Some wedding venues lend themselves to splendour, glamour, and glitz, and others serve as food for the soul. Ashley Park House is the latter. It is a wedding venue with ancient roots, spectacular vistas, and a “smorgasbord” of wedding photography opportunities.
I’ve put together my top five reasons why Ashley Park House is the perfect spot for wedding bliss.
Ashley Park Wedding Venue
1: The History – Ashley Park Wedding Venue
I really love a wedding venue with a history to it. The roots of a venue are found in the most unexpected places: an old, gnarled tree, ancient tumble-down walls, established gardens and a sort of feeling that is hard to describe but often translates into exquisite and unusual wedding photographs.
Ashley Park House
was first mentioned as far back as the 1600’s, one of the oldest wedding venues I’ve featured so far. It was originally known as Rathone, an ‘earthen fort’ in reference to several Neolithic ring forts found on the grounds. The house was built in the 1700s and has been maintained and lovingly restored to its grand beauty.
From a wedding photography perspective, some aspects that history has gifted this wedding venue include beautiful window architecture, doll houses like gambling, and ancient rose gardens.
As a wedding photographer, I find these little touches of the past to make for unusual, poignant, and serene wedding photographs, as the weight of history puts everything in perspective.
You can see some reviews: https://www.weddingsonline.ie/venues/ashley-park-house.
Video by DKPHOTO
2: The Lough Ourna
I think the fairy tale of Lough Ourna adds a wonderful touch to the magic of Ashely Park House. The story goes that a priest found two farm workers in a field of barley on a Sunday. While chasing them off to church, he told them that they should never work in the field again for their grievous sin of working on the day of rest. When they returned to their field, it was covered in water, now known as Lough Ourna.
The fresh, crystal water of the Lough certainly reminds us to rest and enjoy the pleasures of family and friends. As a wedding photographer, there is something particularly special about the still, glass-like lough that infuses serenity into wedding photographs of couples at Lough Ourna.
I particularly like using the Lough as a backdrop for romantic walks, photographs with the reeds sighing in the wind, and photographs of the many coloured facets of blue it offers.
3: The Boathouse – Wedding Ceremony
One of the most tranquil aspects of wedding photographs at Ashley Park House is the ceremony venue—The Boathouse. Built so that it feels like the structure is floating in Lough Ourna, the Boathouse encases the couple and their friends and family in glass. Views of the Lough and surrounding forests transport the wedding party into a cocoon of serenity.
From a photography perspective, there are so many beautiful backdrops that it is almost effortless to get unique photographs of the ceremony, family, and friends.
4: The Pier
Extending into Lough Ourna, the pier at Ashley Park House is a wedding photographer’s dream. I’ve mentioned before that I like to use the photographs of the couple to give them some time to be with each other, to catch their breath, and to enjoy a little secluded time together.
With the Lough lapping gently on all sides, a great expanse of water into the distance, and reeds sighing in the breeze, the pier is one of my favourite spots to take couples to get away from the hustle of the wedding. The pier is where the wedding photographs of the couple unfold in romantic calm, with nature soothing away wedding day jitters and giving me the opportunity to capture the romance of the couple.
5: The Island
There aren’t many places that hold quite as much history as Ashley Park House, which has ancient ruins that are part and parcel of this magical wedding venue.
In the middle of Lough Ourna is a small island with the ruins of an old stone tower that a rowboat can reach. If you’re up for a little adventure on your wedding day, then the island at Ashley Park House makes for truly unique wedding photographs. The journey, ruins, and calm rocking of the lough make it an amazing setting for wedding photographs.
I particularly like the island at Ashley Park House as a wedding photograph option because it is so unique and ancient ruins can settle the nerves and provide an amazing backdrop for special moments.
Whether it’s the boathouse, lough, gardens—of which there are many—or the history that draws you to Ashley Park House for your wedding, as a wedding photographer, it has to be one of my favourite places to visit.
For sample photos, please visit my Wedding Gallery:
Would you like to book a photographer for your wedding day? Call us now at 087 780 7297 or contact us now by email – contact.
