A Bragg-Mitchell Mansion Portrait Session

I have always loved Azalea Trail Maid dresses. The attention to detail that goes into each of these custom-designed and handmade gowns is beyond impressive. While the dresses are what make the young ladies who wear them stand out, being an Azalea Trail Maid is more than just wearing a beautiful dress.

The young ladies who serve on the Azalea Trail Court are ambassadors for our city. They appear at hundreds of events annually, both locally and around the nation. While many apply to be on the court, only fifty high school seniors from Mobile County area high schools earn the honor of Azalea Trail Maid each year.

Bethany is representing Davidson High School on this year’s court and it was such a delight to take these portraits of her wearing her beautiful dress! I loved hearing about the process of choosing what elements she wanted to incorporate into her dress design. I also learned that her mom helped with a lot of the handwork, sewing several of the pearls that accent the embroidery on the dress.

All Azalea Trail Maid dresses are in various shades of pastels and often there is a design theme that is echoed throughout the ensemble. Bethany’s dress featured bows on the skirt of her dress, as well as on her parasol and hat. I love the pastel mint-green color of her dress and of course it looked so beautiful against the pretty backgrounds at The Bragg-Mitchell Mansion! We were lucky enough to find some hydrangeas in bloom the day of this shoot. Talk about the perfect find for a summer portrait session!

Y’all, how perfect are these hydrangeas?!

Bethany is representing Davidson High School on the 2021-2022 Azalea Trail Court. Her dress was made by Heidi Harrington.