How To Choose Outfits For Your Maternity Photos? | Toronto Maternity Photographer | Bloomlight Photography

These days are exciting and busy for you as a pregnant mom, I know. Making nursery ready for your newborn, educating yourself about birth, health during pregnancy and baby’s need are all keeping you busy. Have you planned for your pregnancy photoshoot yet? If you have, you most probably would like to have beautiful maternity pictures, and you are asking yourself what I am going to wear. In this blog post, I would like to guide you through the preparation for your maternity photos and the outfit choices, so you will be relaxed for your session.

What style is the best?

Really, there is no absolute answer to this. First of all, be yourself, and think about your own clothing style.

Then choose at least two types of outfit. To give diversity to your photos, I suggest having casual/ relaxed and dressy outfits in mind. White top or bra and jeans always work. Also, you can never go wrong with a maxi dress.

Pregnancy picture of a mom wearing white top, showing her bare belly with shadows of light while standing in front of a window in her home.

Which tones of colors does go well in pictures? 

 Neutral light tones vs. bold colors

Take a look at your home décor, or the way you usually choose to dress.

Here is one example. Recently, I photographed a beautiful pregnant mom and her family at their home. Her favourite colors were white and black and as soon as I walked to her home, this was proved to me with their home design (white, black, silver); and not surprisingly, she chose to wear white and black for her maternity photo session as well. Her choices were so perfect, since she chose the colors of her home.

Pregnant mom wearing black dress sitting in the bedroom beside her toddler son in Toronto

And here is completely different expecting mom. We had her session outdoor and she wanted to have earthy maternity picture, so her choice of bold blue patterned dress in green scenery was such a perfect choice!

Pregnant mamma wearing patterned floral green and blue maxi dress, holding her belly bump, standing in green area, at High Park, Toronto.

How to choose and match colors for family photos?

Everyone has some favourite colors, but the most important one is to remember how to choose your color that goes well in your pictures and with the rest of your family. I suggest choosing a color palate that you like the best. Now head over to Pinterest and type the color palate you chose.

For example, type the phrase “purple color palette” on Pinterest. This gives you an idea of how to coordinate the other color with purple and give some visual harmony to your images.

How to choose your family wardrobe?

So the Pinterest color palette guide is so useful when choosing your family the outfits. Choose the different colors in one palate and you it for each of the family member. This way, everyone can wear favourite color and at the same time you are not copying each other, and there will be more visual interest in your family pictures.

Happy parents to be soon with their dog in High Park, Toronto in fall season.

Tip: If you wear floral dress, it is better the rest of family wear plain. Your husband would like to wear pattern/stripe shirt, then better rest of the family choose plain outfits.

Tip: Avoid big logs or visually distracting patterns. Keep it as simple as you can.

Which style for which location?

Depending on the location of your photo session, you may want to choose your style. For example if your session is at home or in your bedroom, then a relaxed flowy dress or a bra and a sleep robe are nice options. If you have a lifestyle urban maternity session in downtown Toronto, then casual outfit such as shirt and jeans or midi dress is great.

Boudoir maternity picture of a mom to be soon lying to the side on her bed, wearing white and pink floral robe.

What else beside outfit?

Get someone to do your hair and makeup or do it yourself if you are good at it!

Nail polish and manicure gives you good feeling and also add more interest to you photos.

Don’t afraid to spice your pregnancy pictures with some accessories. A Belt, a necklace or flower crown is some of good examples.

Pregnant mom wearing navy blue maxi dress, having yellow flower crown, holding her belly bump at Lake Ontario in Oakville.

Ask your photographer!

And don’t hesitate to ask your photographer if she offers maternity dress for the photo session. Most photographers including myself offer dresses to moms for their maternity photos.

Still not sure if your outfit selections are good enough, and then just double check the color choices and wardrobes with your photographer.

If you find this blog helpful, comment below and also feel free to share it with your pregnant friends that you think might be interested as well.

Are you interested in maternity pictures? Let’s get in touch!