Real Wedding at Ash Barton Estate in North Devon
Lisa and Cameron’s wedding at Ash Barton Estate was unlike anything I’ve photographed before. With summer rain, juggling, acrobatics, and golden hour portraits by a wildflower meadow, it was full of contrast and creativity. Ash Barton is one of North Devon’s most unique countryside venues. It’s full of character and has plenty of unique indoor and outdoor spaces to make a wedding feel entirely your own.
I arrived at the main house where Lisa and Cameron were getting ready in separate rooms. I documented the slow, relaxed morning, as the pace gradually increased before the ceremony.
With rain coming and going, the ceremony took place in Ash Barton’s atmospheric stone chapel. This is a moody space with fairy lights and enough window light to create something beautiful. Cameron just about managed to hold himself together as he saw Lisa walk down the aisle!
After the ceremony, everyone headed out to the walled garden for confetti. Cameron gave Lisa his jacket to keep warm, a sweet gesture which made the confetti photos all the more unique. We then moved into the courtyard for group photos, with the old stone walls and cobbled floor giving us a classic Devon feel. For their couples shoot, we wandered around the outside of the house, making use of archways, rose bushes, and ivy-covered stone.
The reception was held in the big party barn, perfect for a larger guest list. After the speeches, and then food by Latitudes (who served up massive paellas), it was time for one of the most memorable reception moments I’ve seen. With Lisa and Cameron, any many of their friends being in the Circus community, they had planned a one hour-long circus cabaret show! Lisa and Cameron kicked it off by juggling knives for the cake cutting, before launching into a mix of circus performances by their friends. Acrobatics, dancing, and a juggling-themed finale that the couple performed together for their first dance.
Once the show had finished, the rain had cleared. The light outside was soft and golden, so we made the most of it with a walk around the grounds of Ash Barton, stopping by the lake and wildflower meadow for a peaceful golden hour shoot.
Back in the barn, Kitty and Kings started the evening set and the dancefloor quickly filled up.
Planning a Wedding in the South West?
If you’re getting married at Ash Barton Estate, or anywhere in the South-West, and you’re after relaxed, natural photography that captures the real energy of your day, I’d love to hear from you!
