This couple here is very dear to my heart, as I have been photographing their journey since 2009-2010! First starting as a "model" shoot in the snow (which, looking back now, I had no idea what I was doing so the fact that they stuck with me is amazing haha!) and then on to engagement photos, wedding day photos, anniversary photos, and now photos to announce that they are becoming a family of THREE!!!
Heather and I have chatted for a while now about doing a shoot to announce to Chris that she was pregnant when it happened. She wanted it to be very special for him + I had been dying to do a shoot like this. We had talked about so many different ways of doing it, but we both loved the chalkboard idea - and it was the easiest to pull off in a 6 hour period to plan it! Most recently, we were both in the gym and got to talking about it and I got SO excited because they were going to start trying soon, little did I know it was going to be REAL soon!! I have always wanted to capture the pure excitement and tears of joy that happen within one of these shoots, so I was one happy lady!
Heather called me literally as soon as she took the test at home (you know your clients are friends when you are the one they call HAHA!!) and we immediately started planning the shoot after the initial excitement and the one million " OMG YAY NO WAY's!!!" were over with of course! I had a senior shoot that evening, but we figured out a way to squeeze this in while makeup was being done. We decided to tell Chris that I had a new lens that I needed to try out and asked if they could stop by before they headed out to dinner. Perfect plan!! Heather dropped off a cute little chalkboard earlier in the day and I realized that I was indeed, NOT going to be able to fit that in my shirt behind my back like I thought!! I figured out a way to hid it behind a tree near where we were doing the photos at...but had to remember to walk a certain way so Chris didn't see it as we approached the area! When they arrived, they were as casual + cute as ever, Heather was glowing with excitement, truly something I will always remember, and Chris was just along for the ride of "modeling" lol (he is such trooper to put up with me!). I was shaking and trying to hid my giddiness so he didn't know something was up! I explained the whole fake lens scenario and I just thought for sure he knew the real deal - come to find out he had NO IDEA which was totally awesome - and we began to shoot.
We did a few poses, I got a few close ups of his hand on her belly being sneaky, and then we got in position to get the chalkboard. I had mentioned to Heather I would pose them a certain way and thats when she would know I was handing off the chalkboard but it was not as easy as it sounded!!! I wish someone could have videoed this all happening because looking back, it was probably pretty hilarious! I turned them around so I could grab it but I was a nervous wreck (this is a big shoot that everything had to go exactly as planned!) so I was shaking and didn't realize Heather was now holding the sign upside down and I had no way of telling her. I tried key words like her necklace was "flipped" around, but finally just walked over to them and messed with her hair and turned the sign. As soon as I told them to step apart and face each other for a new pose, Chris read the sign that he didn't even know she was holding. It took a minute but you can see his reaction in the photos and it was the most incredible moment ever. He was crying, Heather was crying..I mean, I was crying!!!! It was beautiful!
This was an insanely special shoot, and I am beyond thankful they allowed me and trusted me to capture this moment on camera because looking back, this will be something they cherish forever!!
A HUGE Congratulations to the new mommy + daddy to be! You guys are going to be the most loving, caring, amazing parents!!! I am so happy for y'all, you're love grows stronger with each passing day and you guys are going to be able to share that with one lucky little boy or girl <3 <3
