Maternity Photoshoot Gowns in Metro Detroit — Yours Is Already Included

By Two Wild Souls Photography | Michigan Maternity Boudoir Photographer

You’ve been scrolling gown rentals for an hour. Shipping windows, return deadlines, a sizing chart that doesn’t quite line up with where your body is this week.

Here’s the part nobody told you: if you’re booking your maternity session with us, you don’t need to rent anything. Our Rochester studio keeps a wardrobe of more than 40 maternity gowns, and every one of them is included with your session. No rental fee, no shipping, no returning anything in a return window while you’re 32 weeks pregnant.

You just show up. We’ve got the rest covered.

What’s in our gown wardrobe

More than 40 gowns live at our Downtown Rochester studio, and they cover the full range — simple and sculptural for clean studio work, full and dramatic for the images that stop people scrolling, soft and flowing for outdoor sessions in the golden hour.

Our Collection of Gowns spans from XS to 4X with everything from revealing boudoir style dresses to long fluffy gowns for studio portraits or even gowns with extended bottoms to flip into the wind at your favorite outdoor park!

We also keep an eye on what’s missing. If you have your heart set on something we don’t have in your size, we’ll source it for you — we work with ShopMom2B most often for that.

How you’ll choose yours

You will get to try on an assortment of gowns at our studio or in the comfort of your home. Typically we will bring 4-5 dresses you pick from our collection to try on during your in home consultation. We do this so we can see which dresses look and fit the best on you. Everyone has a different body type and some dresses fit great on one person and not so great on the other. We decide together, and Jasmine guides you through each selection depending on your vision and goals. You can pick from as many gowns as you want, just keep in mind the more gowns and locations the more portraits you will end up with to pick from at your ordering appointment!

Why we stopped recommending Amazon maternity dresses

You already know the trick — order the dress, wear it for your session, send it back. A free rental.

We’ve tried most of them. We wouldn’t do it again, and here’s the honest reason: you can see the difference in the photos.

A properly cut maternity gown is built to fall a certain way over a bump. The fabric has weight. The seams sit where they’re supposed to sit. An Amazon dress is cut for a general shape and priced accordingly, and it reads that way on camera — the drape goes flat, the fit pulls in the wrong places, and the fabric photographs thin.

The one exception: close-fitting stretch fabrics can work. They’re forgiving, they follow your shape rather than fighting it, and they hold up under studio light.

The full, flowing, dramatic gowns are where it falls apart. Those are exactly the ones you want for the images you’re picturing, and they’re exactly the ones that don’t survive the camera at that price point. Skip them.

Should you rent a gown, or use ours?

If you’re booking with us: use ours. That’s not a sales line, it’s just the math. The gowns worth wanting retail around $500 and up. Renting gets you into one for a fraction of that, which is genuinely a good deal — but ours are included, so the fraction is zero, and you’re not managing a shipping window in your third trimester.

Rent instead when:

• You’re working with a different photographer, and they don’t keep a wardrobe
• You want something so specific that only one shop has it
• You want to keep the gown afterwards (some rental shops sell as well)

Use ours when:

• You’d rather try things on in person than guess from a sizing chart
• You want the option to change into a second look mid-session
• You’d like one less thing to organize before your session

What’s included with your session

Sessions start at $1290 for a custom maternity session, and that includes:

• Full access to the gown wardrobe — 40+ pieces
• Professional hair and makeup
• Studio or outdoor location, whichever suits the images you want
• Everything coordinated for you, start to finish
• Printed products with your package selection at ordering appointment

If you’re working with another photographer

We’d still rather you had a gown you love than a bad rental experience, so here’s who we’d actually point you to. We’ve used all of these, and we go to ShopMom2B most often.

• ShopMom2B — our first stop, and where we source when a client needs a size we don’t stock
• MamaBumpRentals
• Liylah
• Bella Maternity Dress Rental

Common questions

Do I have to pay extra to use your gowns?

No. Wardrobe access is included with every maternity session — there’s no rental fee and nothing to return.

How many gowns can I wear in one session?

As many as you would like, but most clients choose 2-3 gowns as it can be taxing on your body with so many changes depending on your level of discomfort at your session date.

What sizes do you carry?

XS to 4X.

When should I book my maternity session?

Most of our clients photograph between 28 and 34 weeks, when the bump is beautifully round and you’re still comfortable enough to enjoy the session. Sessions in that window fill early, so reach out sooner than feels necessary.

Can I bring my own gown?

Yes, but all of our clients choose from our gown selection. It is included in your session price and we don’t provide discounts if you want to bring your own items.

Do you serve outside Rochester?

Our studio is in Downtown Rochester, and we photograph throughout Metro Detroit — Oakland County, Macomb County, and Detroit itself.

Ready to pick your gown?

Come see the wardrobe. Book your maternity session and we’ll take care of the gown, the hair, the makeup, and every detail in between.

Book your maternity session →