3 Tips For Planning The Perfect Maternity Shoot

There really was never ever a better day to post a maternity shoot than mothers day!

It’s also a bonus that she’s a first time mom- experiencing all the things for the first time!

What a joy, and a terror. haha. Yes, some women experience pregnancy like a gift from the heavens, but the reality is for most of us it’s pretty miserable most of the time. haha.

Pregnancy is no joy ride.

The first trimester is wrought with nausea and fatigue, the second worry about weight gain and this thing growing inside of you taking over and stealing your nutrients, then the third trimester the worry about weight is gone- you’ve accepted you’re just a whale, round ligament pain, massive swelling, exhaustion, no lung space left and now you are worried if you are going to be a good mom- but someone please get this creature out of me already! I didn’t even mention the half of it.

But it’s also a miracle and you feel bad for complaining because you’ve worked so hard for this moment, you have prayed, and negotiated with God, maybe you’ve even gone through loss and miscarriages. So complaining seems wrong.

But mama’s it’s okay to complain and get a little compassion and sympathy 🙂 I’m here for that!

You know what else I’m here for?

Celebrating this insane miracle by just saying the HECK with it and taking maternity photos! Because complaining is okay- but celebrating when you least feel like it… that’s self love!

I’m so proud of Amber for riding out the emotional roller coaster I’m sure most women feel when they put on a dress and show up for a maternity photoshoot when they feel like a beached whale and wondering where they lost their brain and why they are doing this! haha.

But I promise you- you will be SO glad you did. And I’ll do my best to make you feel and look like the Godess you are! Because there is something truly magical about our ability to create and grow a human inside of us! And you will be forever grateful you took the moment to remember this miracle.

Today we have the GORGEOUS Amber showing off her PERFECT baby bump!

Amber has been a client for a few years and you can take a peek at her And Jeremy’s engagement shoot HERE and their beautiful destination wedding HERE. So of course I was THRILLED when they contacted me for their next adventure! BABY!!!

Stay tuned because this is just our first shoot of several. They booked one of my grow packages for the next year and so we will have the honor of photographing this babes first year! We will have a newborn and a one year shoot for baby too and I’m sure I’ll post!

I’m so proud of Amber for taking the time and energy to make this shoot happen.

She followed my basic recommendations for planning a maternity shoot too!

1. When Opting For A Dress

When you decide to wear a dress…it’s important to buy the right one!

Amber bought a -belly form- fitting dress through the knees! If you are going to wear a dress I think this part is essential to showing off the bump. I think many women assume if they wear a fluffy big dress it will cover the lumps and bumps new to their bodies but actually it will just make you feel bigger! I think these form fitting dresses are super helpful to actually helping you see the bump and focus there and a GIANT oversized gorgeous train just makes the image pop and say a little extra!

But it’s also pretty important to buy from an actually maternity dress speciality store (or rent) because the fabrics are made specifically and SUPER well. This dress is from Sew Trendy. They are pretty pricy but I also recommend wearing the same dress for your newborn and maybe even the one year session! So it will keep the cost more affordable in the long run. It will keep the photos consistent if you have an album made or hang them on your wall. They even have wraps you can buy that match the dress for the newborn shoot. Amber bought one! So stay tuned for the newborn shoot!

I also love the dresses that open at the belly and spread out so the belly is viewable and they come with matching skirts underneath or shorts. There are other outfits you can wear besides a dress like lingerie and open jeans, bodysuits, nude draped with fabrics etc but if you are opting for a classic maternity dress covering most of the body I recommend form fitting through the knees with an oversized giant train! This company Sew Trendy carries everything.

A few things to note about this company- they make everything custom to not have waste…the fabrics are even custom produced to keep the rigorous standards and super high quality…..so order with WEEKS to spare. Start looking at your outfit about 6 weeks pre shoot.

This company’s fabrics will FLATTER you unlike the cheap knock offs on Amazon. I’m all about a cheap amazon option but they do not flatter the maternity body nearly as much. Just a fair piece of advice.

2. Undergarments For A Dress

When wearing a dress like Amber I say-Wear Nude or Wear None! lol.

Many mamas wear spanks and such like shorts but for the maternity shoot it’s actually hard because then I see the lines through the dress! We also want to make sure mama’s aren’t wearing dark undies and bras we can see through the fabrics.

Honestly, I recommend wearing nude buttery soft thongs, no skin pinching- 0 line undergarments… or not wearing anything! lol. Or consider nippies too! You can order them in multi-shades from Naked Rebellion ( A local female owned and founded company) HERE. If you need breast support consider pairing with boob tape! They also carry that!

3. Hair & Makeup

I recommend getting your hair & makeup done professionally! If you are already feeling insecure about these photos & your body nothing makes you feel like a million bucks more than looking extra beautiful on your face! It’s amazing what professional hair & makeup artists can do. Todays look was provided through one of my favorite artists: Azure!

Amber looks beyond gorgeous. I just also happen to thing she’s stunning but shes also doing the classic glow in these images if you ask me!

Okay so let’s get to the photos already!!!!

Thanks for reading, viewing and supporting!

xo-Tracy