Introduction to Castle Ashby Wedding Photography
Nestled in the heart of Northamptonshire, Castle Ashby is a historic estate that offers a beautiful setting for wedding photography. With its beautiful architecture, humungous gardens, and captivating history, this venue provides the perfect backdrop to for a wedding day classic.
Castle Ashby is an amazing venue, the building is epic, but for it’s the gardens that win the day, they are truly exceptional.
It rained and it rained all damn day at this wedding at Castle Ashby, but as you can see from the images, if you know what you’re doing and know where to look, you can still take beautiful couple portraits regardless of the weather conditions. For this wedding photographer in Northamptonshire, rain is expected. Even in the height of summer you can’t take it as a given that the sun will come out, it’s just how the British weather rolls. I wish it wasn’t so, but hey, you have to go with it. It doesn’t mean you have to think on your feet when dodging the rain, but it also brings in to focus why it’s so important to know your venue inside out but to also know your equipment back to front too. When the rain comes, you have to be ready to move quickly and efficiently, be ready to get wet, keep going an know that your equipment is up to the task. I took the first picture in this series in the church which the couple were married, it takes a bit of planning to do this as typically the guests want to wave the couple off, however with a church this epic and the rain coming down, we had to empty the place. Another very important reason, if you have guests hanging around, they will stand and watch, and make the couple feel awkward! Castle Ashby has an amazing conservatory that you can use in the event of bad weather. Hidden away from the rest of the party, it’s an intimate space that’s quiet and has plenty of space and cool plants to play around with.
A Photographer’s Dream: The Unique Features of Castle Ashby
Castle Ashby boasts a myriad of unique features that make it a dream destination for wedding photographers. The enchanting gardens, elegant architecture, and picturesque landscapes offer countless opportunities for awesome photographs. From the Orangery to the Italian Gardens, every corner of Castle Ashby reveals a new little nugget of gold. Explore the whole place, I promise you’ll be amply rewarded!
Like this wedding and want to see more from the County? Check out this other wedding from Kelmarsh Hall.
Creating the Perfect Day: Tips for Castle Ashby Weddings
Whilst the gardens are immense, the problem is…the gardens are immense. If you’re having a marquee wedding reception then just the walk from the marquee to the garden gate will take you the best part of five minutes. This is where planning is key, you want to make the most of the venue, but time it wrong and you’ll waste valuable time.
In my experience the trick is to head off into the gardens to take couple portraits as soon as you arrive. Why? Because guests tend to get a glass of champagne and go for a walk to take in the grounds, which is lovely, but the problem is we bump into them, or they walk into shot, or they want to say hello and give you a kiss. Whilst giving you congratulations is always encouraged, if you’re trying to get in the zone to take some intimate photographs of you both on your own, if people are constantly interrupting you then the pictures will never be as good as they could have been. Arrive, head straight for the gardens, then that part is doe and you’re free to mingle knowing that your couple portraits are in the bag.
Finding the Right Photographer for Your Castle Ashby Wedding
It’s an incredibly personal decision choosing a wedding photographer. Firstly, you must like the style of the photographs. Once you’ve had a look through the portfolio and are happy, you must arrange a meeting or a Zoom call. Only when we meet people face to face are we truly able to understand if we can trust and work with them. If you like my work and would like to say hello, send me a message and we’ll get a date booked in!
