As a maternity photographer in Hawaii, I get the opportunity to photograph couples during one of the most incredible times of their relationship, having a baby. Maternity sessions are so special as they document this truly wonderful time in your life. What all goes into planning a maternity session, and why have a babymoon in Hawaii though? If either of those questions crossed your mind then this blog is for you!

Why a Babymoon in Hawaii?

Let’s start off with defining what a babymoon is. According to the Cambridge dictionary, a babymoon is a vacation for expecting parents before the baby is born. You want to take some time to relax and have some one on one time together before your little one joins your family. I LOVE Hawaii for babymoons as it is the perfect space to relax and enjoy one another’s company in paradise before your life is changed with the addition of your new family member.

So why have your maternity session on your babymoon instead of having it at home? Other than the fact that Hawaii is absolutely beautiful, you and your partner will be able to relax and take your time vacationing together. Having your session when you’re relaxed, in love, and having a great time exploring Hawaii together will make for magical images that you will love to look back on once your baby arrives.

Planning a Maternity Session in Hawaii

There’s a fair bit of planning that goes into your babymoon session such as where to have your session, what to wear, and when you should have your babymoon. We’ll cover all of these, but I always recommend hiring a maternity photographer from the islands of Hawaii for your session, such as yours truly! The expertise and guidance that comes from someone who knows the islands through and through is invaluable when planning your session. I or a member of Olson Productions is here to answer any and all of your questions to ensure you have THE best session and experience possible!

Where to Have Your Babymoon

The first aspect of planning your babymoon session in Hawaii is where to have your session. Each one of the Hawaiian islands has stunning settings to them that are absolutely perfect, both for your session and for you to enjoy outside of your session! It all comes down to the feel you’re looking for as well as how simple you’re looking to make things logistically. For example, the more popular islands like Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island will have more opportunities for places to stay and things to do outside of your session. These islands are also much easier to access in comparison to Molokai and Lanai, which are both gorgeous, but have more of a process to get to them.

I recommend you check out the islands section of this blog which covers each one a bit more in depth. Of course you can also always ask your photographer (me!), for my recommendation(s) as well to help you choose. Especially if this is the first time either of you are coming out to the islands of Hawaii, I can’t stress enough how useful it is to have a maternity photographer who knows the islands to help guide you through your babymoon!

Plan Your Session Outfit(s)

Planning the outfit or outfits that you’ll be wearing for your babymoon session in Hawaii is one of the most important aspects of your session. There are a few key points that I want to highlight, but before that there’s one thing that remains important above ALL else with your outfits. Your comfort! Comfort is everything, and making sure that you’re comfortable in your outfits is the easiest way to ensure that you have a great time during your session. When referring to your comfort I mean both in the sense that your outfits are comfortable to wear, but also that you feel comfortable being photographed in them. Everyone is different, and I want to make sure that you are loving yourself in front of the camera. 

When it comes to showing off your bump for your maternity session, there are really three routes you can go. You can go the route that is showing off the bump with a crop top a cute two piece or a swim suit. You can go the route of a form fitting look that still accentuates the bump, or you can wear something with a little more draping that will hug the shape of your baby bump and accentuate your shape with the texture of the dress.

Many of my couples opt for two of these looks for their session. This gives us more variety to work with, but you can of course stick with only one style if that makes you more comfortable! Both outfit styles allow you to show off your baby bump in different ways. In addition to the photos on this blog, you can also take a look at Yulia and Max’s babymoon session for further examples as Yulia wore two separate outfits for it!

When to Have Your Babymoon

Ideally you’re going to want to plan your babymoon session in Hawaii between weeks 24 and 30 of your pregnancy. This is the perfect threshold as earlier than 24 weeks and you may not be showing much, while after 30 weeks you’ll likely not be in the mood for much traveling! This of course doesn’t give you much choice in terms of what season to have your session in Hawaii, but with me as your maternity photographer we’ll be able to navigate the scenarios the different seasons bring with my expertise. Let’s take a look at the different seasons to get an idea of what you’ll be working with for your session:

Summer + Winter

Summer is typically busier due to it being a dry season in terms of rain, and also because families are traveling with their children thanks to summer vacation. Winter is on the more rainy side of things, but also is fairly busy due to children being on break for the holidays.

Spring + Fall

The seasons of spring and fall are less busy when compared to summer and winter, but the chance for rain is much higher. A benefit of the islands of Hawaii though is that rain storms often pass VERY quickly, so we’ll still be able to enjoy your session and babymoon!

As you can see a little bit of planning can go a LONG way in making your babymoon session in Hawaii a one of a kind experience. As a Hawaii maternity photographer I absolutely adore these sessions as they allow couples to celebrate this amazing experience in their lives in one of the most beautiful places on earth. What’s not to love?! If you’re ready to book your maternity session for your babymoon in Hawaii be sure to send an inquiry to reserve your date!