HOLLY + JACOB’S GENDER REVEAL AT TAITUA ARBORETUM
A pink cake, a big surprise, and a whole lot of joy with Lolla
Some sessions feel like you are photographing a milestone. Holly and Jacob met me at Taitua Arboretum with their little girl, Lolla, for a simple plan with a big payoff.
A cake. Two wine glasses. One cut.
And the answer to the question they had been carrying for months.
The reveal
We started on a picnic blanket tucked into the trees. It was calm and sweet at first, the kind of quiet you get right before something big happens.
They picked up the glasses, dug in together, and there it was.
Pink cake.
A baby girl.
That split second after they saw it was the whole point of the session. The shock, the smiles, the laughter, the “no way” faces. Pure relief and excitement all at once.
And Lolla, right in the middle of it, watching her parents light up.
After the cake
Once the reveal had landed, we did what families do best. We moved.
We walked through the Arboretum, stopping wherever the light looked good and Lolla was happy. Cuddles. Little games. Holding hands. The kind of stuff that looks ordinary in the moment, and ends up being the photos you love the most later.
No stiff posing. Just gentle direction so everything stayed natural.
Why this mattered
Gender reveals can get loud and complicated.
This one was simple, personal, and actually about the three of them.
It was not about the spectacle.
It was about the feeling of finding out together, and letting Lolla be part of it in her own way.
Holly and Jacob were buzzing the whole time after. You could feel the shift. They walked in as a family of three with a question, and walked out as a family of four in their heads.
A little note for future you
If you are thinking about doing a gender reveal session, keep it simple.
Pick one meaningful “reveal” moment, then give yourself time afterwards to just be together. That is where the photos get real.
Holly, Jacob, and Lolla, thanks for letting me be there for this.
Baby girl number two is going to be very loved.
