Sandhole - With Family at it's Heart.

Sandhole – With Family at it’s Heart.

On the 27th October 2023 we had the pleasure of hosting the beautiful wedding of Jessica & Shane Craig. Rewind to exactly 28 years earlier we were extremely excited to be hosting our very first wedding here at Sandhole, the wedding of Jessica’s Mum & Dad, Kim & Andrew Rae.

Let us tell you the story of where it all began for Sandhole & the Rae family…

Family has always been at the heart of Sandhole, starting with David and Veronica Worth and now passing down to the next generation of Worths, Jenny, Roger and Matthew, their children. Once a working farm in the stunning cheshire countryside, in 1989 they decided to diversify and tastefully converted some of the farm buildings to create attractive guest accommodation. This idyllic, rural setting that Sandhole boasts is the perfect location to “Tie the knot”. When the law was passed in 1995 that granted permission to hold civil weddings in places other than a Registry Office, David and Veronica wasted no time in applying and successfully becoming the first farm in the country to hold a wedding license.

27th October 1995 is such a special milestone in the Sandhole story as that was not just the start of our wedding journey, but also the journey for Kim and Andrew Rae who chose the venue for its rustic country atmosphere with the added appeal of having everything in one location. Their civil wedding took place in the Small Barn (now our guest lounge) followed by a Reception for 60 guests in the Farmhouse Conservatory. Surrounded by their close friends and family, little did we know then that their 10-month-old daughter Jessica would decide Sandhole was going to be where she chose to say “I do” 28 years later.

Photography by Andy Griffiths

Welcoming the Rae family back to Sandhole after all these years was such a privilege and hearing their story and seeing the beautiful photographs of Kim and Andrew’s intimate wedding brought back such happy memories. At the same time it showed us just how much we have evolved since 1995, with the creation of the Sandhole Oak Barn in 2005, a stunning bespoke wedding venue overlooking a tranquil 6 acre lake with a constantly changing view.

Photography by Andy Griffiths

It was perhaps even more poignant that Jessica’s lovely Dad, Andrew, had passed away and very sadly didn’t get to see his beloved daughter follow in his footsteps, saying ‘I Do’ at Sandhole. For obvious reasons this made Jessica and Shane’s day even more emotional for all the Rae family. We’re sure that Andrew was looking down on them with immense pride.

Jessica and Shane were able to make the most of the lakeside setting and stunning backdrop for their gorgeous photographs. Another addition since the first Rae wedding is the lakeside Clocktower built and licensed in 2008 allowing our couples to choose whether to have an indoor or outdoor ceremony, also perfect for celebrating with a bottle of fizz.

Photography by Andy Griffiths

With the creation of the bespoke bridal Dressing Room, Jessica and her mum Kim were able to spend lovely, quality time together with her bridesmaids getting ready for Jessica’s big day. Jessica and Shane stayed in the beautiful Granary Cottage which is adjacent to the Dressing Room on their wedding night, which bore similarities to Kim and Andrew who stayed in the Bridal Suite which was then located in the Farmhouse.

Photography by Andy Griffiths