How to Style a Maternity Shoot with these White Long Dresses

Whether you share them with others or privately treasure them in your own collection, maternity photos are a timeless keepsake of a beautiful and blessed time in your life. I’ve seen maternity shoots with all kinds of themes and in all kinds of settings, but my favorites have always been the ones where the mommy-to-bes are wearing white long dresses. There is something angelic about a pregnant woman in a long white dress, it’s graceful and timeless. So it’s no surprise that for my own maternity shoot my options were: ONLY white long dresses. I ordered many styles and fabrics to find the perfect one for my theme. Along the way, I found some beautiful ones I’ve listed below, each fit for a different style of maternity shoot.  

Long with Some Revelation: This is actually the dress I wore in my photoshoot. It’s super lightweight and a slip-on style, which is perfect for pregnancy. The lining ends just above the knees and adds a touch of sexy by revealing the legs. I chose this because I wanted to do some pictures on the bed with my daughter, and felt this would be appropriate for a bedroom scene.

Casual and Versatile: This long white dress is will work for any style maternity shoot. You can put a hat and accessories and wear it during an outdoor shoot, or dress it up for a studio session. The bottom of the dress is very long and falls to the floor, so no matter what your belly size you can be sure this dress will have the “drape to the floor” effect.

Long and Lacey: Of course I had to include a lace dress in my list. Lace is dainty and feminine and this particular dress fits nice and tight in the chest area, then opens breathing room from belly and below. It’s the perfect dress for a maternity shoot in a field of flowers.

Nightgown for a Day Shoot: I wanted to include this nightgown because I ordered it and considered it for my photoshoot on the bed (I didn’t end up using it only because I needed a size bigger and I didn’t have time to exchange it). This is perfect for bedroom pictures and for poses where you are sitting or laying down (the slit makes for a nice capture). The back of this nightgown has a cute bow, ideal for baby bump photos from a side angle.

Boho Chic: This is one of my favorite white long dresses from BCBG. It has unique blouson sleeves and chest with a floral lace trim, is a soft cotton and is loose and comfortable. It’s a beautiful material once you see it in person and fits great because the drawstring waistline gives you the desired room for your belly. I envision this dress at an outdoor maternity shoot at a rustic location or something with a country chic theme.

Fancy Up a Notch: I know this isn’t what you’d envision as the typical maternity dress, but I chose it because I think it’d be perfect for a lifestyle maternity shoot. You can get fancy in it and do portraits around the house (for example a family portrait on the couch). It’s sexy but because of the stretchy material it can house a belly too!

Maternity Photoshoot by Kristine Ovsepyan Photography