Brianna and Nick were recently married at Rosecliff Mansion in Newport, RI. They wanted to do one more round of couple’s portraits inside a different Newport mansion that did not fit into the Wedding Day schedule. What’s better than a whole extra session with less time constraints of a real wedding day? I’m lovingly calling these post-wedding couple’s sessions “The Aftershoot”. With this type of session, the possibilities are endless! You can stay true to your Wedding Day Look (same hair, makeup, florals, etc) OR you can mix it up with a whole new look! The possibilities are endless and the choice is yours.
When I first started my career in 2005, pre-bridal sessions were on their way out and something called “Trash the Dress” was on trend. If you remember, pre-bridal sessions were a very traditional photo session, usually in-studio, where the bride would go on her own to a photography studio to have a portrait in her wedding dress created. This portrait would be prepared in advance and displayed at the wedding reception since the guests had now seen the bride already. This was a bridal tradition for many decades. “Trash the Dress” sessions were popular from 2005 to around 2010. Couples did fun things in their wedding attire a few weeks after tying the knot like jumping in the ocean, spraying champagne or simply go for a location that wasn’t feasible on Wedding Day. While the terminology of “trashing” a wedding dress had a bit of a stigma around it (I can still remember Mothers of the Brides in my office slightly horrified that this was a thing lol) I like the sound of the “Aftershoot” much better. I’ve actually had the pleasure of doing two of these Aftershoots where the couples stayed true to their wedding day look and created more images in new places that fit the overall aesthetic and vibe of their day. When the Aftershoot images are blended with Wedding Day photos, most viewers would not know they were created on a separate occasion.
These images were created on the grounds of Salve Regina University’s Ochre Court. This location must be rented in advance. At the time of this blog entry, current rates are $375 for SRU alumni and $475 for non-SRU affiliated individuals.
A fun fact: The 1994 film “True Lies” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis was filmed right here in Newport. There was a scene in the movie where an actor jumps out a window of Rosecliff Mansion. Once he lands outside, the filmmakers used the exterior of Ochre Court for the outdoor portion of the scene. My dad was a firefighter at the time and had the detail at Ochre Court for the explosion scene when the crew was filming here in the 90s. I told Brianna Rosecliff Mansion and Ochre Court had been pieced together in this way for a movie back in the 90s, so let’s do it again!
You can learn more about the history of Ochre Court here: https://salve.edu/ochre-court
View Brianna & Nick’s Wedding blog: https://duganphotography.com/a-radiant-rosecliff-mansion-wedding-newport-rhode-island/