Welcome
Thank you for choosing me to be apart of a special time in your life and for your little one's future. Maternity sessions are a time for joy. I think it's important to set this time to remember a life you created. We can all agree that pregnancy can be rough at times (I know you're probably shaking your head at that ha!), but in reality it's a part of nature that is indescribable. You're growing a piece of your whole heart. You're glowing. You're sacrificing. And we, are celebrating you. It's true you will never get this moment again, but I got you. 💜
What to expect
Step 1: Fill out your questionnaire. Your questionnaire I send goes over locations, expectations, and other important information that will help us both plan together. If you are wanting a studio - here is a list of ones I recommend. Please let me know asap so I can check our dates & times with these.
Step 2: Book hair & makeup for our date if needed. I work with a team that offers discounted pricing for their services. Visit here to schedule an appointment. I suggest doing hair & makeup at least 4 hours prior. This step isn't required, but definitely can elevate how you look and feel about yourself on this once in a lifetime session.
Step 3: Select outfits! Below I have more information on how to dress for your session. Here I have a list of dresses you're more than welcome to use. I am always happy to help plan outfits with you too!
Step 4: If you have any other information or ideas you want to share about your session please please email me! I love to hear what YOU want. If you need special accommodations (such as you can't walk far, need extra breaks, need a place with a bathroom, please let me know in advance)
Step 5: Pack your bag for your session. I suggest bringing water, a snack, baby wipes, backup shirts for sweaty partners, and a portable fan if you think you'll need it.
Step 5: Relax and grow babies 🧡
I send out a confirmation email about a week before our session. I try to wait to get an idea of the weather (which is so wild in Texas) before making plans. Our outdoor sessions usually happen about 1-1.5 hours before sunset to give you an idea. In-home or studio sessions usually happen in the morning. Feel free to reach out at the end of this form with questions on the process.
What to wear
You can either rent a gown from me or wear your own!
Best colors to wear: Earthy or rich colors photograph the best. You have to consider your location too. Wearing a red gown against bright green grass isn't the best idea. Alternatively, wearing a black gown with your partner in a black suit will mesh together. When I edit, colors are slightly altered to match the colors of the locations/other's outfits around you. Not everyone looks their best in the same colors. I highly suggest trying this website here to find what colors look good on you.
Best materials to wear: I am always going to suggest dresses that flow or outfits that aren't too tight. When you're pregnant and wear a material that is too tight on your belly it can cause an effect known as "moire". Have you ever seen an image where it looks like their clothing is moving when you zoom in an out? It's really hard to fix and something that needs to be fixed before the picture is taken. I would avoid small/pin stripes, tight corduroy, plaids, and very tight material over your belly. Some maternity dresses are made to withstand this effect but it can happen when anything is too tight as well. This also applies for mens clothing!
Lace, crochet, etc is amazing for Texas heat! We just need to be careful we aren't in an area where everything will get stuck to you. Cotton, chiffon, and linen are amazing materials as well. Silk, satin, and tulle especially when flowy make great images! You can also consider wearing jeans/skirt/crop crochet top/tied shirt/bra/etc to make a more boho or natural feel as well.
*NOTE*
I highly highly suggest considering what you will be wearing under most gowns. The gowns that are stretch and snug fit look best with no underwear or bra on. This is 100% up to you but I will note that I might be unable to edit out lines from either. The see through dresses look best with a bodysuit under them. Some come with bodysuits, but you're welcome to bring your own if you have one that fits you more comfortably. You can alternatively wear a more conservative slip or even bra / undies under it. Some dresses even allow you to show your belly if you wish. It's really up to you and what you're comfortable with.
Partners: Please have your partner match you in style. It's always fun to have moms dressed up in their gorgeous gowns and have their partner alongside to match. Alternatively it can seem awkward if mom is dressed up and their partner is not. If your partner hates dressing up then you might consider dressing down to match them. I would stay away from any patterns such as: stripes, dots, heavy floral, or obnoxious type patterns. These can take away from mom. Try to pair their outfit with a complimentary color of your outfit.
Children: I think having children in something nice to match really helps. My favorite store for children are (click bold to view):
Target, Amazon, Old Navy
Stores that have great maternity gowns (click to view):
After your Session
Sneak Peeks - I will post a sneak peek soon after our session. If you see a sneak posted, feel free to share it! Please note the sneak peek posted on social media is not full resolution so please do not try and print that version 🙂
Soft Proof Gallery - Your soft proof gallery is lightly edited and will arrive around 1 week after your session. Please deeply note that these are a soft preview of what your final images will look like. I love giving my families the option to pick their final images, so offering this is very important to me. You're able to leave notes on all the images you pick for me to view. I want to specify that I do not edit out anything on the body (besides obvious cuts, bruises, etc) unless asked otherwise. Other things like sky edits, skin smoothing, teeth whitening, color changes, etc will be fulfilled on final orders unless edited for sneaks. Your sneak peek gives you an idea of how the finals will look. Also note any unelected images will be permanently deleted.
Final Gallery - Around or before 1 week after selecting your final images, you will receive a link to your gallery. It will include all information for downloads, prints, or other important information. Of course if there is any major editing this may be extended. Your final gallery will be up for a minimum of 6 months, please download within this time frame to ensure you have your images.
Available Items -
- Expedited Final Gallery - final gallery ready within 2 days of selection ($100)
- Prints, canvas', cards, and more will be available via your final gallery. I *highly* recommend going through my professional lab for any printing purposes to ensure correct colors, crop, and quality. Unfortunately Walmart, cvs, Shutterfly, etc are not set up to properly print images. Another company I do recommend is Smallwoods for products. They're not as quality controlled as the lab but I have had excellent products from them (I don't work for them, I just like them haha!).
- Additional images - Individual images are available for purchase. You will be able to purchase the entire gallery for a heavily discounted price as well depending on the total number of images.
- Extensive editing - This includes making you thinner, removing glasses, braces, heavy acne/scars, extreme frizzy hair, face swapping in some cases, complete background changes, or anything up to my discretion that will take an exorbitant amount of editing time. I'm pretty efficient in editing so most things will not be an upcharge, but please let me know if you're unsure if something you're wanted edited is covered in this. ($15 per image)
- Makeup & Hair - Available for additional cost.
OVERALL, WE WILL MAKE GREAT MEMORIES AND HAVE SO MUCH FUN! I TRULY CANNOT WAIT TO MEET YOUR FAMILY AND PIECE TOGETHER MOMENTS OF TIME FOR YOU. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME BELOW WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
