Gildredge Manor wedding photographer
A Georgian house in Gildredge Park, small enough to feel like a home and yours for the day. Which rooms do what, where the light is, and what to ask before you book.
Gildredge Manor is a Georgian house in Gildredge Park, in Eastbourne's Old Town. It is one of the better wedding venues in East Sussex, and you have the whole place to yourselves.
Flint walls with red-brick edges, a white columned porch, tall sash windows, and a private garden on the edge of the park. What follows is what I would tell you if we were walking round it together.
Built in 1775, restored in 2011
The manor was built in 1775 to 1776 for the Reverend Dr Henry Lushington, the vicar of Eastbourne, and stayed with the Gilbert family from 1792 until 1922. Then the council bought it, and for most of the next century it was the Towner Art Gallery. After the gallery moved out in 2006 it stood empty for a few years, until it was restored as a venue from 2011. It is Grade II listed.
For photographs, the front of the house does a lot of the work. The flint and brick go warm in low sun, and the porch frames a couple without any help. Details for the day itself are on the Gildredge Manor website.
Which room does what
Two licensed rooms, three smaller period rooms and a garden. Here is how each one works for photographs.
The Garden Room
Licensed for ceremonies, and on the garden side of the house, so moving everyone out for drinks afterwards is easy. It seats fewer for dinner than the Long Gallery, which is worth knowing when you plan the day.
The Long Gallery
Also licensed, for the ceremony or the meal, with views across Gildredge Park. In daylight the windows do the lighting, so I do not need to set up any of my own.
The smaller rooms
The Double Drawing Room, the Morning Room and the Library. Good height, and windows big enough to light a room on their own. Ask how the venue uses them on the day; they are handy for getting ready or for somewhere quieter in the evening.
The garden
A private garden with lawn and planting, and room for a drinks reception without a marquee. The legal ceremony happens in one of the licensed rooms, so if a garden ceremony matters to you, ask the venue what they can do.
How I work at Gildredge Manor
Mostly documentary, with a short, planned portrait session.
Out of the way
I do not move guests around or stop things to fix the light. In a house this size that matters, because a photographer who bustles about in a drawing room becomes the main event.
Portraits close by
Fifteen or twenty minutes at a time that suits you. The garden and the front of the house give plenty of variety in a short walk: formal against the porch, softer under the trees, groups on the lawn. Nobody needs to get in a car.
Watching, not chasing
When timings hold and nothing gets announced late, I spend the day watching people instead of the schedule, and that shows in the photographs. Agree the timeline with the venue and I will work around it.
When the house looks its best
The rooms are best in the morning and early afternoon. The front of the house is best at the end of the day. If you have any say in your ceremony time, later is better: it puts your drinks reception into the good light rather than flat midday sun.
Worth asking before you book
Five questions for the venue, and one thought about leaving the grounds.
Which room for the ceremony
The Garden Room and the Long Gallery feel different, and the Garden Room seats fewer for dinner. Ask the venue for current numbers for each.
What happens outside
If you picture a garden ceremony, ask what is possible, since the licence covers the two rooms.
Parking and taxis
Borough Lane is in the Old Town, so check where guests leave cars and where taxis can pull in.
Caterer timings
You choose from the venue's approved list, so check how your caterer's schedule fits the light you want for drinks.
The evening finish time
Worth knowing if you are planning a sparkler exit or a late shot of the house.
One trip out, not four
The Downs, the seafront and Beachy Head are a short drive. One twenty-minute trip gives you pictures unlike the rest of the day. Four means you spend your wedding in a car.
A summer evening at Gildredge Manor
Sam and Paul
Twenty-five years married, celebrated with a 1940s close-harmony trio singing in the garden and a dance floor that stayed full. A good look at how the house and garden work for a summer evening.
See the storyNearby guides
Eastbourne Register Office weddings
A smaller ceremony in town, photographed by the hour.
Read the guide
Eastbourne wedding photographer
The other venues in and around town, from the seafront to the Downs.
See EastbourneMore Sussex venues, from Goodwood in the west to the coast in the east, are on my Sussex wedding photographer page.
Sussex wedding collections
Three collections for Sussex weddings, including Gildredge Manor. Choose by how much of the day you want covered.
Ceremony, drinks, portraits and the meal.
- Ideal for smaller weddings
- Ceremony through to the wedding breakfast
- Every image edited
- Gallery within a week
Getting ready through to the first dance.
- The full day at Gildredge Manor
- Preparations, ceremony, drinks and speeches
- Golden hour portraits at the front of the house
- Gallery within a week
Getting ready to the end of the evening.
- Everything, start to finish
- Night-time shot of the house lit up
- Every image edited
- Gallery within a week
The full list, with London and destination prices, is on my wedding photography prices page. If you are weighing it up against a smaller ceremony, I also photograph Eastbourne Register Office weddings by the hour.
What couples say
We had Barrie come by and photograph our civil ceremony / wedding registration at Old Marylebone Town Hall. We wanted it shot in an elopement style as it was just one of the many pre- weddings events …
Barrie was fab! He knew Old Marylebone Town Hall really well (even the registrars knew him). He made us feel comfortable and took us to really cute places to get some special shots. Would highly recom…
Barrie was the photographer for our civil wedding ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall and he was great! Professional, friendly and creative throughout the day. The photos are amazing, stylish and ple…
Barrie is incredible! He is a total pro and the best in the business! We love our photos so much. We got married at trading boundaries and he was the perfect photographer. So special. Thank you Barrie
Barrie was such a great photographer for our wedding from start to finish. He was so friendly and make us feel so calm and relaxed on our big day. The photos he took were amazing and we loved all of t…
Gildredge Manor wedding questions
Is Gildredge Manor licensed for weddings?
Yes. Civil ceremonies can take place in the Garden Room or the Long Gallery. Ask the venue for current guest numbers for each room.
Can you get married outside at Gildredge Manor?
The licence covers the Garden Room and the Long Gallery, so the legal ceremony takes place indoors. The private garden is used for drinks and photographs, and it is worth asking the venue directly if you would like something outdoors.
Is Gildredge Manor exclusive use?
Yes. You have the whole house, with only your guests, your caterer and the venue's staff there.
Where are the best places for photos at Gildredge Manor?
The porch and front of the house in the evening sun, the garden and lawn for groups and relaxed portraits, and the Long Gallery for window light indoors. For something different, the seafront and Beachy Head are a short drive away.
How much does a Gildredge Manor wedding photographer cost?
My Sussex collections are £1,150 for 5 hours, £1,550 for 8 hours and £1,900 for 11 hours. The full list is on my wedding photography prices page.
Do you photograph smaller weddings in Eastbourne?
Yes. I photograph Eastbourne Register Office weddings by the hour, if you are planning something smaller in town.
When will we get our photographs?
Within a week of the wedding, in a private online gallery with full print rights.
Getting married at Gildredge Manor?
Send me your date and I will let you know straight away whether I am free. I read every enquiry myself.
Rather use the longer form? Head to the contact page
Barrie was the photographer for our late November wedding at the Old Marylebone Town Hall and we are absolutely delighted with the photographs. He was able to capture all the crucial moments before, d…