This Monday, I have a special treat for you! Gregory Byerline captures timeless portraits of brides that truly represent her personality. All of these images were created at a special session on a different day than the bride’s wedding day. This allows freedom from time constraints and wedding-day stress. Here are some of Gregory’s thoughts behind his photography…
“I believe bridal portraits are the most important portraits of a woman’s lifetime, meant to portray her at a pinnacle of her style and elegance. There’s something magical about photographing “the girl next door” in a fashionable and affirming experience that fuels why I do what I do. Perhaps it’s the pleasantly-surprised gasp when I show the bride the image on back of my camera. Perhaps it’s the thrill of knowing her fiancé will know how I felt when I saw my wife’s bridal portrait for the first time 16 years ago (and every time since). Perhaps it’s a combination of both.
Whatever that magic is, I’m thrilled to share a few bridal portraits of actual brides with you here with stories about a few of them. Be sure to click links to even more of their stories.” ~ Gregory Byerline, Bridal Portraiture
“Julie (right image below) flew from her Brooklyn home for her made-in-the-South bridal portrait at Riverwood Mansion. As we returned to the bridal suite after shooting throughout the manion, inspiration struck again, and I stood Julie on an oversized sofa in her Reem Acra gown from Kleinfeld.
This image of Beth almost didn’t happen. We shot inside a rustic private home of a friend for a few hours, making some lovely images that already became favorites. Just before packing our gear, I walked outside to look at a boat tethered to the private dock, and this setting awaited. I ran back inside, shared my vision, helped her into a seated position with bare feet dangling ten feet above the water, fluffed her Jim Hjelm dress from The Spoiled Lady, and made this image which now hangs in her home.
Chelsea (left, below) and Heather (right, below) in their gowns from The White Room…
Christa (below) in Maggie Sottero at Schermerhorn Symphony Center…
Erica (below) in Winnie Couture (Atlanta) at Hotel Indigo…
From time to time, it’s necessary to stand on a ladder and lean over a railing 20–25’ in the air to frame a bride into the focal point of an architectural element down below. At other times, a delicate floralscape is the proper setting for a bridal portrait. This was both of those times. Meet Katie (below), a lovely bride with a remarkable story (which she tells in her own words here), who wore an ornate Lazaro gown and carried a handmade, antique brooche bouquet for her bridal portrait and marriage celebration. 
Laura in Modern Trousseau (left, below) and Katie May (right, below) for this year’s Valentine.
Leslie (below) in Pronovias and Christian Louboutin at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens…
The reclining bride (left below) is my favorite bridal portrait pose I love to shoot, and Lindsey’s effervescent laughter lights up this portrait. Another favorite angle is a close headshot of the bride herself. While the wedding dress plays a vital role in the bridal portrait, without the bride herself, the dress is just a refined hanger drape.
Jenna (right below) wore a gorgeous lace dress with cap sleeves which we also photographed head-to-toe, but she also wore a warm Mona Lisa-like personality from the inside out that took center stage at this session.
Megan (below) in a beaded strapless gown from The White Room…
We conclude with my favorite bride of all. My very own Everbride…my lovely wife Meghann. She and I celebrate our 16th anniversary less than two months from now, and I’ve photographed her countless times over the years. This session is extra special because her original bridal portrait from 16 years ago remains my favorite photographs of her. Still.
I made this portrait of Meghann late Summer 2012 at a bridal fashion shoot featuring couture gowns from Modern Trousseau. When our older daughter Mollie (age 3 then), saw this print in my office, her eyes exploded with brightness as she said, “Ooooh, that’s Mom-meeeee dwessed as a pwincessth!” Yes, sweet baby, it is.
That’s what it’s all about. Celebrating the bride herself and elevating her to a regal place to honor her, captivate her groom, and wow her future children…making the bridal portrait the most important portrait of a woman’s lifetime.
I love a good story. And I especially love when that story can be told in a photograph with the bride as the lead character. Happily ever after begins here.”
