When I tell you that this Cape Cod bridal photo session soared way past my expectations, I promise you’ll agree with me soon!

As a little girl, and like most of my peers, I fell in love with horses. My maternal grandmother used to ride and own horses when she grew up, so that also fueled my passion.

At a summer camp I attended for three years in a row, I had the opportunity to spend all day with horses. I learned how to properly brush them down before saddling, tack them up, muck a stall, and the basic riding skills.

Now, do I still have these skills today? I think I’ve lost the intricacies. But the love still remains. I can’t help smiling when I think back to those summer camp days where I was sweaty, dusty, smelling of hay and horses, but SO excited.

So when I had the opportunity to capture a bridal session with an owner and her horse, it didn’t feel like real life. I had to double check that neither Grimm nor Hans Christian Andersen kidnapped me for a second. Can you tell that I was an English teacher in the past, haha!

Why should I have a Cape Cod Bridal Photo Session?

I’ve actually done a deep dive on bridal portrait sessions before, so you should check out that post here!

The short version is that a Cape Cod bridal portrait session allows you more breathing room to capture this important stage of your life. You’ll have more bridal portraits to cherish for future generations.

When should I schedule my Cape Cod Bridal Photo Session?

You can take bridal portraits before or after your wedding. However, if you also want pictures with your own horse, I highly recommend doing your portraits after the wedding. Amanda’s gorgeous horse, Azalea, definitely left her mark on the dress. While the fabric is still in good shape, there was horse hair everywhere.

Azalea was the best, but it’s not unreasonable to think that a dress could be ripped or permanently stained during the process.

So even though the dress made it out of our session relatively unscathed, in the best case scenario it would take a pretty heavy cleaning to return the dress back to normal, and in the worst case you might be doing some very last minute dress shopping. 😅

Where should I schedule my Cape Cod Bridal Photo Session?

We held our session at Old Silver Beach in Falmouth, MA. I love this beach! It literally looks good rain or shine…

Fun fact, it rained for our entire session. 🤦‍♀️

As you can see, we still rocked it!

If you have a horse that you’re hoping to take bridal portraits with, you definitely need to consider where your horse will be comfortable. Amanda and Azalea often go to the beach, so the sand and the waves felt like a home away from home for Azalea.

But if your horse is more comfortable at home, you need to factor that in to the decision making process.

If you aren’t riding a horse, of course the sky is the limit for a location!

Some brides prefer an indoor or studio location to ensure that their dress stays clean before the wedding day.

And finally…

Thank you so much to Amanda and Azalea for taking on this session with me! You were so gracious as I figured out how to properly photograph a horse, and I’m so grateful for your patience and trust. I hope you treasure these pictures forever!

To everyone else, please enjoy this stunning Cape Cod bridal portrait session! It’s one of my favorites for the year, I know that already!

Vendor Team:

Photography: Christine Hazel Photography

Hair and Makeup: Emily Fraser Bridal Makeup

Assistant: Erica Pezente Photography

Want to see more of my recent work? Click below!

Abbe and Danny’s Bedford Village Inn Wedding

Yan and Adam’s Larz Anderson Park Wedding

Tiffany and Michael’s Hammond Castle Engagement

Lexey and Jeffrey’s Cape Cod Maternity Photos

Sarah and Dan’s Central MA Elopement