If we’ve already celebrated your wedding together, welcome home. Maison Mae is where the story continues, documenting the growing families, quiet milestones, and beautifully ordinary moments that come after “I do.”
How to Prepare Your Home for Newborn Photos
If you’re anything like most new parents, you’ve probably looked around your house and thought, How on earth am I supposed to have photos taken here?
Take a deep breath.
The goal of a lifestyle newborn session isn’t to create a perfectly styled home. It’s to capture the place where your family is getting to know one another. A little preparation can go a long way, but perfection has never been part of the plan.
Choose the Best Light
Every home photographs a little differently, but one thing is always true: light matters more than square footage. The rooms with the largest windows and the most neutral walls almost always make the best backdrop for your newborn session. We don’t need your entire home to be photo-ready, just a few beautiful spaces where your family naturally spends time. Soft light and simple surroundings help keep the focus exactly where it belongs: on your family.
Tidy, Don’t Deep Clean
Please don’t spend days scrubbing your house.
A quick tidy is more than enough. Clearing off bedside tables, kitchen counters, and dressers helps photographs feel calm without making your home feel unfamiliar.
If there’s a laundry basket in the corner or a bottle on the nightstand, don’t worry. Life is happening here, and that’s okay.
Keep the Temperature Cozy
Newborns are happiest when they’re warm.
Keeping your home a little warmer than usual helps your baby stay comfortable, especially if we’ll be photographing them in just a swaddle or diaper for a few moments.
Have the Essentials Nearby
There’s no need to hide away bottles, pacifiers, burp cloths, or diapers.
Having everything within reach simply makes the session feel easier. We’ll pause whenever your baby needs to eat, be changed, or settle back into your arms.
Time Feedings Naturally
You don’t need to put your baby on a strict schedule for photos, but if possible, try to feed them shortly before your session begins or whenever they naturally wake up from a nap. A full tummy and a little snuggle time often help babies settle into a calm, sleepy rhythm.
That said, every baby is different.
If your little one decides they’re hungry again fifteen minutes later, we’ll simply pause and feed them. Some of my favorite moments happen during those quiet in-between breaks, and there’s never any pressure to keep moving if your baby needs you.
The best sessions aren’t the ones where everything goes according to plan. They’re the ones where your baby gets exactly what they need.
Don’t Stress About the Nursery
Maybe the wallpaper isn’t finished.
Maybe the shelves are still empty.
Maybe the rocking chair arrived yesterday.
That’s okay.
Some babies don’t even have a finished nursery yet, and it doesn’t change a thing. This season is about your family, not your decorating timeline.
Dress Comfortably
Choose clothing that feels soft, simple, and comfortable. Neutral colors and subtle textures photograph beautifully, but the most important thing is wearing something you feel like yourself in.
Leave the Rest to Me
Once I arrive, you can simply enjoy your baby.
I’ll find the best light, suggest where we’ll spend time, and gently guide you through the entire session. There’s no need to worry about where to stand, what room to use, or whether your home is “photo ready.”
Your only job is to soak in these first days together.
It’s Already Enough
One day, you’ll look back at these photographs and notice the tiny things you almost forgot. The bassinet beside your bed. The stack of burp cloths on the couch. The way your baby’s fingers wrapped around yours.
Those ordinary details become extraordinary with time.
That’s why we photograph them.
