Some seasons of family life are loud, busy, and just… a lot.


There are school drop-offs and snack negotiations, strong opinions about which stuffed animal must come along, and tiny people who can go from giggling to melting in about ten seconds. It’s full, it’s intense, and it’s over quicker than anyone expects.


That’s exactly the season the Alvidrez family is in, and it was such a joy to capture it.


As a lifestyle photographer, my favorite sessions aren’t about the “everyone stand here and smile at the camera” grandma pose. We’ll grab a few where everyone is looking, sure, but my heart is in the personal touches: the games your kids love, the toys they drag everywhere, the little rituals that make your family yours. When we build those into a session, everyone relaxes and has more fun.


For the Alvidrez family, that meant one thing: tea parties.

🫖

 

Their girls are big into imaginative play, so we turned an ordinary evening at a local Columbus park into a whimsical little tea party. A soft blanket, a tiny tea set (that Mom literally DoorDashed so it would arrive in time 👏), pastel macarons, and a basket full of beloved stuffies were all we needed to create a little world just for them.


Instead of asking the girls to stand still and smile, we simply let them play.

Big sister carefully poured “tea” for everyone, taking her job very seriously. Little sister scooted closer any time she needed reassurance, grabbing a stuffie or leaning into Mom’s side. There were leaf tosses and belly laughs, quiet sips and big squeezes. Mom and Dad knelt down to their level, pouring imaginary tea, accepting tiny cups, and soaking up the sweetness of this stage.


Those are my favorite kinds of sessions: where the activity gives the kids something to do with their hands, and the real story gets to unfold in between.

Two young sisters enjoying cookies and pretend tea with crocheted bunnies and a picnic basket | lifestyle family session.

The tea party details weren’t just cute props, they were pieces of this family’s real life.


  • The well-loved stuffed animals that go everywhere
  • The tiny cups that feel so fancy in little hands
  • The special treat of colorful macarons
  • The new tea set that Mom went out of her way to order just in time




Hands reaching for colorful macarons and cookies on a cake stand during a family picnic tea party on a green blanket.
Mom and dad tickling their two laughing daughters on a blanket during a playful fall family session in central Ohio.
Close-up of pastel toy tea cups clinked together at a family tea party, with a crocheted Grogu doll in the background.
Two sisters lying on a blanket, smiling and cuddling crocheted bunnies and Star Wars stuffies | Westerville family photos.
Hand-crocheted animal stuffies arranged by a picnic basket on a blanket, ready for a whimsical family photo session.

One of my favorite details from this session was the handmade stuffies the girls brought along. They weren’t random toys grabbed on the way out the door, they were lovingly made by their grandma. Including them in the session made everything feel even more personal and meaningful.


Years from now, these girls won’t just see a pretty picture. They’ll remember what it felt like to pour tea for Mom, to share snacks with their sister, to clutch those special stuffies in their hands, and to be the center of their parents’ attention for an evening.


That’s the heart behind how I approach family sessions as a lifestyle photographer in Westerville and the greater Columbus area:

We build a simple activity that feels like your family, and then let your real connection lead the way.

If a tea party in the park isn’t your kids’ thing, that’s okay. The “activity” can look like:


  • Baking cookies in your kitchen
  • Reading books piled on the couch
  • Building a fort in the living room
  • Playing chase in the backyard
  • Hot cocoa and jammies on a winter afternoon


The point isn’t to recreate this session, it’s to build something that feels like your family and let me photograph the joy, chaos, and connection that naturally unfolds.


As we head into the slower, cozier months in Westerville and Columbus, winter is actually one of my favorite times for in-home family and newborn sessions. No worrying about the weather, no rushing kids out the door, just snuggles, play, and real-life moments in the place you live your story every day.

 

Let's document your story

 

If you’re looking at your kids right now and thinking, “I really want to remember them at this age,” I’d love to help you freeze this season in a way that feels honest, playful, and full of heart.


You can reach out through my contact form to learn more about winter in-home sessions, or send me a quick message and tell me what a “tea party” would look like for your family.

