Abbey House
Wedding Photographer

Are you looking for Wedding Photographer at Abbey House?

I’m Andy Wade, an award winning photographer, and Abbey House has a genuinely unique neighbour: the ruins of Furness Abbey, one of the grandest Cistercian monasteries in England. I’ve photographed three weddings here and those ruins give the photographs a sense of history you won’t find anywhere else.

My approach is all about storytelling in a relaxed documentary style, focusing on the real emotions, and creative yet natural portraits. The weddings you see across Andy Wade Photography are all real days I’ve documented, so what you see here is exactly how I’d photograph yours.

A wedding venue next door to 900-year-old abbey ruins. Let’s create something beautiful together at Abbey House.

Wedding Photography at Abbey House

Wedding Stories from the Lake District

A gorgeous place in the world

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Abbey House Weddings

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Abbey House Wedding Venue

Inside Abbey House

Abbey House is a venue with a genuinely unique neighbour: the ruins of Furness Abbey, one of the grandest Cistercian monasteries in England, right on the doorstep. I've photographed 3 weddings here and the combination of the house, the gardens and those medieval ruins nearby gives you wedding photos you simply can't get anywhere else.

The house itself is beautiful, all neo-Elizabethan elegance set in 14 acres of gardens and woodland. The Great Hall is the heart of a wedding day here, with its oak panelling and period character, and the Garden Suite gives you a lighter, brighter option for the ceremony or the evening. Everything is under one roof, so the day flows without anyone herding guests between buildings, and there's plenty of accommodation for friends and family who want to stay over.

Furness Abbey on the doorstep

Outside, the manicured gardens do a lot of work for you: drinks on the lawns, confetti on the steps, and portraits among the trees without ever needing to leave the venue. If you fancy something completely different, we can nip over to Furness Abbey itself for a handful of portraits among the ruins. It takes minutes and it's worth every second.

The team here have weddings down to a fine art, and because the hotel has been family-run for decades, there's a warmth to it that bigger venues struggle to fake. From morning prep in the bedrooms to the last dance, it all happens in one gorgeous place.

Two men in suits, indoor reflection.
  • Elegant wedding aisle with flowering tree decorations.
  • Wedding party outside large historic building
Bride and groom walking down wedding aisle, guests clapping.
  • Bride and groom in forest wedding photo
  • Couple kissing in front of historic building entrance.

The History of Abbey House

A Lutyens original

Abbey House was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, one of Britain's greatest architects, and completed in 1914 as a guest house for the Vickers shipbuilding company, whose yards made Barrow famous. Lutyens is the man behind some of the country's most celebrated buildings, and this neo-Elizabethan mansion is a proper piece of his work: mullioned windows, handsome stonework and interiors that were built to impress important guests.

The hotel takes its name from its neighbour. Furness Abbey, founded in 1123, was once the second wealthiest Cistercian house in England, and its red sandstone ruins still tower over the valley next door. Having an architectural masterpiece on one side and 900 years of history on the other is a combination few venues in the country can match.

Lutyens, shipbuilders and monks

The hotel has now been in the same family for 40 years, with 2026 marking four decades of them welcoming guests and weddings through its doors. That continuity shows: the place is immaculate, the standards are high, and weddings here have won the hotel a shelf of awards. It's one of the best-known wedding venues in the South Lakes and Furness area, and deservedly so.

How To Get To Abbey House

Abbey House is on Abbey Road in Barrow-in-Furness, right beside Furness Abbey, postcode LA13 0PA. From the M6 junction 36, take the A590 all the way to Barrow, which takes around 45 minutes, then follow signs for Furness Abbey. There's ample parking on site.

Barrow-in-Furness station is about 10 minutes away by taxi, with direct trains from Lancaster, Preston and Manchester Airport, so guests travelling from further afield are well catered for.

My Style of Photography

I’m known for my documentary approach in wedding photography, capturing authentic, natural, and heartfelt moments. I aim to narrate each couple’s unique story through genuine, candid captures that resonate with real emotion. Having received numerous awards both in the UK and globally, my commitment and expertise in my field are well recognised. Offering my services throughout the UK and overseas, I cater to couples looking for a photographer who can document their day as it unfolds, ensuring a true representation of their special moments.

Why book Andy Wade Photography?

You’ve found your venue, and now you want the day photographed as it actually happens, not staged around the camera. My style is natural and documentary: genuine moments, real emotion, and the laughter, tears and everything in between, documented quietly while you get on with enjoying it.

As your Abbey House wedding photographer, I’m committed to creating a collection that reflects the true emotion of your day, ensuring you have memories to cherish forever. Let’s tell your unique story together.

