I am SO excited to finally be able to share Molly’s bridal portraits at Lake Junaluska with you! She and Amber said “I do!” days ago at The North Carolina Arboretum surrounded by family, friends, and our beautiful Blue Ridge mountains! Molly looked as beautiful as ever on her wedding day, but also looked incredible for her bridal portraits weeks before!
For Molly’s bridal portraits we had an amazing sunset photo session at Lake Junaluska Chapel. The gorgeous architecture at the chapel was the perfect complement to Molly’s wedding dress and accessories! Originally, Molly thought she wanted her bridal portraits taken at Biltmore Estate, but as her bridal portrait session date drew near, she realized that it wasn’t going to be a perfect fit for her vision. Together we brainstormed and I offered a recommendation for taking the photos at Lake Junaluska Chapel, and Molly LOVED the idea! We could not have chosen a more fitting location for these photographs!
When we arrived for the photo shoot the sun was low in the sky, the air was warm, and there were dozens of people arriving for summer worship. After just a few minutes the grounds cleared and the sun was in a perfect spot for sunset photographs. Right from the start Molly did an amazing job for her photos! It’s not easy being the only person in front of a camera, but Molly definitely made it look easy! She took direction incredibly well, showed her fun and spunky personality, and mastered the poses in seconds!
We worked our way through the grounds capturing photos by the lake with the sunset and then in the archways of the church walkway. This area gave some incredible depth to the photographs since we could see the lake through the archway openings.
Next we set up in front of the beautiful stone and stained glass of the chapel. The color of Molly’s dress really popped in front of the cool colored stone, making for some gorgeous shots! Molly also had some props she wanted to use in photos that she wanted to gift to her parents. She brought some special and unique items from her childhood- old books, her childhood doll, and an old ceramic photo frame with a photo of her as a child. This was a perfect time to take photos for her parents, letting them know that she will always be their little girl.
Before we wrapped up the session we moved to the lake, and as dusk was turning to dark, we captured some beautiful shots of Molly with the lake and reflections in the background. This time of night can offer dramatic colors, stillness, and feel in photographs. It was a perfect ending to Molly’s bridal portraits at one of my favorite Ashville wedding photography locations!
Hair + Makeup: Gracie Frady
Flowers: The Bouqs Company
Venue: Lake Junaluska Chapel
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