Having children shifts your priorities, challenges you personally, and changes your relationship. So when Olivia reached out to me looking for a fun way to celebrate the growth of this past year, and connect with her husband Edward again, I couldn’t say “yes” to her quick enough. We planned a portrait session for the spring, and excitedly began planning.
Olivia and Edward (and their sweet babe) joined me for a portrait session in DeForest. It was filled with deep belly laughs, loving glances, and a cute picnic date night. Olivia’s goal for their session was to relax and have fun. She really wanted to make sure she left with a candid laughing photo of the two of them as well. They opted for a classic white and blue color palette, and jeans to keep things informal.
After greeting each other with a big hug in the parking lot, and swooning over their sweet boy’s chunky little legs, we made our way to the tall grasses to start. As they rocked him and played, I saw so much love and happiness unfold. Together they hummed a nursery rhyme and as I stepped back to get a better view, I realized I was sitting in on a really personal and sweet moment in their lives. It’s small glimpses like those that give me so much perspective on why photos like this matter.
After a while, Grandma whisked their sweet boy off to bedtime and we focused on why we were really there. It was time for them to celebrate and reconnect with each other. Olivia and Edward had been on quite the journey. Just a few years ago they we’re living in the UK. Olivia was there on a student visa, and had only intended to stay a few months. When COVID hit, they decided to say YES to a lifelong adventure together and got married! It was spontaneous and romantic and they haven’t looked back since. Now they are back in the states and navigating the stages of new parenthood!
The rest of our session was pure fun. They giggled, played Trouble, drank out of fancy glasses, and took the time to just enjoy being together. After they returned home, Olivia sent me a message saying that they had not been able to stop talking about their time, and how it was exactly what they had needed to reconnect.
I often think about the future gift that photos will bring. They offer the ability to bring yourselves back to a moment in time. Olivia’s comment reminded me about the present gift they are as well. To be able to share time with loved ones, and experience something unique like this is a gift in itself.
Thank you Olivia and Edward for sharing time with me, for allowing me to be a part of this special occasion, and for taking some time to focus on yourselves in a season that doesn’t always allow for that.
