Will Greene Photography's Favorite Locations for Bridal Sessions

Will and I absolutely love bridal sessions. It feels like a sneak peek into the wedding day. Sometimes we find that our brides have felt that finding a location for the bridal portrait session is stressful. Please don't let it be. We've listed several options below that are all wonderful in their own way.

Your Wedding Venue -

Many brides want their bridal session to take place at their wedding venue while others decide that they would like a completely different feel from the photos they will have from the wedding day. Also remember, sometimes venues will allow you to have your bridal session on their property even if your wedding will nto be there. Keep in mind that this will likely come with a bit of a fee. Some of our favorite local venues for bridal sessions:

Longstraw Farms, Ayden NC-

Sandy with Longstraw Farms has done a fabulous job making her property wedding ready. We love the long path leading up to the property, her barn, the chicken house, the patio area she has outside of the chicken house, and well... Pretty much everything! She has a beautiful home that she can arrange for you to get dressed in as well.

Yankee Hall, Greenville NC-

There's absolutely nothing negative I can say about Yankee Hall. The biggest advantage to Yankee Hall is that if it happens to rain on your bridal portrait day, there are plenty of spots inside the house to take photos. Ideally, though, we would spend about half our time taking portraits inside the house and half our time taking photos around the outside property.

Stockroom at 230, Raleigh NC-

The Stockroom has a wonderful, naturally lit space that is perfect for bridal portraits. If the weather is nice, some shots on the streets of Downtown Raleigh are also a must.

Tryon Palace, New Bern NC-

For a fee, bridal portraits can be taken on Tryon Palace's property. There are so many gorgeous spots on Tryon's property. A typical session here lasts 2-3 hours to allow for plenty of exploring.

May Lew Farm, Farmville NC-

For a fee, bridal portraits can be taken at Farmville NC's newest wedding venue. A visit to the May Lew Farm is like taking a step back in time. Two gorgeous old barns are the highlight of the property, though I wouldn't do the property justice if I didn't mention the main house and grove of trees... Seriously, this place is beautiful beyond words.

Duke Gardens, Durham NC-

For a fee, you can have your bridal portaits taken at one of the most beautiul gardens in North Carolina. This property has definitely put much work into maintaining every gorgeous detail. The gardens limit sessions to two hours with their fee, but we could easily spend the entire day exploring the property.

E. Carroll Joyner Park, Wake Forest NC-

This little park is absolute perfection for anyone tha wants a beautiful, natural, outdoor setting for their bridal portraits. We love that there is so much to see in such a small space- old barns, a pecan grove, tall grass, open fields... Oh, it's just perfect! When shooting a bridal session, one of the goals is to move as litle as possible to help keep the dress as clean as possible. This park is wonderful for setting up and shooting from many directions... Every vantage point is beautiful.

Downtown Washington, NC/ Washington Park -

We absolutey love using downtown Washington, NC for bridal sessions. If you've never explored Washington, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the small town charm. So many great spots are all within walking distance. We love exploring the different alleyways, brick walls, steps, etc. as well as several of the piers on the water. Washington Park is just a short drive from downtown Washington. This small community on the water, boasts some gorgeous trees. We love this little area at sunset.

Downtown New Bern, NC-

We love downtown New Bern for many of the same reasons that we love downtown Washington. New Bern has so much charm and beauty. There is no charge to use the small gardens that surround Tryon Palace's property. There are also several gorgeous locations on the water that provide a perfect setting for sunset shots.