Bridal Portrait Session at Olde Dobbin Station
Bride, Natalie, dancing in the window light of Olde Dobbin Station's main reception space in Montgomery, TX
What is a bridal portrait session anyway?
When I was a kid, a huge portrait of my mom as a bride hung in my parents’ bedroom. It wasn’t a photo from their wedding day, it was just mom. It’s obvious to my eye now that she was in a portrait studio with perfect 80’s portrait studio lights aimed just so to make her look angelic. I always loved that picture.
As a young wedding photographer in Colorado, nobody asked for this kind of session. In fact, my first 10 years as a professional photographer I didn’t photograph a single bridal portrait session.
When I moved to Houston five years ago, I learned that bridal sessions are still alive and well here in the South.
If you think about it, though, a bridal session makes a lot of sense. For most heterosexual weddings, the bride puts a lot of effort into her appearance on the wedding day—usually more than the groom or anyone else. Taking the time to document—it’s more than that—to enjoy your signature look, that you’ve worked so hard to put together, is such a fun way to treat yourself. Plus, you can frame the portraits and use them as part of your wedding decor, and eventually hang them in your home like my parents did. The importance of beautiful photo of my mom was not lost on me as a young girl.
Portraits in the Great Hall at Olde Dobbin Station
Natalie and I met at Olde Dobbin Station on a weekday afternoon. It was just the two of us and I helped her into her wedding dress. Natalie is also a photographer and we had a great time playing with the strong window light.
Olde Dobbin Station allows brides who have booked their weddings to use the venue space for bridal portraits. It’s a perfect space because there are so many great views, both inside and out.
Sunshine and Greenery on the East Patio
One of the greatest things about Olde Dobbin Station are the beautiful vines that cover the buildings. To me, the whole place has a French country meets vintage industrial vibe that barely needs decorating to host the perfect wedding.
Importantly, this area is also paved and very clean. If there are any rules for bridal sessions, the first one would have to be “DO NOT GET THE DRESS DIRTY.” After all, it’s not even wedding time yet.
In my photographs, I love to show off my clients against beautiful sweeping outdoor landscapes. The problem is…most beautiful places outdoors involve dirt. It’s one thing if a white wedding dress has a little dirt on the hem when the sun is going down on your wedding day, but it’s a different kind of problem if your wedding day hasn't even started yet.
When I’m deciding on a location for a bridal session, I always recommend that we take cleanliness into consideration. Shooting at ODS makes this extremely easy.
Playing with Movement on the Manicured Lawn
The manicured lawn between the chapel building and the reception space is one of the best photo spots at Olde Dobbin Station. All three buildings are mostly covered in ODS’s signature green vines, and everywhere you look there’s even light from the open shade and pretty walls and plants to serve as the backdrop. On the wedding day it’s the perfect spot to photograph the whole wedding party.
Natalie suggested she’d be up for running in her dress and I couldn’t love any more how it came out. The joy you can feel in these images comes right through the screen.
In the Chapel
We finished up our shoot in the chapel, which is extra special because it’s the exact spot where she said her vows to Jeff a few months later. I can’t imagine a more meaningful setting for bridal portraits meant to be enjoyed for generations.
If you’re interested in a bridal portrait session at Olde Dobbin Station or anywhere, inquire here. I’d love to help you make your photo dreams a reality.
—Libby
Vendors
Venue: Olde Dobbin Station | https://oldedobbinstation.com