Spring Maternity Photos in Nashville, Tennessee | by Nashville Family Photographer Dolly DeLong Photography

4 Tips For Planning Out Your Maternity Session

A special thanks to the sweet Grace Paul (of Grace Paul Co) for inviting me to her beautiful home to take maternity portraits of her and her little girl. Fun fact about Grace, she is a boy mom of 5 boys, so the arrival of this sweet girl is full of joy and anticipation. I loved this session for so many reasons. For starters, Grace let me bring my son, Blaise, to the session and he got to play with her boys while I was working with her on her maternity portraits (from one mama to another, thank you, Grace)!

Another reason why I loved this session so much is that we got to photograph during the golden hour, which is hands down one of my favorite times to shoot!

Another reason this session was amazing was that Grace dressed in a gorgeous “Nothing Fits But” maternity dress, which made these portraits so stunning!

Now, I will say, that Grace is a fine-art family photographer so she knew exactly how to pose, what to wear, and where to shoot. But if you are a new-mama-to-be, or if you are new to investing in family photography, here are four factors to think through when planning out your ideal family photography session in Nashville.

I do want to share that if you want a maternity session, here are four specific factors to think through when planning out a maternity photography session:

It’s important to think through the time of year (season) and how that will factor in with location.

(I honestly love timeless portraits in a natural and neutral studio where the weather cannot spoil anything for you) but if it’s gorgeous outside you can’t go wrong with some outdoor portraits too, which we accomplished so perfectly in this session!

It’s important to think through if you want hair and makeup

Two of my motherhood packages include a hair and makeup artist and the reason why I love including this in my family photography packages is because I want to make sure that the mom behind the camera feels pampered, loved, and cherished! Plus, these photos are an investment and will most likely be adorning the walls of her own home so let’s elevate your look and make sure you get the look you want!

Plus, I will point out the obvious to any seasoned moms reading this; we all know that we end up working a sweat when we are running around chasing our little ones (or our big kids) before a session. We end up looking like a ruffled rooster, and everyone else seems to be so “put together”. Why not flip the script and we also show up to our sessions refreshed and energized (instead of drained and stressed)?

It’s important to think through your wardrobe for your maternity session.

I don’t mean typing in “trends of _____(whatever year you are in)” because trends come and go. But what are some pieces that would remain timeless, and classic and would reflect your stage of life? With each of my family photography packages, I include a style portrait guide and guidance from The Arte of Dressing. I am also starting to build out my client wardrobe, so if a client wants, they can use one of my pieces!

It’s important to think through location and if permits are necessary for where you want to photograph your session.

I know this point goes hand-in-hand with the time of year and location, but if you want to shoot someplace VERY specific (like Cheekwood Gardens for example) you will need to secure a photography permit to shoot your session there.

Again, I 100% hands down know that Grace nailed it for her maternity session and it helps that she is also a fine art family photographer, so she understood the assignment 🙂

Thank you again Grace for letting me capture these sweet portraits of you and your baby girl!

I am so excited about meeting her later this year and I cannot wait to see all of her brothers become the best of friends with her!

Want to see more Maternity Sessions by Dolly DeLong Photography?

Nashville Maternity Portraits in the Spring | Nashville Family & Maternity Photographer Dolly DeLong Photography

Vanderbilt University Maternity Session | Nashville Tennessee Maternity Photographer Dolly DeLong Photography

Conclusion

Capturing magical moments with your family is a priceless gift that will be cherished for a lifetime. From the maternity sessions to the first steps to the toothless grins, family and motherhood photography allows us to freeze these fleeting moments and celebrate the love and connection shared within our families.

I hope you have been inspired by this Spring Maternity Session in Nashville, and if you are a mama-to-be, don’t forget to plan for your family session now!

If you have read this and want to work with me, Dolly DeLong Photography, I would be so honored to get to work with you! You can click here or click on the banner to get started!

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