I couldn’t be more excited to join you on your wedding day at Abbey House, document your day, and capture all the little moments that make it truly yours.

MORE ABOUT ME
Smiling man holding a camera in monochrome photo.

What my couples say

LOVELY WORDS FROM LOVELY PEOPLE

I am super grateful for the amazing reviews my previous Lake District couples have left on my Google and Facebook profiles.

My Features & Awards

I’m an internationally recognised photographer, and I measure and challenge myself against the best in the world.

  • A badge with a black background shaped like a stylized "R." It reads "TOP 10 Photographers UK 2022" in white and silver text. Perfect for a wedding photographer, the bottom of the badge features the "This is Reportage" logo in white. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A black and white badge with the text "2022 TOP 30 PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE WORLD" in bold white letters. Shaped like a stylized 'R,' the badge features "This is Reportage" at the bottom in smaller letters, celebrating excellence in Documentary Wedding Photography. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Text in the image reads "Top 2 Wedding Photographer UK & IE 2023 - MASTERS of Wedding Photography" in black and gold text on a white background. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Green text inside a rectangular frame reads "Fearless Award" with the words divided across three lines. A small, stylized ampersand connects the second and third lines. The frame and text are drawn in a simple, clean style. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A circular logo with a red center featuring a stylized white "M" and the text "MASTERS OF WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY" encircling the red center against a white background, followed by the words "AWARD WINNER" at the bottom. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • WPS Inspirational Wedding Photographers logo. The text features 'WPS' in bold black letters, with the 'S' in red, followed by 'INSPIRATIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS' in black. Below, it reads 'ABOUT ME: WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY SELECT' in smaller black font. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A logo featuring the text "ISPWP - International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers" on the left, and a mosaic pattern with the word "MEMBER" on the right, perfect for your About Me page. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A circular badge with a dotted border reads "Fearless Photographers." Inside, the text says "2023 World Top 50" with "Andy Wade" and "UK" beneath. Learn more about me and my journey in capturing moments that matter. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Regional Wedding Industry Awards logos
  • Top 10 Keeping It Real 2025 Awards badge
  • 2026 Wedding Industry Awards Regional Winner Logo
MY AWARDS

From the blog

My Lake District Wedding posts

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Questions I get

ABOUT ANDY WADE PHOTOGRAPHY

No. 90% of any day I shoot is completely candid. I can photograph all day without a single ‘posed’ photo. The portraits of you both, if you’d like some, are kept simple and as natural as possible; nothing cheesy and nothing awkward. Usually the portraits of you are created during a relaxing wander together for 20 minutes or so with me capturing shots as we go along – so not really posing. We may stop in a certain spot but most of that time you’ll forget I’m there and the portraits will feel and look perfectly natural. Just think of this as a bit of ‘you time’! There is the option to create a specific photo with flashes which I set up – but only if you want that. Even if I do it will be set up before we do it so that you can spend the maximum time with your guests. Otherwise I’ll just photograph the day as it happens.

Firstly I have to be available on your day but after that just say “Let’s do It!”. Just fill out the email form on my contact page or just send me a text, a message on Instagram or just give me a call. A small deposit then secures the day. That deposit is refundable up to one month after the agreement to go ahead. In the meantime, I will send you some paperwork and that will include a contract which has the terms and conditions, which we both sign when you’re 100% happy. You’ll also receive a summary of what is in your package.

Your photos will be delivered in a beautiful gallery that will work on any device. You can control the sharing of your photos from your gallery for family and friends or to social media. You can download your photos in full, high resolution or in a smaller version should you wish to share them. There are no watermarks on your photos and are free for your personal use. There is also the option to buy prints and wall art and you can create and order albums from the ‘Shop’ area of your gallery. If you have a slideshow made then it can be viewed from your gallery as well.

For a 9 hour wedding you get an edit of about 500+ photos. If it is a 12 hour day then around 700+. I work on your photos intensely after the wedding, lovingly crafting them so that they are perfectly colour balanced with a bright, fresh look. There’s probably a ratio of a third black and white and two thirds colour.

Yes, we can nip over to Furness Abbey itself for a handful of portraits among the ruins. It only takes minutes and it gives you photographs with a sense of history you simply cannot get anywhere else. I always build in time for it if you fancy something different.

Yes. I think it’s good to meet as you can ask all the questions you need to. I’ll be around you for almost all of your wedding day so meeting up before the day is a great way of getting to know each other. I’m a nice chap and very comfortable with people I’ve just met, so it’s not a problem if we don’t. A video call is a really good way of talking things through if we can’t arrange a meeting.

