Newborn Welcome Guide
Are you ready to celebrate this beautiful season of your life with a relaxed and heartfelt session? So am I!
To create something truly special, we need to work together. There are a few things to keep in mind to ensure a meaningful and stress-free session, so take a moment to read through this guide with your partner.
During our time together, I’ll guide you into natural poses and movements that highlight your connection and love. I’ll encourage you to embrace the quiet moments—the way your hands instinctively cradle your belly, the way your partner’s eyes soften when they look at you, the laughter you share in between. These are the moments that make your story uniquely yours.
If you’re bringing older siblings, I’ll incorporate them in a way that feels natural and fun, allowing them to love on you and the baby in their own way. There’s no need to force anything—just show up as you are, and I’ll take care of the rest.
Connection is the secret to meaningful photos
Try to always be touching—your growing belly, your partner, your little ones if they are joining. A gentle hand on your bump, fingers intertwined, a forehead pressed against your partner’s—it’s the small gestures that make your photos feel like you.
For couples, think of this session as a quiet moment to soak everything in before life changes in the most beautiful way. Whisper to each other, laugh, reminisce about when you first met, or dream out loud about your baby’s future.
If you have little ones, I want them to feel included and excited! Let them feel your belly, talk to the baby, or cuddle in close. These organic moments will bring so much warmth and authenticity to your photos.
Choosing Your Style
When choosing your outfits, I want you to take a minute and think about how you want your newborn photos to feel. Maybe take a look at my work and see which photos you are most drawn to, or think about what aspects of the newborn shoot are most important to you.
Do you envision a romantic, storybook aesthetic with flowing dresses and soft fabrics, or would you prefer a more natural and relaxed look that reflects your everyday life?
Both approaches are beautiful in their own way, I am here to help with styling, but deciding on this step first is super important.
Click the link below to view the styling guide to go a bit more in depth!
What to Wear for Your In Home Newborn Session
Outfits for Moms
The clothing that you wear can be the difference between good photos and fantastic photos so I'm here to help you select amazing outfits for your family. My advice is to start with one person's outfit. Choose the hardest person to dress first and then decide the rest of the outfits based on that.
Aim for timeless pieces that will look beautiful when framed on your wall.
Oftentimes, for newborn sessions, this is mom’s outfit - I know for me, I have such a hard time choosing clothes postpartum.
Some moms love choosing a beautiful flowy dress that they feel amazing in! I love the romantic vibe that this brings to a session.
Other moms opt for a more casual look and choose a comfy pair of jeans and a top that they feel confident in (my favorites are cozy sweaters!)
Choosing something that has flowy material (like a dress or adding a duster) or texture (like a lacey top or a chunky sweater) can add more visual interest to your photos as well.
Outfits for newborn
Baby’s outfit is generally the simplest, a simple neutral onesie or well-fitting sleeper that doesn’t have words or patterns is typically idea. Having a few of your favorite muslin swaddles on hand can be really sweet to add into your baby’s session for some loose wrapping, especially when they are just in their diaper.
Textures are your best friend. Rather than getting smooth fabrics, look for things with some texture because it photographs beautifully! Waffle, cable knit, and ribbed are some common baby clothing textures that I love.
Dressing the Rest of the Family
- For little girls: If they’ll be held most of the session, rompers or fitted outfits work best (skirts and dresses tend to bunch up).
- For little boys: Overalls, rompers, and suspenders are adorable and add charm.
- For men & older boys: Henleys, casual button-ups, sweaters, and textured layers work great. Avoid hoodies, stiff dress shirts, or polos that feel too structured.
Textures & Patterns
Textures photograph beautifully, adding depth and dimension to your images. Look for fabrics with detail—lace, knits, embroidery, or subtle ruffles—to create interest. If you prefer solid colors, focus on rich textures to avoid a flat look.
When incorporating patterns:
- Stick to one pattern for a three-person family.
- Add one or two more for larger families, but keep balance in mind.
- Florals and soft, organic prints are lovely, while thin, close-together stripes can create a distortion effect in photos.
