Brockholes
Wedding Photographer

Are you looking for Wedding Photographer at Brockholes?

I’m Andy Wade, an award winning photographer, and Brockholes is one of the most unique wedding venues in Lancashire: an award-winning visitor village that floats on a lake in the middle of a 250-acre nature reserve, just outside Preston. Nowhere else do you get married on the water like this.

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 floating venue on a nature reserve: genuinely one of a kind. Let’s create something beautiful together at Brockholes.

Wedding Photography at Brockholes

Brockholes Weddings

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Brockholes Wedding Venue

On the floating village

Brockholes is one of the most unique wedding venues in Lancashire: an award-winning visitor village that floats on a lake in the middle of a 250-acre nature reserve, just outside Preston. Your ceremony and celebration take place on the floating village, surrounded by water, reeds and big skies.

The spaces are modern, bright and flexible, with floor-to-ceiling views across the lake, and they're licensed for civil ceremonies. It's a brilliant choice for couples who want something genuinely different: a nature reserve wedding with all the practicalities properly sorted.

Wildlife all around the party

The reserve itself is the backdrop: 250 acres of lakes, woodland and meadow on the banks of the Ribble, home to everything from kingfishers to otters. For portraits, the boardwalks and lakeside paths give you something no hotel garden can match, especially as the sun drops over the water.

The day flows naturally from lakeside ceremony to drinks on the floating terraces, then dinner and dancing above the water. Guests talk about a Brockholes wedding for years, because there's simply nothing else like it in the county.

A sunny courtyard at Brockholes in Lancashire, where people socialize around wooden picnic tables. The background features buildings with thatched, pyramidal roofs and a bright blue sky. Some people are dressed in formal attire, suggesting a celebratory event. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A serene lakeside scene at Brockholes, Lancashire, with a wooden cabin on stilts partially over the water. The cabin has large windows reflecting the surrounding greenery. The sky is clear with a few scattered clouds. Trees and shrubs line the far shore. A wooden dock is in the foreground. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A smiling couple in wedding attire walking hand in hand on a wooden dock by the serene lake at Brockholes, Lancashire. The bride wears a white dress and veil, and the groom is in a dark suit. The background features green foliage and calm water, creating a peaceful and romantic scene. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
A smiling couple in wedding attire walking hand in hand on a wooden dock by the serene lake at Brockholes, Lancashire. The bride wears a white dress and veil, and the groom is in a dark suit. The background features green foliage and calm water, creating a peaceful and romantic scene. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A couple dressed in wedding attire shares an intimate moment on a wooden bridge surrounded by tall grasses at sunset. Behind them, Brockholes Nature Reserve in Lancashire offers a calm lake and lush green trees bathed in warm, golden light, creating a serene and romantic atmosphere. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A bride in a white dress and a groom in a suit are dancing, surrounded by guests watching and smiling. The venue at Brockholes in Lancashire is decorated with string lights, white paper lanterns, and bunting, creating a festive atmosphere. Image by Andy Wade Photography.

The History of Brockholes

From quarry to nature reserve

Brockholes is a 250-acre nature reserve on the banks of the River Ribble, created from a former quarry site and opened in 2011 by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust. Where gravel was once dug, lakes and reedbeds now flourish, and the reserve has become one of the North West's great conservation success stories.

Its centrepiece is the floating visitor village, an award-winning cluster of buildings on pontoons, designed to sit lightly on the water. It was a bold piece of architecture when it opened and it still turns heads today.

A quarry reborn on the Ribble

Weddings at Brockholes support the Wildlife Trust's conservation work, which gives the celebration an extra layer of meaning. The venue has won awards for its design and its events, and it offers couples a genuinely sustainable way to get married without compromising on style.

How To Get To Brockholes

Brockholes is just off junction 31 of the M6 at Samlesbury, near Preston, postcode PR5 0AG. From the motorway, follow the A59 towards Blackburn and the reserve entrance is signposted almost immediately.

Preston station is about 10 minutes away by taxi, and there's plenty of parking at the reserve.

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 Brockholes 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 Brockholes, document your day and capture all of 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 Lancashire 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

Latest musings

My Lancashire Wedding posts

MORE MUSINGS

Questions? I’ve got you

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.

The floating village has floor-to-ceiling views across the lake, so I lean on the natural light and the water itself rather than staging anything. It is genuinely one of a kind, and the setting does a lot of the visual work for us.

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.

Yes, the boardwalks and lakeside paths give you something no hotel garden can match, especially as the sun drops over the water. With 250 acres of lakes, woodland and meadow around us, there is always somewhere quiet to head for portraits.

It is a nature reserve first, so reeds, big skies and wildlife are part of every shot rather than manicured gardens. Guests talk about a Brockholes wedding for years, and the photographs reflect just how different the setting really is.

