Maternity Photos at Adore Studio

A friend who was pregnant with her third (and possibly last baby) once told me, “I wanted to do everything I might regret not doing if this is my last pregnancy.”  This has resonated with me so much because I’m not sure if this will be my last pregnancy or not, but I want to have “no regrets”, just in case.  One thing I never did with either of my first two pregnancies was maternity photos.  I have a ton of pictures of me and my big pregnant belly, but nothing that I would ever want to frame or remember. ;-) 

I think one of the reasons I had never pursued maternity photos was because it sounded like too much work- buying something to wear that would actually look flattering with my big belly, feeling like I was wasting my money because I would probably only wear it that one time, and getting all dolled up seemed like a lot of work. 

Through Chez Ann Salon, I was connected to Adore Studio to get my maternity photos taken and the experience was completely opposite of all my misconceptions.  Adore Studio, owned by Dana Marie, a photographer for the past 15 years, gives each of her clients the “glamour” experience so that it is so stress-free and FUN!  Included in my photo package was a consultation before my photo shoot, where we discussed what I would wear and the types of photos that I would want to have taken.  Dana showed me her dress collection which was GORGEOUS, so I didn’t even have to buy any dresses, and then we talked about a few things I could bring- like jeans, white and black t-shirts, etc.  Professional hair and makeup at Chez Ann Salon was included in the portrait package (one less thing I would have to worry about). 

I loved having everything done for me at Chez Ann and after I was all dolled up, I headed back to the studio, where Dana had snacks and drinks (even champagne if I wasn’t pregnant- to take off the edge) and keep me hydrated and energized during the shoot.  It was SO FUN!  I got to play dress up in all of Dana’s dresses; try on jewelry I would never normally wear, and feel so glamorous while Dana photographed my dressed up bump with a glamour fan blowing my hair!  It was all such a different experience for me but SO fun because she made me feel like I was a Vanity Fair model or something!  Dana’s style is more fashion/editorial feel which really is one of the only studios in the area that gives you that glamour experience and style of photos. 

After about three outfit changes and hundreds of photos, Matt and the boys met me for family photos, which was definitely the highlight for me.  They came in the studio as Dana was just finishing up and I could see Dylan (4) out of the corner of my eye watching me “model” for Dana as she photographed, and his eyes were wide eyed with awe.  It was the sweetest thing to see my little boy swooning over his mommy dressed like a model getting her photos done! 

The boys were sooo adorable the whole shoot and you could tell that we were all having so much fun!  I attribute a lot of that to Dana, because she was so relaxed and laughing at everything the boys did, which, of course, encouraged them to be even cheekier during the shoot. J  The studio experience was so nice for kids because, as opposed to being outdoors, the boys were in a controlled environment and we were really able to make it super fun for them.  Also, I noticed they were able to stay more focused in the studio than if we were somewhere else.  The best part of having the photos done in the studio is that it is so easy for Dana to face swap the boys' faces from one picture to another, which we definitely did and it would be impossible to tell!  How often is someone blinking or making a goofy smile?  It was nice to pick my favorite smiles and have one picture where everyone looks their best!  The photos speak for themselves and we had a really difficult time choosing our favorites because they were all just so adorable.

I also really appreciated that Dana was able to shoot a couple of photos for me for different collaborations I’m working with on Instagram.  I love how the everything turned out and it was SO fast and easy to shoot a bunch of photos, especially because she staged everything and has such an artistic eye and knew how to pose me to look flattering with my big pregnant belly.

Adore Studio is for people in all stages of life: little girl glamour shots (with the most adorable dresses provided by the studio), engagement, bridal boudoir, wedding, maternity, newborn, family portraits, and influencer product promotion sessions.  What sets Adore Studio apart from other studios is that every women/girl gets the glamour experience: make-up & hair done professionally and photographed in an editorial style that makes you feel like a model!   And Dana is AMAZING!  She has such an eye for making everything look artistic- I was so impressed with her attention to detail and ability to make me feel so comfortable and natural. 

I’m so pleased with my photos from Adore Studio.  Many people come back every year to have their photos retaken and I think that is a wonderful idea because it is such a great way to document your family as everyone grows up!