Venue Showcase: Ashridge House

Searching for a dream wedding venue? Look no further! Take advantage of what this stunning historic venue has to offer, from beautiful views to a magnificent sweeping staircase.

We talked to Natalie, the Events Marketing Manager at Ashridge House, to find out more about this magical venue.

Tell us about yourself!

I am a mum to two boys (my main job!), I have worked in the wedding business for five years and in my free time I like to be creative and bake brownies. I have started writing a children’s book, and am going to try and illustrate it when the story is finished. If it’s terrible I will put it in a drawer and never show anyone!

What drew you to the wedding world?

It happened by accident! I was working in the events industry with corporate clients and when I joined the Ashridge House team, weddings are a key part of the Ashridge DNA. The whole team loves the wedding industry and it is easy to see why, it’s wonderful to work with our lovely couples and create a bespoke day filled with forever memories. It truly is an honour to be part of such a special moment at the beginning of our couples married life.

What do you think makes Ashridge House unique?

Ashridge House is very special, the site dates back to 1283 and Ashridge was a former royal residence to King Henry VIII and home to his daughter Princess Elizabeth. However what makes Ashridge House truly special is the dedicated team here and our ethos to welcome our couples and make them feel comfortable so they feel Ashridge House is their home away from home. The beautiful gardens and grounds at Ashridge House are the jewel of the estate and gives our couples a sense of serenity (we have 190 acres of private gardens for our couples to explore!), and no matter what the season, the grounds always look spectacular thanks to our dedicated gardens team. We have a fantastic food and beverage team who work closely with our couples to ensure they have the perfect wedding breakfast with their family and loved ones to enjoy, the team here also love a challenge and will find a solution for any requests. Every wedding is different and the team here love to be as creative as possible to deliver the most beautiful and bespoke day for our couples.

How do you get to know your couples before the big day?

After the initial show arounds, we invite our couples to visit Ashridge House to meet their wedding coordinator and start planning their day. Couples will also meet their suppliers onsite and have their menu tasting here so ideally they will have visited Ashridge House many times before their big day, and will feel at home and relaxed before their wedding day.

What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?

When everyone is smiling and your couple are lost in the moment together.

What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?

Try and make the planning fun and part of your wedding journey, get your girlfriends involved and make your planning days a celebration, and enjoy some fizz afterwards!

What do you love about Bridebook?

I love their personal service, J’uanita has helped Ashridge House navigate through these challenging times and is a font of all knowledge!

What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at Ashridge House?

Every wedding is memorable and each couple becomes part of our history and DNA. We had a beautiful Russian ballerina bride and she arranged for ballet dancers to perform on the staircase in the Grand Hall during the ceremony, that was magical and breath-taking!

Why should a couple book Ashridge House?

The weddings and events team at Ashridge House go above and beyond to help our couples achieve the wedding of their dreams. We work together with our couples and build trust so that on the day, they can relax and enjoy one of the most important days of their life.

What’s the best photo spot at Ashridge House?

That’s a difficult question as all the grounds are lovely, I love Laburnum Walk, Rhododendron Walk and The Rosary!

What part of your business are you most proud of?

I am really proud of the events team and how they have adapted over the last 12 months, for example we now have personalised virtual showarounds and are hosting a virtual wedding showcase on Sunday 21st March 2021. The team have adapted and pivoted in response to the ever changing times.

How do you feel technology is changing the industry?

Technology has been vital to the weddings industry especially over the pandemic, we have been able to stay in touch with all our couples over Zoom and reassure them we are still here and will help them move their date if needed.

What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?

Share moments of joy. And even in the hard times, try and find reasons to laugh together. Love wins always!

A huge thank you to Natalie for answering our questions. Check out Ashridge House on Bridebook! They have an exciting Virtual Wedding Fair coming up soon click ‘here‘ to find out more.

Looking for more venues in Hertfordshire? Find your unforgettable venue by searching venues here. Are you looking to promote your beautiful venue to our community of couples? Contact our Venue Consultant team at [email protected]