There are few things we love more than hearing from past couples with big life updates, so we were especially excited when Colleen and Ryan reached out to tell us they were expecting! After photographing their engagement and wedding, getting together for their Half Moon Bay maternity session felt like an overdue catch up with friends.
We spent the session talking about pregnancy, getting excited about what was ahead for them, and, of course, taking plenty of photos along the coast. It was such a fun feeling to see them again in this completely new season of life.
From High School Sweethearts to Parents-to-Be
Colleen and Ryan's story goes all the way back to high school. They met at a high school dance when they were just 16, and what started as two teenagers going to dances together eventually turned into more than a decade of growing up, navigating long distance, traveling, building a life, and finally getting married. A story that feels so special to help document, even if we missed the beginning.
We first got to photograph that story during their engagement session. Colleen had a beautiful blue gown for some romantic, almost storybook-inspired portraits in the redwoods, followed by a quick outfit change and plenty of playful, candid moments. It was already clear then that these two had a lot of history and a very easy way of making each other laugh.
Months later, we got to be there for their wedding at Casa Real, where all those years together really felt like part of the celebration. They wrote their own vows, spent the day surrounded by family and friends, danced their way through the reception, and somehow managed to make a wedding day that felt both beautiful and completely them.
So seeing them again now, with a baby on the way, was pretty special. After all these years, there was a whole new person at the center of their story.
A Half Moon Bay Maternity Session for a New Chapter
Half Moon Bay gave us the perfect setting to slow down and document this in-between season - the part where life is still mostly familiar, but everything is about to change.
One of the things we loved most about this session was simply getting to hang out with them again. There was no need to rush through a list of poses or make every image feel perfectly polished. We could walk, talk, catch up, and let the moments happen naturally. We also watched a superbly planned, dramatic proposal on the beach while watching the sunset. Some of our favorite photographs came in between the more intentional portraits: the laughs, the little interactions, and the way they naturally gravitated toward each other.
That's what we love about lifestyle maternity photography. Yes, we want to photograph the growing belly and this beautiful stage of pregnancy, but we also want to remember who you were together before the baby arrived.
For Colleen and Ryan, these photos are another piece of a much bigger story we've been lucky enough to document.
From that high school dance at 16, to their engagement, to their wedding day, and now to their growing family, it's pretty incredible to see where all those years have led.
We couldn't be happier for these two! And we can't wait to see what this next chapter brings!!
