For my first [official] Mother’s Day I asked my husband for one thing: a mini family photo session at a local peony farm with no complaining (IYKYK). 😂
Our usual family photographer wasn’t available during this time (being busy with weddings and engagement shoots which is great for them, but not so great for us – lol) so I made arrangements with another local film photographer who has a similar aesthetic in the hopes that our family photos would all stay fairly consistent. I have been following this photographer on social media for a couple of years and I knew that she had a relationship with a local peony farm so it felt like it was meant to be!
Due to some continuous crappy weather we had to reschedule multiple times and the date that we were finally able to make this shoot happen ended up being the day after Sophie’s first birthday. This was pretty serendipitous because I had to reschedule Sophie’s 12 Month Photoshoot with our family photographer due to a meeting that my husband had to travel for. 🙈
Our new session date had to be scheduled for months out so I was super relieved that we were still able to capture Sophie at this age. Documenting Sophie and our family together having been a family of three for exactly twelve months was the most special Mother’s Day gift and it was even better than my original request. Everything worked out in the end, but man, it was a lot of shuffling with so many peoples’ schedules. I really appreciate everyone involved being so flexible!
Since our session happened after Peony Season and I was hoping for a floral backdrop, Kerry suggested taking our photos at the Point Defiance Rose Garden which was absolutely gorgeous! I took the above photo while we were exploring after our shoot. The garden had so many different varieties of roses in every color you can imagine. The area was SO fragrant and so well manicured — I highly recommend a visit even if you’re not having a mini photo session there (although you definitely should!). 😉
I’ve shared about our beloved family photographer before, but I wanted to tell you a bit about our experience working with Kerry of Kerry Jeanne Photography. Just like any good photographer, she made us feel so at ease in front of the camera, which I would argue is even more challenging when you’re wrangling a twelve month old. haha!
Kerry was so sweet and great with Sophie (even though Soph was a bit shy since we haven’t socialized her much #pandemicbabyprobs). Kerry also had a really quick turnaround getting our photos back to us, which was mostly contingent on getting the film scans back from the lab, but we received our digital album pretty soon after they arrived to Kerry from the lab. I absolutely adore all of them…
… but this one may be my favorite.
This shoot day was also one of the hottest days of the summer so even though we met Kerry at an agreeable time of day for optimal light, it was still toasty outside so I wore my lightest cotton dress, put Sophie in my favorite BabyGAP bubble (I have it in every size for her first year 😜), and suggested that my husband wear shorts. I think our outfits give the photos a very casual “warm summer day” vibe — I’m just glad I wasn’t soaked in sweat because it was HOT (or maybe Kerry kindly edited that out for us? 😂).
I am crazy about this dress and even though the pricepoint is fairly steep, I know that I’ll get a ton of use out of it for years to come. Absolutely worth the investment, in my opinion. My dress’s exact print is from a few years ago, but still available at some retailers. That said, I love all of this year’s color scheme options too! You really can’t go wrong with Juliet Dunn dresses.
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Sophie was so curious, but delicate with the roses. She would gently touch them with her forefinger and giggle after feeling their velvety petals. It was really fun to experience the rose garden with her!
Sophie has the absolute sweetest disposition and I feel so fortunate to be her mama; to love her, to be her guide and to watch her grow. This past year has been the most incredible experience and I can’t believe that we’re already 12 months in to being parents.
I know every parent thinks so, but we truly have the best little girl. 🥰
This is absolutely a favorite too — I may need to have this one framed. 💗
Happy First Birthday, Sophie, and thank you for the gift of memory capturing, Kerry!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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