Color Palette
For indoor photos, be sure to MAINLY use neutral colors to keep things from becoming too dark or busy in your final photos. Neutral tones in indoor photos really help to draw attention to the subjects in the photo - Your beautiful family (which is exactly what we want!)
Examples of some neutrals are cream, gray, taupe, and tan. I don't recommend bright white (it tends to photograph blue), neon, bright blue/purple, or lots of black.
I do love warm colors as they work best with my editing, so if you want some color you could try to incorporate little accents of browns, rust, or mustard into your outfits. You can use cool colors like blue, turquoise, teal, and earthy green to balance out the warmth but use colors sparingly.
Remember to keep the color scheme of your home in mind when choosing colors. (For example, if your house has a lot of green, then try not to wear much green because you will blend right in, or if your bedspread is rust orange lean into wearing only neutrals so that the colors don’t get to chaotic with your bedspread.)
If you will be hanging your photos in your home, make sure you choose colors that will look good in your space and not clash with your decor.
Avoid:
❌ Bright white (it often photographs with a blue tint).
❌ Neon or highly saturated colors.
❌ Large amounts of black.
❌ Colors that blend or clash with the colors in your home
Final Tips
Choose clothing that complements your home decor
Avoid logos, characters, and trendy patterns that might date your images.
Ditch the shoes -Go with neutral solid socks, or barefoot
Matching outfits aren’t necessary; instead, aim for coordinated colors and textures.
Prep your Outfits
Try on outfits ahead of time to make sure they feel comfortable, nursing accessible, etc., I recommend doing this before baby arrives, if possible, and then setting them aside so that you don't have to think about them until the day of your session and can focus on enjoying your baby.
Siblings
I know that little ones have a short attention span - I like to try and get sibling and family photos taken right away when I arrive so that big siblings can run off to play when they inevitably lose interest in the session. If they aren’t wanting to participate, I do not try to force them - They are going through a major adjustment as well! I will capture what I can of their interactions with you and baby, but then will focus on prioritizing your newborn with mom and dad.
A great way to prepare siblings for the photo session is to excitedly tell them that someone is coming to take photos of your family. You can encourage them to look forward to how much fun you’ll all have together! This way, they are not surprised and have had it built up to be a positive and exciting event.
Mom + Dad
I know that you are both happy but exhausted. I will provide relaxed guidance and let your family take that guidance and interpret it as comes most naturally to you.
I am not trying to create posed perfection, but to capture the true atmosphere of your home and family and all the sweet little moments that happen.
Try not to stress about if a child is following my instruction “perfectly” - Let yourself go with the flow and enjoy the different personalities of each of your children and how they are interacting with their new sibling.
Baby's are perfect just the way they are
I won’t try to force baby to sleep or sit in poses that are not natural to them. Your little one is perfect just the way they are! I want to capture their tiny personality just as they are.
Choosing a simple and well fitting onesie or sleeper (without graphics/words/busy patterns) is typically the best choice for outfits.
If baby allows, we can take it off for some nude/near nude photos also.
You may want to consider gathering a few favorite swaddles to wrap baby up in as well.
Typically, it is recommended to feed baby about 15 minutes before your session. It can take some time to complete the session, so starting baby off with a full tummy sets everyone up for success.
Prepare your Home
When I arrive to your home for the session, I take a peek around to check for the best lit areas for family and siblings photos.
I will also turn off all overhead lights, these cast unflattering shadows in photos. We want to use natural light from the windows of your home.
Lots of times, I like to use the couch, master bed, and nursery. Sometimes, I may need to rearrange your furniture a bit in order to best utilize the lighting - Don’t worry, I’ll put it back!
I don't want you to do a ton of cleaning - A light tidy is best, if you are able. If there is still clutter when I arrive, I will ask for a laundry basket and we can scoop the clutter from the photo location into the laundry basket just so that it is not in your photos.
Mom + Dad
I know that you are both happy but exhausted. I will provide relaxed guidance and let your family take that guidance and interpret it as comes most naturally to you.
I am not trying to create posed perfection, but to capture the true atmosphere of your home and family and all the sweet little moments that happen.
Try not to stress about if a child is following my instruction “perfectly” - Let yourself go with the flow and enjoy the different personalities of each of your children and how they are interacting with their new sibling.