Yes. Most people like a few photos of mum, dad and their close family as well as the bridesmaids and groomsmen. I get that it is important and can be good fun, too. It takes about 10 minutes to organise a photo of everyone, for example, and then about 2-3 minutes for each one after that providing everyone is available. You decide what those photos are if you want them – I don’t have a ‘list’ of my own. If there is 1.5 – 2 hours between your ceremony and wedding breakfast then I’d suggest to have something like 20 mins with you portraits and then 20 mins of group photos dotted about, so between 6-10 group shots max. This way you spend more time just being with your guests, which I will capture naturally. I hear many stories of people who have been to weddings and were really bored and made to stand around for hours while the photographer goes through a repertoire of their own group photos. That’s not me!

Yes. There is an amazing choice of albums and wall art that will be available from your gallery and that I can send you information on. There is so much choice that I do not put albums in my packages unless on specific request. I do have three album packages that broadly cover the options so if you would like to include one I would be happy to chat and look at putting an album in your package.

Yes, but you can have another photographer if you wish – called a ‘2nd shooter’. If, for instance, you’d like the groomsmen preparation photos covered fully as well and they are over 15 mins away, I can employ a second photographer to cover that for £350/day and they will stay until the speeches – so about 6 hours. A second photographer is great to cover a specific span of time but does not necessarily mean a ‘better’ set of photos. I can be in and amongst a whole wedding party quite easily and capture the essence of the day without a 2nd shooter but it does enable us to do more portraits together – if that is what you’d like – and we can have more angles covered in the ceremony. If you would like a 2nd shooter then we’d book them about 3 months before the day. They are always 1st class, professional photographers like me and shoot in my style.

The Great Hall is the heart of the day at Abbey House, with oak panelling and real period character. It gives beautiful, moody light for the ceremony and speeches. If the weather turns, the Garden Suite is a lighter, brighter option that still photographs well.

They do. The manicured gardens do a lot of the work for you, with drinks on the lawns and confetti on the steps right outside the house. I have photographed three weddings here now, and those gardens rarely disappoint.

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Looking for other venues in the Lake District?

FIND YOUR PERFECT VENUE

I’ve shot all over the Lake District in Bowness, Windermere, Keswick and Ambleside. There are so many gorgeous venues alongside Abbey House! Check out my full list of stunning locations in the Lake District;

Armathwaite Hall Hotel, Askham Hall, Augill Castle, Briery Wood Country House Hotel, Broadoaks Country House, Burnside Hotel, Castle Inn Hotel, Cragwood Hotel, Daffodil Hotel and Spa, Fallbarrow Hall, Gilpin Lake House, Heather Glen Country House, Inn on the Lake, Lakeside Hotel & Spa, Langdale Hotel and Spa, Lindeth Howe Hotel, Lodore Falls Hotel, Low Wood Bay, Melmerby Hall Weddings, Merewood Country House Hotel, Muncaster Castle Weddings, Rookin House Weddings, Storrs Hall Hotel, The Borrowdale Institute, The Forest Side, The Netherwood, The Villa, The Wild Boar Inn, Yew Tree Farm
  • Historic mansion surrounded by lush gardens and trees.
  • A bride in a white gown and veil walks beside a groom in a dark suit along a gravel path at Storrs Hall. They are in front of an elegant white mansion with a manicured lawn. Guests are gathered outside, while trees and the partly cloudy Lancashire sky frame the scene. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Bride and groom embrace at castle wedding
  • A bride and groom stand on a narrow stone pathway in front of an old stone building at Storrs Hall on the water at sunset. The bride holds a bouquet, and they share a tender moment, with hills and a tranquil lake in the background under a partly clouded sky. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Couple by historic castle with UK flag waving.
  • Outdoor wedding ceremony in a picturesque countryside setting.
  • Couple embraces on pier by scenic lake view.
  • Wedding guests gathering in scenic garden landscape.
  • A group of people dressed in formal attire poses on the stone steps and terrace of a large, historic building. The setting includes lush gardens and distant trees with a blue sky and scattered clouds. It appears to be late afternoon or early evening. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • Historic mansion with lush green garden and gathering.
  • Wedding couple outside castle with scenic landscape
  • Formal gathering in ornate, portrait-adorned dining room.
  • Sunny garden with mountains and flowers

Get in touch

I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you’re looking for a Abbey House Wedding Photographer, it would be great to talk!

Whatever stage you’re at in your wedding planning, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a message to see if we’re a good fit or to check my calendar and we can go from there. I’d love to hear from you!

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