The Sweet Seasons Worth Celebrating: When to Schedule a Beach Photo Session
- Kelsey
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
There are certain seasons of life that arrive quietly, sometimes joyfully, sometimes fleetingly, and if we’re not careful, they pass without being properly honored. Photography, at its best, is an act of noticing. Of pausing long enough to say this season holds value.
Over the years, I’ve learned that the most meaningful sessions aren’t tied to perfect timelines or traditional milestones alone. They’re tied to transitions, beginnings, reunions, and celebrations of togetherness. Below are some of my favorite seasons of life to photograph, moments that feel especially tender, joyful, and worthy of remembrance.
Extended Family Sessions: New Branches on a Growing Tree
There is something profoundly beautiful about an extended family coming together, especially when the family has grown.
New spouses, new babies, new roles within the family… these sessions feel like a living timeline. They’re layered with history and hope, often filled with laughter, inside jokes, and that unmistakable joy that comes from being surrounded by people who know you deeply.
Extended family sessions are especially meaningful when:
A new spouse is joining the family
A new baby has arrived
Multiple generations are together in one place
These gatherings rarely happen by accident. They are worth honoring intentionally.
Anniversary Celebrations: Honoring Years Well Lived
Whether it’s 10, 25, 30, 50, or even 75 years of marriage, anniversary sessions hold a sacred weight. They tell a story of commitment, perseverance, and love that has endured seasons of change.
Often surrounded by children and grandchildren, these sessions become more than portraits, they become legacy pieces. Visual reminders that love, when tended to, grows richer with time.
First Trips to the Beach: A Beginning Marked by Wonder
A baby’s first visit to the ocean is one of my favorite moments to witness. The wide-eyed curiosity. The tiny toes brushing against sand for the first time. The way parents instinctively lean in closer.
Immediate family sessions during a baby’s first beach trip are filled with:
Softness
Discovery
The quiet joy of a new rhythm forming
These are the images that parents look back on and say, “This is when it all felt so new.”
Expecting a New Little One: Maternity as Family Celebration
Maternity sessions don’t have to be formal or posed. Some of the most meaningful ones are simply about honoring the becoming.
For growing families, a beach maternity session allows space to acknowledge:
The anticipation
The tenderness of change
The love already surrounding a baby not yet here
Whether it’s your first child or your fifth, this season deserves to be remembered.
Recently Married Couples: The First Beach Vacation Together
There’s a unique sweetness to a couple’s first beach vacation after marriage. The newness hasn’t worn off yet. The way they move together still feels intentional, unhurried.
These sessions are light, joyful, and full of ease, perfect for couples who want to celebrate simply being us in this new chapter.
Engagement Sessions: Celebrating the Yes
Not every engagement session needs a grand plan. Sometimes the beauty is in the simplicity: the ocean, the light, and the quiet joy of having chosen one another.
Beach engagement sessions are ideal for couples who want:
A relaxed, celebratory experience
Something meaningful but unforced
Images that feel timeless rather than trendy
Surprise Proposals: Joy Multiplied
Surprise proposals are some of the most joyful sessions I photograph, whether it’s an intimate moment with just the two of you, or a carefully planned celebration with extended family waiting nearby.
The emotion is always real. The joy always contagious. And the photographs? They become instant heirlooms.
Pregnancy Announcements: Sharing the News Beautifully
From quiet announcements for two, to joyful reveals shared with extended family while on vacation, pregnancy announcements are tender and celebratory all at once.
These sessions create space to honor the before, before life changes again, before routines shift, before the secret becomes shared with the world.
Before the Big Transitions: Pausing Before the Next Chapter
Some of the most overlooked seasons are the ones just before life changes.
I love photographing families:
Before children leave for college
Before starting elementary school
Before entering middle or high school
You’ll have many photos of your children in these stages. But that quiet moment right before, when everything is about to shift, is often missed. And it’s deeply worth remembering.
A Gentle Note on What’s Next
There are other seasons, harder, more tender ones, that are also worthy of being documented. Times of grief, illness, or profound transition. Those moments deserve care, reverence, and their own space.
We’ll talk about those soon.
An Invitation
If any of these seasons feel familiar, if your heart quietly whispered, “this is us," I would be honored to create something meaningful with you.
These moments are fleeting. But the way they are remembered doesn’t have to be.