Meet Ashleigh.
“For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to the things that hold meaning. The moments we wish we could pause.
The people we never want to forget. The small details that somehow become everything after time has passed. Those quiet, immensely human connections are at the heart of everything I do.”
-Ashleigh Cottier
Building a Life with Purpose
My name is Ashleigh, and for more than a decade I have had the absolute privilege of supporting families through some of the most vulnerable and personal moments of their lives. Some of those moments have been joyful. Some have been heartbreaking. Many have been impossible to put into words.
Outside of my work, I am first and foremost a mother and wife. I have been married to my husband Alex for nearly fourteen years, and together we are raising our three beautiful children, Lincoln (12), Addison (11), and Fletcher (5). My family is the centre of my world and the heart behind so much of what I do.
I also live with a rare neurological condition called Narcolepsy, which has shaped many parts of my life in ways both visible and invisible. Building Clementine was never just about creating a business. It was about creating a life built with purpose, flexibility, creativity, and heart, while also showing my children that even when life places challenges in front of us that are outside of our control, we are still capable of building something meaningful, beautiful, and entirely our own.
A Decade Supporting Families
Over the years, my work has taken me into hospitals, funeral homes, mortuaries, maraes, maternity wards, homes, and quiet family spaces where people are navigating love, grief, celebration, change, and loss.
Through it all, one thing has remained at the heart of everything I do: people.
Long before Clementine existed, I founded Maddy’s Memory Bereavement Services, a registered charity that provided free hand and foot castings and bereavement photography to thousands of families throughout the South Island. Supporting grieving families taught me the importance of gentleness, the value of small details, and how powerful it can be to feel seen, cared for, and supported during life's most difficult moments.
Although Maddy’s Memory eventually came to an end, the heart behind the work never did.
Clementine Creative Studio was born from that same passion for preserving connection, memory, and meaning.
Creativity with Intention
Alongside lifecasting, I work within photography, graphic design, branding, and creative storytelling. I am often found behind the lens of my camera, capturing the moments many people might otherwise miss, the gentle connections, fleeting glances, and emotion held within everyday life.
As someone who experiences the world softly, sensitively, and empathetically, I have always been drawn to noticing the things that matter. I love creating meaningful work with care and intention, whether that is a keepsake for a grieving family, a treasured piece for new parents, or creative work that helps bring a business to life. Every piece I create is approached with thoughtfulness, respect, and a deep appreciation for the story behind it.
I also hold an internationally recognised qualification as a death doula, alongside experience in funeral directing and embalming. These experiences have given me a deeper understanding of grief, family dynamics, and the importance of creating calm, supportive spaces during life's most vulnerable moments.
The trust people place in my hands is a privilege I will never take lightly.