One of the first things I like to discuss at my initial meeting with a bride is if she has thought about doing a bridal session. Years ago when I became a bride myself, it was the thing to do.  It was an opportunity to get to wear my beautiful dress and get some photos of just me before the business of our wedding day.  Problem was that 30 years ago, all types of photos were done in a portrait studio.  Now the possibilities of limitless for locations! 

Sydney is one of my brides that I have known since she was born.  Her mom and I have known each other for almost 40 years now.  We ended up working together and had our beautiful babies around the same time.  To this day, I consider her one of my very best friends, and I was honored when Sydney wanted me to capture her wedding day.  Their ceremony would be taking place at the beach where Sydney and Caleb live, but for her bridal portraits, she chose to have them done at the beautifully elegant Separk Mansion in Gastonia, North Carolina.  It was perfect and her photos turned out beautiful! We even captured a couple photos of her in her mom’s wedding dress.  No judging allowed here! Her mom was a 90’s bride like myself and we will just say the puffy sleeves and big bows were the latest fashion trend!

Back to the venue, Separk Mansion, is located at 209 W. 2nd Avenue in Gastonia, North Carolina.  It is a historic and elegant wedding venue just 20 minutes from downtown Charlotte. Built in 1919 by textile magnate Joseph Separk, the mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features Italian Renaissance Revival architecture, a grand ballroom, and formal gardens—making it a romantic setting for weddings and events.  It was definitely the perfect setting for Sydney’s photos since she is from the Gastonia area but now currently lives on the east coast.

We had a wonderful time taking these photos, and they will always be some of my favorite bridal photos that I have had the honor of shooting.