Are you a bride who craves southern charm for your bridal style and your wedding? If you answered yes, then today’s blog post is for you! My client, Nicole, was the epitome of a southern bride and I’m so excited to share her rustic bridal portraits with you today!

We had the pleasure of shooting in front of the barn at The Loft at Sunflower Trail in Mocksville. In addition to being the location of her rustic bridal portraits, this property also doubles as her wedding venue! I love when brides choose their wedding venue for their portrait location. Not only does this give them additional time to soak in the beauty of their chosen venue, but it allows us to scope out some great locations for photos!

Nicole and I had a wonderful time together, and she looked stunning! I loved her red, white, and blue bouquet – it was very Americana without being cheesy. It was such a gorgeous bridal bouquet! Although our session was in the summer, there were unfortunately no sunflowers in bloom while we were there. Either way, we were able to capture some stunnng photos of Nicole!

Tips for a Successful Bridal Portrait Session

Bridal portraits are a great way to do a “dress rehearsal” before the big day. To make things run smoothly on the day of your session, I have a few tips. To start, remember to be yourself! If a fancy bridal portrait session isn’t your vibe, then stick with something that is! In Nicole’s case, she opted for a rustic bridal session, which was much more in line with her style.

Secondly, use your session as a reason to have a trial for your hair and makeup. This not only allows you to walk through what you’re wanting with your stylist, but also benefits you in that you’ll be looking photo ready on the day of your portraits.

Next, be sure to align your dress fitting schedule with your session date. Your seamstress or alterations company will need to be well informed in advance of your portrait date to ensure your dress is ready on time. Typically you’ll want to schedule your session 3-6 weeks before your wedding date, to ensure your final fitting holds true on the wedding day itself.

Lastly, I recommend bringing a friend, sister, or your mom with you to your session. While I certainly will lend a helping hand in any way I can, I also am busy holding my camera snapping photos of you. With a “bridal assistant” on site, you’ll have somewhere there to zip your dress, carry your bouquet, and cheer you on as you take some amazing photos.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post! If you’re interested in working with me, I’d love to chat!