Classic Bridal Portraits at Lenora's Legacy

Truly there is nothing lovelier than a bridal portrait. We love the beautiful photos showcasing the bride in her specially chosen wedding gown. Outdoor photos, such as many brides have opted for at Lenora's Legacy, offer a particularly romantic backdrop for bridal portraits. These are a few of our very favorites - we hope you enjoy the photos and find inspiration for your own bridal shots.

Beautiful bride Amber (above and below), was photographed by Camilla Calnan in multiple settings around the estate. This is a great way to capture different moods and showcase different aspects of the bride's personality, gown, and accessories. In the photo above, her blowing veil and the dramatic sky create a very striking scene, while the image below is fresh, sweet, and classic.

Bride April also chose several backdrops for her bridal portraits by Amber McDowell Photography. Couples often wonder how to honor and include loved ones who have passed in their weddings, and holding a portrait as April does in the right-hand image is a lovely idea. Another idea is for the bride to hold her mother's bridal portrait, which would be especially meaningful if the bride is wearing her mom's wedding gown.

In this soft, ethereal portrait of Hannah by Kendra Martin Photography, gentle black and white tones create a gentle, romantic image of the bride.

All of the photos of Nicholas and Cara's wedding by The Mondays Photography are full of personality, and Cara's portraits are no exception. The duo format is a terrific layout for showcasing both the bride's beauty and her personality.

Another terrific way to use a duo photo is shown in Heather's portraits by Amber McDowell Photography. The three-quarter view lets us see the bride's pretty face, while the close up image is perfect for capturing special details, in this case her beautiful bouquet.

JAC Photography (now called Ryan & Alyssa Photography) also took photos of bride Caroline (images above and below) in multiple locations. The crisp clean background of the farmhouse's front porch offers a classic setting, as well as plenty of reflected light that illuminates the bride's lovely face. In the images below, her white gown stands out against the lush green lawn and foliage, making it an ideal spot for the full length portrait with the gown's train extended.

The double portrait is a terrific way to show off multiple views of the bridal gown. We love how Hannah Woodard Photography highlighted both the classic elegance of Mallorie's lace wedding dress in the full length view and the dramatic open keyhole back.

Speaking of backs, this photo by Kelli C Photography is unbelievably gorgeous! Doesn't the bride look like a glamorous vintage movie star? And what a way to showcase a beautiful train. Definitely ask your photographer about shooting bridal portraits from a variety of angles.

Of course as much as we love outdoor bridals, this dramatic portrait of Jessica by Cureton Photography in the light of the window is truly spectacular. This is a wedding photo she will surely treasure for a lifetime.

Romantic Spring Wedding Details

Without a doubt. spring is one of the prettiest times of the year at Lenora's Legacy. After the winter (admittedly not that bad here in South Carolina, but still...), we love seeing the estate in full bloom. We thought it would be fun to create our dream spring wedding inspiration by pulling together some of the most romantic details from weddings we've hosted at Lenora's Legacy. Enjoy!

One of the best parts about a spring wedding is the natural beauty of the flowering trees and gardens around the estate. Mother Nature always provides the prettiest decorations of all, don't you think?

Image credit: Kendra Martin Photography

Flowers are one of our favorite parts of any wedding, and springtime definitely calls for an abundance of pretty pastel blossoms. Above is the stunning ceremony entrance from Hannah & Joe's wedding by Kendra Martin Photography.

These flowing natural bouquets from Kristien and Caleb's wedding capture the romantic inspiration of spring beautifully (even though their wedding actually took place in early September!).

Image credit: Camilla Calnan Photography

Hydrangeas are one of the prettiest spring flowers, and one of the rare varieties that comes in a natural blue color. Notice the precious tiny family photos that bride Amber tied to her bouquet in this lovely image by Camilla Calnan Photography.

Image credit: Kelli C Photography

Hands down, lace is our favorite fabric for spring wedding gowns. Jessica's wedding dress had a gorgeous softly toned underlay and jeweled band. Beautifully photographed by Kelli C Photography.

Image credit: JAC Photography (now Ryan & Alyssa Photography)

Caroline's sweetly scalloped lace illusion neckline is a timeless style for a spring bride. Photography by JAC Photography (now known as Ryan & Alyssa Photography).

Fresh aqua blue bridesmaid dresses with ruffled shoulders? Yes, please! We adore these dresses from Chelsea and Daniel's wedding.

Image credit: Kendra Martin Photography

A soft array of pink and lilac pastel bridesmaid dresses set a romantic tone for a spring wedding.

The simplicity of fresh flowers and buttercream frosting suit a spring wedding perfectly. This was a beautiful example from Mallorie and Casey's May wedding.

Image credit: Camilla Calnan Photography

Fresh hydrangeas, white-on-white Swiss dots, and ribbon bands look crisp and classic for a spring reception, like this cake from Amber and Michael's wedding photographed by Camilla Calnan.

Happy spring, friends!

Beautiful Wedding Cakes from Real Weddings

Is there anything better than wedding cake? A beautiful work of art that also tastes delicious? Yes, please, and thank you! We've certainly seen many lovely cakes at Lenora's Legacy weddings, each one so pretty in its own unique way. These are just a few of our favorites.

Erin and Dan had a gorgeous rainy day wedding, topped off by this lovely white wedding cake adorned with a pair of lovebirds and classic roses. Take a close look at the cake stand - it's a wooden cheese crate! Top photo by FamZing.

Jamie and Caroline's wedding cake had a wonderful variety of details that all worked together to create one picture perfect cake: a fondant bow, lacy accents with tiny florets, their shared monogram, and a personalized cake topper with their new shared initial. Fun!

Stacey and Brian's September wedding cake was simple perfection at its best: a white buttercream cake adored with fresh garden roses, ranunculus, and dahlias.

Chelsea and Daniel had His and Hers wedding cakes that really showed off the styles of the bride and groom: the bride's featured ruffled rosettes and a fondant blue bow, while the groom's cake was inspired by Guns N' Roses, his favorite band.

Every detail of Olivia and Tyler's October wedding was exquisite, right down to this incredible wedding cake. The feathers were such a cool unique detail.

Hannah and Joe's wedding cake is one of our all time favorites. The pennants with the scriptural descriptions of love are so special, don't you think? Above photo by Kendra Martin Photography.

Last but definitely not least, Nicholas and Cara had a whole collection of petite vintage inspired wedding cakes. Each cake was a different color with a slightly different frosting design. Topped with festive banners with cheerful messages this wedding cake collection truly was the sweetest way to end a perfect wedding day.