Caroline is a total sweetheart and SUCH a gorgeous bride!  She was a bridesmaid in a another wedding I photographed (this one!) and I was so excited to see her get to be the bride this time.  We spent a couple of hours at Duke Gardens (admittedly one of the places many of my brides like to go) and we got lucky that it was a gorgeous late summer day – all the green foliage, warm but not hot -just perfection.   Her dress was stunning with so much lace -and that veil?!  Oh wow!  Soooo pretty! I can’t wait to share photos from their October wedding – stay tuned!!!!

I really think Bridal Portraits are one of my favorite kinds of sessions.  It gives the bride a chance to get in her dress, really feel how it feels to just BE in it for a while – not just try it on and stand in the dress boutique.  It’s the first time most women really FEEL like a bride – they get to walk around in their dress, people who see them smile, they say ‘congratulations’ – it makes it all start to feel so real.

This is Sarah.  She & Stuart just got married this past Saturday, the 23rd, in the amazing Cotton Rooom, in Durham NC.  I can *finally* post these images now that they are married and he’s seen all this gorgeousness in person.

So, Sarah & I planned her bridal session for a late weekday afternoon in one of the areas most popular gardens, the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, on the campus of Duke University.  Ok, sure, it was July. We knew it was going to be warm – we were not prepared for the actual 96 degrees and like 1000% humidity though!  Sarah was such a trooper – she was absolutely MELTING and she kept smiling and laughing and having the absolute best time.  I assure you, I was not nearly so pretty during this session  🙂

Despite the heat, we had a great time!  Thank you Sarah!