Bridal Portraits at River Forest Manor and Marina

Welcome to the Fancy This Photography blog! Find out why bridal portraits are worth it and view Abigail Chance’s bridal portraits at River Forest Manor and Marina. Abigail, aka Abby, tied the knot at River Forest Manor and Marina wedding and event venue in April 2022.

Not sure if you want to book a bridal portrait session? I hear you. The photo shoot itself requires extra time and energy that you might not have. But hear me out, there are reasons why taking bridal portraits is a good choice.

Abby decided to take bridal portraits at her wedding venue River Forest Manor and Marina. There’s no rule that you have to take bridal portraits at your wedding venue, but I love it when people do! For starters, it’s a wedding fashion dress rehearsal. Aka the perfect opportunity to release jitters associated with strutting confidently in your wedding attire. Practice walking around in your wedding dress (or suit) and shoes. Confirm that you’ll be able to comfortably walk, sit and dance in your outfit on the big day.

Bride-to-be Abby got a special preview of what it would feel like to walk through River Forest Manor and Marina in her wedding dress. And y’all, it was pure magic. From the gorgeous getting ready rooms to the grand front porch, this restored century-old Victorian mansion is breathtaking. Add a beautiful bride to the picture, and this waterfront wedding venue sparkles.

Keep scrolling to learn more about bridal portraits and River Forest Manor and Marina!

Romance at River Forest Manor and Marina 

Located in the lovely little “inner banks' town of Belhaven, North Carolina, River Forest Manor and Marina is a waterfront wonder. The fabulous home was commissioned by John A. Wilkinson in 1899 and completed in 1904. Every corner of the manor is filled with architectural details and beauty. Fun fact: the manor was constructed by the same Italian craftsman who contributed to The Biltmore!  

Lucky for me, Nikki Whitt Belch of Fancy This Photography, I have photographed River Forest Manor and Marina wedding venue before! The first time I photographed River Forest Manor and Marina was for Stephanie and Dan's wedding. Click here to witness their big day. Abby (the bride pictured here) and her fiancé Kyle Chance married at River Forest Manor and Marina in April 2022, which is why this place was such a special bridal portrait backdrop.

Bridal Portraits: A Southern Wedding Tradition 

Bridal portraits are definitely a Southern wedding tradition. Honestly, I photograph brides from all over the U.S., but the Southern ones book bridal portrait sessions the most. I absolutely LOVE a bridal portrait session, but I realize that this is not a normal "thing" up north or in other areas of the nation. Nevertheless, a bridal portrait session is useful for many reasons. 

Traditionally, the bride schedules a photography session of herself in her bridal gown (before the wedding day). Brides typically schedule their wedding hair and makeup trial for the same day as their bridal portraits. The bride can even bring a floral bouquet to match the style of her wedding. 

According to Southern wedding tradition, after the bridal portrait session gallery is polished, the bride picks her favorite portrait and has it framed for display at the reception when guests enter (and only at the reception because we want guests to first see the bride in her dress when she walks down the aisle!). After the wedding, it is said that the bride gifts this framed bridal portrait to her parents. However, I have known brides who decided to keep this one and order a second or third bridal portrait for their parents.

There are no laws written about how to or how not to do bridal portraits. You can wear your hair and makeup in a slightly different style, you can take portraits at your wedding venue or someplace completely different, you can frame and display your portrait at the reception or not - it’s totally up to you and I support you. 

Why You Should Consider a Bridal Portrait Session 

There are several major benefits to booking a bridal portrait session. Not only does the bride receive amazing photos of herself in her wedding dress, but she also gets a run-through before the big day. For example, if you have hair and makeup done then look at the bridal portraits and feel like the style needs to be tweaked, you can communicate with your beauty stylist. If your wedding dress needs to be hemmed more, then you have time to go to your tailor to let them know. Bridal portraits are a great way to try everything before you just put on your wedding dress and walk around in it for the first time on the big day.

You could argue that bridal portrait sessions are a waste of time. They do require some extra time to schedule and execute. But consider this - if you schedule a bridal portrait session, you don’t have to spend as much time taking solo photos on your actual wedding day. Instead, you can spend more time at cocktail hour or on the dance floor with family and friends. Just sayin’.

Q: I’m nervous about taking bridal portraits, any advice?

A: It's definitely normal to be nervous. If you ever see me, Nikki Whitt Belch of Fancy This Photography, in front of the camera then you know I know the feeling is real. However, most of the time, brides bring someone with them to their bridal portrait session. Usually it’s the bride’s mom, or someone who is like a mom. Either way, their presence eases the bride’s anxiety so much. Within a few minutes, brides feel right at home. I think this is one reason why so many couples come back for post-wedding photo sessions with Fancy This Photography – they feel comfortable with me and my camera.

Fancy This Photography’s Top Five Bridal Portrait Poses

No. 1: Bride places her hands on wedding bouquet stems and tilts it slightly toward camera.

No. 2: Bride pulls veil over face and looks down, straightforward and away from camera.

No. 3: Bride pulls veil behind her face with the wedding dress fluffed behind.

No. 4: With a fluffed wedding dress, bride turns around so that the back of the dress is facing camera.

No. 5: Classic sitting down on chair pose.

Learn More About River Forest Manor and Marina 

Still wondering where the heck River Forest Manor and Marina is located? It’s in Belhaven - a cute intercoastal town just over two hours away from Raleigh. It’s about one hour away from Greenville (any ECU brides in the house?) and a solid three hours from Wilmington. Even though River Forest Manor and Marina isn’t on the Outer Banks, there’s still plenty of waterfront views at this NC wedding venue. River Forest Manor and Marina rests on the easy, breezy, beautiful coastal estuary of the Pamlico Sound, Pantego Creek and Pungo River.  

The venue itself is a historical Southern landmark. With 13 rooms in total, up to 30 people can spend the night at the River Forest Manor. When you walk up the front steps, stop to look up at the grand two-story ceiling painted “haint blue” and crowned by neoclassical columns. Shoutout to River Forest Manor and Marina’s landscaping team, because they keep their lawns luscious all year long.   

The 13,000-square-foot Southern mansion is nestled on four-plus acres of waterfront property and can host up to 500 wedding guests. And yet, it’s still intimate and romantic enough for smaller guest counts. River Forest Manor and Marina couples enjoy access to indoor and outdoor event spaces, a full catering kitchen, getting ready suites, tables, chairs and more. River Forest Manor and Marina wedding venue rental prices start at $4,700.  

Ready to book your bridal portrait session with Fancy This Photography? Click here to schedule a free consultation or email nikki@fancythisphotography.com. 

Photographer //  Fancy This Photography
Venue // River Forest Manor and Marina