Duke Mansion Bridal Potraits

Duke Mansion Bridal Portraits. From the Bride: Dress? Londyn Gown by Hayley Paige. Why I chose this dress? I’m a sucker for big ball gowns and the more southern the better! But I also knew I would be having the reception at a hotel in uptown Charlotte so I wanted my dress to fit with the modern look that our reception would have. This Hayley Paige tulle gown was perfect! It’s a big ball gown but the horsehair tulle gives it a fun modern twist that I was looking for. From the second I tried on the Londyn gown, I knew it was the perfect dress for me! Shoes? Jimmy Choo. Why I chose my shoes? I knew I wanted to wear heels with my wedding dress. I love the feel of confidence that a good pair of heels will give you! The simple, yet elegance of the gold strappy Jimmy Choos were perfect for me! The Ring? My engagement ring was the inspiration for this entire wedding. The ring was passed down to James from his grandmother whom received it from her mother. The simplicity, elegance, and timelessness of the ring was the foundation of this wedding. I didn’t want a trendy wedding or to do what was “in”, I wanted an elegant, classic wedding just as this ring is. How did you feel the first time you tried on your dress? Simply put, I felt like a bride. It was the first dress I had tried on, that I truly felt like a bride. It was simple and classic, yet fun and modern. I was glowing with excitement and happiness; everyone there knew it was the dress for me.

What are you looking forward to on your wedding day? Marrying my best friend and being surrounded by our most favorite people! Family is so important to James and I, so to have a whole weekend where both of our families will be in the same place will be such a wonderful and memorable weekend.What do you think James will do when he sees you in your dress for the first time? When James sees me for the first time, I think his face will light up with his big warm smile. I think we both will be at ease when we finally get to see each other that day and we’ll both be glowing with excitement that the day has finally come! What was your favorite thing about your bridal portraits? Oh, there are so many! Having some of my favorite people in the world there was such special treat and made the shoot so fun. I was lucky enough to have my parents and my best friend there, whom all kept me laughing through the entire shoot. I absolutely loved being able to wear my gorgeous gown and did not want to take it off at the end of the day. The bridal portraits were very surreal for me and made me that much more excited for my wedding day. What stuck out to you about Duke Mansion? The southern charm of the Duke Mansion immediately stood out to me. It had that southern feel with classic white columns and rocking chairs on the front porch. The Duke Mansion is a gem of Charlotte and I was so honored to be able to have my bridal session shoot here.

Photographer:  Christopher Bell Photography, LLC// Venue: The Duke Mansion//