodation included. They viewed a few other venues along the way, but nothing matched up. With a short engagement in mind, Ashfield House also had a date free when they wanted it, which sealed the deal.
A Travel-Themed Day, Styled by Rachel
Travel runs through the whole day. The invites came as passports, and the table plan was a map of the world, both nods to the couple’s love of visiting new countries and experiencing different cultures. Green was the colour of choice throughout, chosen to reflect their love of the outdoors and Rachel’s own upbringing in the countryside. Rachel made the decorations by hand.
The personal touches didn’t stop there. A get-to-know-you bingo game and a sweet table gave guests an easy way to mingle without it feeling forced, and in the evening, two giant photos of the couple’s cats stood in for the family members who couldn’t quite fit on the guest list themselves (more on those cats later).
The Dress (Or Rather, Dresses)
Rachel wore two dresses across the wedding. The one for the ceremony was a late addition, found only two months before the big day after the original choice didn’t feel right. The second was the dress she’d worn three weeks earlier at the couple’s registry office wedding, brought back for the evening. Both were chosen for the same reason: clean lines, no big skirt, and comfortable enough to wear all day. The one non-negotiable was a pair of blue Manolo Blahnik shoes, Rachel’s something blue.
Bridal Prep in the Sitting Room
The day started upstairs in the sitting room, where Rachel and her bridesmaids got ready. Downstairs, Scott arrived a little later to welcome guests as they came in, with a pre-ceremony beer to settle the nerves before the ceremony.
A Short, Personal Ceremony
True to their “must haves” list, the ceremony was kept short, personal and light-hearted, led by celebrant Carol. Rachel and Scott didn’t want anything long-winded, just something relaxed that still gave a nod to the family who couldn’t be there on the day.
Drinks, Games and Bingo Cards
It was a properly hot, sunny day, so everyone took their cocktails and Hugo Spritz outside, playing garden games and working through their bingo cards in the sunshine. It’s exactly the kind of setting that gets guests who don’t know each other talking.
Portraits Along the Woodland Road
For portraits, we kept to my usual approach: relaxed, no posing, no cheesy setups. We walked the garden and out along the tree-lined road leading up to the venue, which looks properly like woodland this time of year. It’s simple, it works, and it makes for photos that will still look good in twenty years.
Speeches and a Modern Wedding Breakfast
Speeches came from the groom, the maid of honour and one of the groomsmen, ahead of a modern three-course wedding breakfast. Each table had a designated “captain” tasked with getting people to take photos and upload them to a shared app, a nice way of getting tables talking, especially where guests hadn’t met before.
First Dance: Run Through Fire
Rachel and Scott’s first dance was to “Run Through Fire” by Pink Sweat$, chosen after working through plenty of other options that all felt a bit too generic for a couple who didn’t want anything cheesy. True to form, they kept it short and sweet, swaying together for about 30 seconds before waving their guests onto the dancefloor to join them.
Butter Pies, Fish and Chips, and Giant Cats
In the evening, the food took a distinctly Preston turn: fish and chips with butter pies on the side, a nod to the couple’s regular matchday tradition watching Preston North End. And then there were the cats. Two giant printed photos of Rachel and Scott’s cats made an appearance on the dancefloor, with the father of the groom happily dancing away with them tucked under each arm, since the actual cats obviously couldn’t make it.
The Day, Summed Up
Guests who spoke to the couple afterwards said it was the best wedding they’d been to outside their own, and put it down to exactly what Rachel and Scott were going for: relaxed, laid-back, and full of small personal touches like the bingo cards and sweet table. The couple had guests travel a long way to be there too, including Scott’s brother from Japan and one of Rachel’s friends from New Zealand, which made having everyone together for the day even more special.
If you’re planning a wedding at Ashfield House and looking for a photographer, I’d love to hear from you. You can find out more about the venue, what to expect on the day, and see more of my work there on my Ashfield House wedding photography page. Or if you’re ready to get in touch, head over to my contact page and drop me a message.