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Looking for other venues in Lancashire?

FIND YOUR PERFECT VENUE

I’ve shot all over Lancashire in Preston, Clitheroe, Ribble Valley & Burnley. There are so many gorgeous venues alongside Brockholes! Check out my full list of stunning locations in Lancashire;

Ashfield House, Bartle Hall Hotel, Bashall Barn, Beeston Manor, Browsholme Hall and the Tithe Barn, Crow Wood, Eaves Hall, Foxfields Country Hotel, Haigh Hall, Hobbit Hill, Hurlston Hall, Knowsley Hall, Mitton Hall, Mytton Fold, The Mill at Conder Green, Ribby Hall, Rivington Hall Barn, Samlesbury Hall, Shireburn Arms, Stables Country Club, Stanley House, Stirk House, The Fence Gate, The Fishermans Retreat, The Higher Trapp, The Inn At Whitewell, The Out Barn, The River Barn, The Villa Wrea Green, The Wellbeing Farm, The White Hart Inn at Lydgate, Tipis at Riley Green, Wennington Hall, West Tower, Wyresdale Park
  • A man with outstretched arms and his back to the camera faces a large group of people gathered on the steps of a grand stone building. The group is smiling and posing for a photo in what appears to be a celebratory event, possibly a wedding or gathering at West Tower in Lancashire. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A group of people gathered near The Tipis at Riley Green, large beige tipi tents set up on a grassy field in Lancashire under a clear blue sky. Some attendees stand in small clusters, while others are near an open-sided tent with visible tables and decorations inside. Trees are in the background. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A vintage silver car with a black soft top, adorned with white ribbons, is parked in front of The River Barn, a modern building with large glass windows and wooden siding. The backdrop features trees and a neatly trimmed hedge, capturing the charm of Lancashire and suggesting a special occasion, likely a wedding. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • The Out Barn in Lancashire is a modern, circular wooden building with large glass windows illuminated from within, contrasting against the dark evening sky. People are seated inside, with one person standing. The background features an expansive grassy area and silhouetted trees. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A newlywed couple, smiling and holding hands, walks down an aisle outside the picturesque Stanley House in Lancashire. Guests on either side cheer, and some throw confetti. The bride wears a white dress and holds a bouquet; the groom wears a dark suit and a checked vest. The scene is joyful and festive. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A group of people gathered outside the red brick building with white windows of the Stables Country Club in Lancashire, socializing on a grassy area with a paved path. Some are dressed in formal attire, including a woman in a wedding dress and others in suits and dresses, under a clear blue sky. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A joyful wedding couple exits Samlesbury Hall under a shower of colorful confetti. The bride, holding a vibrant bouquet, wears a white gown with lace sleeves, while the groom dons a green suit. Guests on either side cheer and throw confetti in celebration of their Lancashire wedding. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A rustic wedding reception at Lancashire's Rivington Hall Barn, a timber-framed, vaulted-ceiling venue. Tables are elegantly set with white cloths, floral centerpieces featuring white blooms, and neatly arranged silverware. Soft, warm lighting adds to the romantic ambiance. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A bride and groom stand closely together under a small pavilion at night at Mytton Fold in Lancashire. The scene is dimly lit, creating a romantic atmosphere. They are positioned at the end of a short, narrow bridge that is surrounded by greenery and pathways. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A grand room with dark wood paneling and ornate mirrors decorating the walls evokes the elegance of Mitton Hall in Lancashire. A large, elaborate chandelier with numerous lights hangs from the ceiling. In one of the mirrors, a couple can be seen embracing each other. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A bride and groom, smiling and holding hands, walk down an outdoor aisle at Hobbit Hill in Lancashire as guests throw confetti. The bride wears a light pink dress and carries a bouquet, while the groom sports a light blue suit. The ceremony setting includes a rustic wooden arch and scenic outdoors. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A joyful bride and groom in wedding attire walk out of the venue marked "Crow Wood" in Lancashire, with guests around them. The bride, holding a bouquet, laughs heartily, while the groom smiles warmly. Guests shower them with confetti, creating a celebratory atmosphere. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A bride and groom stand facing each other while holding hands in front of the historic Browsholme Hall and the Tithe Barn in Lancashire. The bride wears a white gown with a long train and holds a cascading bouquet of red, white, and green flowers, perfectly complementing the timeless setting. Image by Andy Wade Photography.
  • A couple shares their first kiss as newlyweds in the rustic stone-walled Browsholme Hall and the Tithe Barn, adorned with string lights and floral arrangements. Guests, dressed in formal attire, sit in rows, witnessing the moment. Chandeliers hang from the wooden beams above, adding to the charm of this Lancashire venue. Image by Andy Wade Photography.

Say hello

I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

If you’re looking for a Brockholes 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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