Wedding Photographer at Apton Hall

I have been working as a Wedding Photographer at Apton Hall since it first opened, and actually had the privilege of photographing the venue before they even first welcomed any guests! You can read more about my first visit, along with my first-ever wedding there, in this blog post. I have always enjoyed working at the venue, and have a great working relationship with the team down there! They have even been kind enough to add me to their recommended suppliers. I photographed Rebecca and Ben’s wedding at Apton Hall in September. They found me originally online and said that on first inspection they were impressed by my photos, and would like to find out more. As they say, the rest is history. Luckily they booked me up after a short meeting, and our next encounter was in August for their engagement shoot. An engagement shoot is something I offer as an upgrade, however, is also included free of charge should you add an album to your wedding collection. More details about the shoots can be found here. Their shoot took place in Priory Park, one of my favourite local spots. The gardens are so well-kept, and make the perfect backdrop for photographs! Below you can find a few images from their shoot.

On the day itself, it was split into 3 parts. The bridal preparations at Rebecca’s parent’s house, the ceremony at Holy Trinity Church and then the wedding reception at Apton Hall. It was a super relaxed day, and I couldn’t believe just how chilled Rebecca was when I arrived in the morning. This was perfect and made for some really beautiful photographs of her and the girls enjoying the morning together. The church, Holy Trinity, is another venue I have shot lots of weddings in the past. It’s one of my favourite local churches, not only because it’s beautiful, but also because all of the Vicars that take the ceremonies there are so nice! Below you can read a questionnaire that I sent Rebecca, finding out about their day and the suppliers they used. I hope that you enjoy the read!

Wedding photography by Gary Derbridge at Apton Hall.

How did you meet?

We met back in May 2008 in Rayleigh High Street.

Wedding photographer at Apton Hall with brides veil blowing in the wind

How did he propose?

On a gondola in Venice (the most romantic Ben has ever been!)

What Wedding Venue/s did you choose and why?

For the ceremony, we chose Holy Trinity Church in Rayleigh High Street, as it’s our local church and we can see it/hear the bells from our house! This was also where Becca’s parents married and a venue her late grandparents had been to when they were alive.

We chose Apton Hall for our reception venue. We viewed this venue back in 2017 when it was still a building site! As soon as we pulled into the gravel drive Ben said that this venue was the one. The location couldn’t have been better for us and as soon we saw what it was going to look like and become when finished, we knew it was our perfect wedding venue! We loved the fact that the venue was a mix of modern and rustic (we especially loved the beams in the reception room) and it was the perfect size/layout for the reception we wanted.

Where did you buy your dress?

Bellissima in South Woodham Ferrers. They managed to find me my perfect dress!

What about the groom’s suit?

Oliver’s Formalwear. We had Ben’s suit made to measure so it fit perfectly.

Did you have a colour scheme for your wedding?

The colour scheme was pinks and whites (you can probably guess who picked it..)

What source did you use as your inspiration?

Pinterest, Instagram and wedding groups on Facebook. We got quite a few ideas for some of our homemade items from those groups.

If you could turn back the clock before planning started, what advice would you give yourself?

None at all, the day went as perfectly as it could have done. We did have just shy of two years to plan it so we were very organised from early on..!

What was your favourite photograph of the day?

There are so many to choose from! Our top favourites are the sunset shots in the field and one of us just married and starting to walk out of the church. There are so many more – sorry but we can’t just pick one!