Amy & Sam, The River Mill Wedding
Amy & Sam’s River Mill wedding was such a joy to photograph and marked my first visit to this beautiful venue near Derby. From the moment I arrived, it was clear that Amy & Sam’s day was going to be colourful and full of personality.
The River Mill is the sister venue to The West Mill, which sits just opposite. While The West Mill is known for larger celebrations, The River Mill is perfect for smaller, more intimate weddings that still want plenty of character and atmosphere.
A Colourful Summer Wedding in Derbyshire
Amy & Sam’s wedding felt like a summer party from start to finish. Their colour palette of pinks and oranges brought so much energy to the day and worked beautifully against the industrial backdrop of the venue.
One of my favourite moments was their confetti throw. It was such a joyful, high-energy moment. The perfect way to kick off the celebrations! Colourful, paper confetti never disappoints. Especially when you have plenty!
Personal Details and Relaxed Portraits
Sam also brought his Mini along on the day, which was brilliant for photos. It added another personal touch and made for some really fun, portraits around the venue.
With the river and surrounding cobbled streets just outside, a The River Mill offers plenty of great spots for natural, easy-going portraits without needing to go far. Everything about the day felt laid-back and unforced, which made it a joy to document.
A Few Words from Amy & Sam
How did you two meet?
We met while studying Art & Design at Derby College. We had similar friendship groups, but it wasn’t until our third year of college that we actually got together. From then on, everything just fell into place.
Describe the proposal!
After a few holidays and trips where a proposal felt like it might happen, it ended up being completely unexpected. We were on a beautiful trip to Copenhagen. Sam proposed on our first full day there!
After arriving late the night before, Sam spent the entire day walking around with the ring box hidden in the front pocket of his shorts. This was despite Amy making him pose in front of various landmarks for photos, all while he tried very hard to hide the very obvious square box.
Sam proposed in a lovely park called Ørstedsparken. After that, we hired bikes, cycled to a street food market by the river, and spent the evening celebrating. The cycle ride back was definitely memorable! Looking back at the photos now, it’s very funny wondering how Amy didn’t notice the ring box clearly protruding from Sam’s pocket all day.
What is special about your venue, The River Mill?
As we both grew up in Derbyshire, it was really important to us to get married in the county. The River Mill is a Grade I listed former cotton spinning mill from the early 1800s, and as soon as we viewed it, we knew it was the right place for us.
When we got engaged, we said we wanted to do all the official parts of the day, enjoy great food, and have a proper party all in one place. A The River Mill wedding offers exactly that. A relaxed atmosphere in a really picturesque setting.
The venue sits alongside the river and historic weir and is surrounded by brick cottages and cobbled streets. It’s perfect for photos outside as well as inside.
Any details of note about your big day?
The overall theme of our wedding is a summer party. We’re using bright colours like oranges, pinks, and reds, with ribbons, lots of disco balls, neon signs, and a fun, relaxed vibe throughout the day.
We’ve been to a few festivals together over the years and wanted to bring that festival feeling indoors through our décor. The aim is for the day to feel colourful, joyful, and full of energy from start to finish.
Venue: https://www.rivermillderby.co.uk/
Flowers: https://www.instagram.com/flowerslessordinary_ltd/
Catering: https://www.instagram.com/jenkinsons_caterers/
Band/DJ: https://www.instagram.com/theburgundys/
Wedding Stylist: https://www.instagram.com/taraknott_/
If you’re planning a The River Mill wedding or dreaming up a Derbyshire celebration filled with colour, joy, and thoughtful details, I’d love to hear about it!
