Last month I braved the Texas heat to have a maternity session with the talented Lauren from Julia Lauren Photography. Despite this being my third baby, this was actually my first maternity session. As, I wanted to capture this last and final pregnancy FOREVER.

A struggle of mine is convincing myself to pay for pictures,  since I feel I can take them myself. However when I, the person behind the lens, needs to be in the picture it is probably a good idea to commission someone else to take them. Cue in Lauren, this was my first session with her, in fact it was my first session in Dallas after moving 8 years ago. And, I was incredibly pleased, she was personable and very sweet.

But taking the picture is only half the battle. There is a whole list of things that lead up to the final picture and it all begins with you.

Vision

Your vision will be your guide to a stress free photo session. Settle on an overall look for your maternity session, whether thats romantic, chic, or modern. Once you have established your vision the rest will be much easier to tie in. Pinterest is a good starting point to get ideas for what you really like and of course a standard search on the internet is helpful.

I was torn between modern vs. romantic. I typically prefer a modern style but after looking back at our engagement pictures, which were modern/city style I didn’t want to repeat the look again. So, I settled on a romantic look which also worked with the outfit I wanted to wear (more on the outfit later).

Photographer

Once you have an overall idea of what you want, find a photographer who’s style compliments your personal style and vision. For me, I like light and airy pictures so I found a photographer, Julia Lauren Photography, in Dallas who’s photographic style is L&A. She did not disappoint, all the pictures were perfect and she worked some photo magic in a couple pictures (hint: the picture with the train below).

Outfit

Outfit, outfit, outfit! The outfit will bring it all together in the photos so choose something that compliments your vision, down to the color. Since, I knew I wanted a romantic look, I decided on a long fitted dress to show off the bum.

Sew Trendy Accessories

I opted for a fitted knit dress from Sew Trendy Accessories. The dress was incredibly soft and stretchy. The color was a perfect blush pink, which is a personal favorite color of mine these days. My original idea was to go all out with a flower crown for an ultimate romantic look but in the end nixed the crown. I felt like it wasn’t really my style and I didn’t want to lose our personalities in the photos. I also choose to not do a slit on the dress (which is an option) to preserve the romantic look of the dress and it also eliminated the stress of choosing the “right” shoes since they won’t be seen. P.S. I was wearing shoes.

The final detail in my outfit was the removable train. I knew I wanted a picture of the train blowing in the wind so I added a removable train. A little fun fact, I have a bridal picture of my vail blowing in the wind similar to the train.

Aside from the beautiful gowns Sew Trendy offers they also offer alterations for use of your gown after maternity. As well as a buy back program for gently used gowns. Gowns are shipped in a sturdy box for easy storage and keepsake or to ship back.

Like my gown? See details below, they offer so many options. I had trouble deciding on a color simply because color charts are not always accurate:

Gown: Courtney Gown

Cup Size: A-DD

Band Size: M | 36-38

Color: Blush Pink

Sleeve Options: Tank Style

Split Option: NO Split

Floor Train Options: Standard length

Tossing Train Options: Yes – Removable tossing train

Custom Length: No

Accessories

I opted for minimal accessories because I wanted the bump and the dress to stand out. So, I kept it simple with a dainty drop necklace to fit the v-neck, which the hubby gave to me for an anniversary a few years back and my wedding ring.

The necklace is meaningful to me. It has three main diamonds on front which stand for past, present, and future and they are connected by smaller diamonds. And two tiny diamonds on the back centered between the three diamonds in front which represents us. Its one of the most thoughtful gifts the hubs has given me.

Shoes

I took my pictures at 33 weeks and baby was already 5lbs so heels were not going to be an option for me. I decided on a small wedge and sandal to walk to and from the car. Anticipate walking to and from and walking in and around where you will be taking pictures so if you do decide on heels have an extra pair of flats or flip flops for an easy swap while you walk. The shoes will be more important if your dress has a slit or short

Pamper yourself

During a time where we feel fat and miserable I think it’s important to have a little ME day. This can be a mani/pedi, facial, wax, etc. Anything you think will make you feel relaxed and beautiful. After all, the little blessing growing is a beautiful thing in of itself. I didn’t have a sitter so all I was able to do was a quick pedi  and I didn’t realize my fingernails were a hot mess until I was taking pictures. Luckily, not many pictures showed my nails.

I’d also recommend having someone else do your hair and makeup so you can relax and enjoy your day. My niece does makeup so she did mine, check out her YouTube channel, she’s in the Dallas area and is reasonably priced.

Extras

Bring a bottle of H2O with you. I can’t stress this enough, especially if your session will be in the summer. I mentioned it earlier but a pair of flats or sandals to help ease the walks. Touch up powder, gloss/lip color, and mints can come in handy if you sweat like me. One thing I wish I would have taken was a blotting towel to help keep my face dry.

Last but not least, relax and enjoy your session. I’m camera shy so I always come out with an awkward smile where I’m overthinking how I look. Usually some wine helps ease my nerves but since that wasn’t an option I had to go with the flow. By mid session my I was more relaxed and it came through in my pictures. This truly is a beautiful moment and in my opinion is just as important as bridal pictures.

Links

Photographer: Julia Lauren Photography

Gown: Sew Trendy Accessories

Shoes: Lilly Pulitzer 

Make-Up: FaithMUA

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