CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA
Editorial bridal portraits among the coral rock, banyans and Mediterranean arches of the City Beautiful.
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A city that was master-planned to be photographed
George Merrick laid out Coral Gables in the 1920s with Mediterranean Revival architecture, coral rock entrances and streets that curve on purpose. He was effectively building a backdrop. The practical result for a bridal session is that you are rarely more than a few minutes from a usable arch, colonnade or wall.
The trade-off is shade. The banyan canopy swallows light faster than people expect, so working here is less about chasing sunset and more about knowing which pockets the sun still reaches at five.
WHERE I SHOOT
Coral Gables, corner by corner
The Prado entrance
Coral rock pillars and formal columns at the Douglas Road end. Best late in the afternoon, when the stone warms and turns almost pink.
The Biltmore Hotel
Arcades, the tower, and the long loggia. This is hotel property, so permission has to be arranged in advance rather than assumed.
Matheson Hammock Park
The atoll pool, Biscayne Bay, and the Miami skyline sitting across the water.
My first choice in the Gables for the last light of the day.
Venetian Pool
Carved out of a coral rock quarry, with grottoes and a waterfall. Only workable when it is genuinely quiet, so timing matters more than usual.
Coral Way and the banyans
A green tunnel of canopy. Where we go when the open sky is harsh and you want soft, even light on your face.
Shade is the real subject here
Most of Coral Gables sits under mature canopy, and dappled light through banyan leaves is unforgiving. It scatters bright spots across a dress that no amount of editing fully removes.
So I work the edges: the open lawns, the gaps between buildings, the west- facing walls that pick up bounce late in the day. Coral rock is quietly helpful here. It holds a warm tone and throws it back at you, which is why portraits at the Prado Entrance often need no warming at all. There is more on how I plan around light in my guide to the Miami golden hour.
What a session includes
- Ninety minutes on location in Coral Gables
- Twenty high-resolution edited images
- Your full gallery within fourteen days
- Location scouting and a timing plan built backwards from sunset
- Travel throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach at no extra cost
Also photographing nearby
Miami Beach · Coconut Grove · Key Biscayne · Fort Lauderdale · Boca Raton
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Coral Gables dates for 2026
I am selecting a small number of brides for the 2026 Editorial Series. These sessions are complimentary while I build this body of work.
Claim your complimentary session
Join the 2026 Editorial Series
I am photographing a limited number of brides across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. Selected brides receive a ninety-minute session and twenty high-resolution edits at no cost, delivered within fourteen days.
One session a day, weekends only. Every booking is confirmed personally, normally within 48 hours.