A Sweet Knoxville Maternity Session From the Gardens to Neyland Stadium

There’s something extra special about a maternity session that feels completely personal to the parents-to-be. For Aubrey and Colby, that meant combining soft, romantic maternity photos at Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum with a little Tennessee orange and a whole lot of Volunteer spirit at Neyland Stadium. Their Knoxville maternity session gave us the best of both worlds: beautiful gardens, blooming flowers, a flowing pink dress, and sweet moments celebrating their growing family - followed by a completely different look that told a little more of their story.

Maternity photos at knoxville botanical gardens and arboretum

We started Aubrey and Colby’s maternity photos at Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum, which is such a beautiful location for maternity photography in Knoxville.

The greenery, stone walls, garden paths, and pops of colorful flowers created the prettiest backdrop for Aubrey’s pink maternity dress. I loved how the soft pink stood out against all of the green without taking away from the natural feel of the gardens.

Some of my favorite images from this part of the session are also some of the simplest - the two of them laughing together, Colby’s hand on Aubrey’s belly, and those quiet little in-between moments that don’t feel overly posed.

And, of course, we had to include a few ultrasound photos. There’s something about seeing those tiny images alongside a growing baby bump that makes everything feel even more real.

From the gardens to neyland stadium

After our time in the gardens, we traded the pink dress and flowers for denim, Tennessee orange, and one of Knoxville’s most recognizable landmarks: Neyland Stadium.

For Aubrey and Colby, including the University of Tennessee in their maternity session wasn’t just about being Vols fans. UT is a part of their story.

Colby attended the University of Tennessee for five years and spent all five of those years as a member of the Pride of the Southland Marching Band. For three of those years, he played the bass drum.

So naturally, we had to include that in their session!

And I LOVE when my clients incorporate something into their photos that actually means something to them and is a part of their story.

We photographed Aubrey and Colby around Neyland Stadium with plenty of Tennessee orange, UT gear, and some pom-poms. Aubrey even rocked an orange football jersey over her baby bump, which made these feel less like traditional maternity photos and more like their maternity photos.

A university of tennessee maternity session

One of my favorite things about maternity photography is that there really aren’t any rules saying that your entire session has to have the same look.

Aubrey went from a romantic, floor-length pink maternity gown surrounded by flowers to ripped jeans, sneakers, and Tennessee orange - and it all worked perfectly together.

The garden portion of their session celebrated the softness and anticipation of this season, while the Neyland Stadium photos brought out their personalities and connection to the University of Tennessee.

Together, the two locations told a much bigger story than either one could have on its own.

And years from now, their little girl won’t just have beautiful maternity photos to look back on. She’ll also have photographs filled with pieces of her parents’ story before she ever entered the picture.

planning maternity photos in knoxville, tennessee?

If you’re considering maternity photos, my biggest piece of advice is to make your session feel like…you.

Maybe that means a flowing dress surrounded by flowers. Maybe it’s somewhere connected to your college years, your favorite sports team, or the place where you and your special someone made some of your favorite memories.

Or, like Aubrey and Colby, maybe it’s a little bit of both.

Knoxville has so many incredible locations for maternity photography, from lush gardens and natural scenery to downtown architecture and iconic University of Tennessee landmarks. Mixing locations, outfits, and styles can create a gallery that feels varied while still telling one cohesive story.

Aubrey and Colby’s session was the perfect example: a little romance, a little Tennessee orange, and a whole lot of excitement for the newest little Vol.