Buying a maternity dress for a photo shoot is just one added expense most clients don’t need.
From a photographer’s standpoint, planning a maternity session can be stressful enough for a pregnant person. You have to get the timing just right, handle the weather, handle the location, and work around everyone’s schedule — all while in one of the least comfortable stages of pregnancy.
My aim is not just to create beautiful maternity pictures for my clients. It’s to make it a fun, stress-free experience. One of the things I do to keep the day of the shoot as stress-free as possible is provide a whole closet full of gorgeous maternity gowns. The gowns in my closet are materials and cuts that provide the best shots of pregnant bellies in my professional experience!
Choosing A Maternity Dress
Choosing a maternity gown or dress is exciting!
It’s one of the best props we have to highlight the natural curves of pregnancy. And, from experience, maternity gowns also make the wearer feel lovely.
Whether you buy or borrow, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your dress.
- Stick with solid colors. Anything with print can distract from the main focus of the maternity portrait (you and your belly!)
- Have more than one outfit on hand. Adding a little variety to the photo session will make you happy and give the photographer different shadows, textures, and colors with which to work.
- Decide between form-fitting or flowy. If you have two different dresses, you may opt to have one flowy and one form-fitting. However, sometimes moms-to-be are not comfortable in form-fitting dresses. I’ve never personally seen a pregnancy photo that didn’t look absolutely stunning, but comfort and self-confidence turn a good photo into a great one. So, wearing a comfortable dress is essential.
- Less is more. I love a good print, and I’ve had clients who are all about glitz and glam. But sticking with classic cuts and mono-color will make your pregnancy photos look timeless and elegant regardless of the decade. You never know which once-hot fashion trends are going to make you cringe in the future! (The 2000s, anyone?)
Do I Need To Buy A Maternity Gown For My Session?
When you book a maternity session at Hello Photography, you’ll get an exclusive link to my maternity dress offerings. I have an entire closet — almost thirty dresses — and accessories to fit over those dresses, like rainbow trains and skirts.
Each client gets their choice of two maternity dresses to feature in the photoshoot, with plenty of time in between to get changed. My maternity gowns fit all standard sizes, and I have a few options for plus-size mamas. Most gowns are full-length and come in a variety of cuts and colors.
My closet includes:
- Long-sleeve v-neck gowns
- Velvet formal gowns
- Fitted mermaid-style gowns
- Maternity gowns with trains
- Plus-sized gowns
- Bandeau-style maternity gowns
- Tie-back maternity gowns
- Maternity dresses with adjustable ruffle necklines
- Lace maternity dresses
- Lined and unlined lace dresses
- Open-belly lace maternity dresses
- Maternity skirts
All the items in my closet are designed to be timeless, elegant, and enhance all the curves associated with pregnancy. My maternity dresses are cleaned regularly, stored away from allergens, and ready for all maternity clients to wear on the day of their photoshoot.
What Do I Need To Do Before My Maternity Session?
I always tell mothers-to-be: do whatever you want to feel comfortable and gorgeous the day of.
While I don’t provide makeup or hair services, I recommend a pre-shoot pamper session!
Book a mani/pedi, hair and makeup session, or even a little morning spa retreat. If you’re more comfortable with natural hair and makeup, don’t worry about those things! Go out for a nice cup of coffee with a friend beforehand. Do some yoga. Do a little window shopping—anything that will help you feel at ease and ready to show off your natural, beautiful self.
Other than that, I ask that maternity photo clients come to their session ready to take some beautiful photos! It helps to have someone there, like your partner or a good friend, to help with dress staging in some photos.
I will provide the rest.
Mamas in their seventh and eighth months of pregnancy: now is the time to get in for your maternity photo session. Spring is here, and the Texas wildflowers here in the Austin area make the perfect backdrop for photos.
Let’s chat and make some photo magic happen.