Contact me
Westerville family photographer captures two young sisters running across a sunlit fall field at Sharon Woods.
Westerville family photographer documents parents and daughters pouring pretend tea together on a picnic blanket at Sharon Woods.
Hands reaching for colorful macarons and cookies on a cake stand during a family picnic tea party on a green blanket.
Fall family of four lounges on a green blanket with a picnic basket and handmade stuffed animals during Westerville family photos.
Mom and dad tickling their two laughing daughters on a blanket during a playful fall family session in central Ohio.
Close-up of pastel toy tea cups clinked together at a family tea party, with a crocheted Grogu doll in the background.
Smiling toddler in a floral dress cuddles in her mother’s arms, showing off her brown bow and long lashes during fall family photos.
Hand-crocheted animal stuffies arranged by a picnic basket on a blanket, ready for a whimsical family photo session
Dad sits on a blanket holding his younger daughter while the older sister leans on his shoulder, trees and picnic basket behind them.
Family crouches on a wooden dock, daughters dangling their feet as they watch ducks swim in the calm lake water during fall photos.
Westerville family photographer captures a family of four holding hands and walking along a lakeside dock at sunset in early fall.
Dad lifts his laughing toddler high while mom snuggles their older daughter, framed by tall green trees and crunchy fall leaves.
Parents stand laughing together on a leaf-covered lawn while their two daughters run circles around them in playful fall family photos.
Westerville family photographer captures a cozy fall portrait of parents and two daughters standing together under tall trees at sunset.
Big sister hugs her mom’s waist on a fall evening at Sharon Woods, smiling at the camera. Westerville family photographer.
Mom and younger daughter share a quiet forehead-to-forehead moment during their tea party session in Westerville, Ohio.
Mom in a blue tulle skirt cuddles both daughters during a playful fall family photo session in a central Ohio park.
Sisters snuggle on a green blanket, big sister wrapping little sister in a hug during their playful Westerville family session.
Sisters sit in a carpet of fallen leaves, smiling at the camera in cozy neutral outfits and hair bows for fall photos.
Two young sisters toss dry leaves in the air, laughing and making a joyful mess during their fall family photos in Ohio.
Westerville family photographer captures two young sisters running across a sunlit fall field at Sharon Woods.
Westerville family photographer documents parents and daughters pouring pretend tea together on a picnic blanket at Sharon Woods.
Hands reaching for colorful macarons and cookies on a cake stand during a family picnic tea party on a green blanket.
Fall family of four lounges on a green blanket with a picnic basket and handmade stuffed animals during Westerville family photos.
Mom and dad tickling their two laughing daughters on a blanket during a playful fall family session in central Ohio.
Close-up of pastel toy tea cups clinked together at a family tea party, with a crocheted Grogu doll in the background.
Smiling toddler in a floral dress cuddles in her mother’s arms, showing off her brown bow and long lashes during fall family photos.
Hand-crocheted animal stuffies arranged by a picnic basket on a blanket, ready for a whimsical family photo session
Dad sits on a blanket holding his younger daughter while the older sister leans on his shoulder, trees and picnic basket behind them.
Family crouches on a wooden dock, daughters dangling their feet as they watch ducks swim in the calm lake water during fall photos.
Westerville family photographer captures a family of four holding hands and walking along a lakeside dock at sunset in early fall.
Dad lifts his laughing toddler high while mom snuggles their older daughter, framed by tall green trees and crunchy fall leaves.
Parents stand laughing together on a leaf-covered lawn while their two daughters run circles around them in playful fall family photos.
Westerville family photographer captures a cozy fall portrait of parents and two daughters standing together under tall trees at sunset.
Big sister hugs her mom’s waist on a fall evening at Sharon Woods, smiling at the camera. Westerville family photographer.
Mom and younger daughter share a quiet forehead-to-forehead moment during their tea party session in Westerville, Ohio.
Mom in a blue tulle skirt cuddles both daughters during a playful fall family photo session in a central Ohio park.
Sisters snuggle on a green blanket, big sister wrapping little sister in a hug during their playful Westerville family session.
Sisters sit in a carpet of fallen leaves, smiling at the camera in cozy neutral outfits and hair bows for fall photos.
Two young sisters toss dry leaves in the air, laughing and making a joyful mess during their fall family photos in Ohio.