November 2026: Baby News, Christmas Minis & Studio Updates

November is here, and it feels like there is so much happening both in the studio and behind the scenes at the moment!

October disappeared in a blur of Autumn Mini Sessions, lovely babies and families, and getting everything ready for the busiest and most festive few weeks of the year.

Christmas Mini season is finally here, I have a new first birthday session to tell you about, Black Friday is coming and I'm already starting to look ahead to my 2027 diary.

But first, there's some rather exciting personal news I've finally been able to share…

Our little family is growing… 🤍

I've been keeping a rather big secret over the last few months… we're having a baby!

Tom and I are so excited to be expecting our little one in April 2027, and it still feels slightly surreal to finally be able to share the news.

After more than 10 years of photographing so many pregnancies, newborn babies and growing families across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas, it's quite funny to think that next year it'll be my turn to be on the other side of it all!

It's been incredibly hard keeping this one quiet, especially when so many of my clients share such special chapters of their own lives with me. I'm really looking forward to sharing a little bit of this journey too.

I know some of you will probably be wondering what this means for Phoebe Berridge Photography next year. I am planning to take a little time away around baby's arrival, but there's absolutely no disappearing for good!

I'll share more about my maternity leave and return to the studio as we get closer. For now, I'm very much here, working and looking forward to everything we've got coming up.

Christmas Mini season is here!

After months of planning, designing and talking about Christmas far earlier than anyone probably wanted me to, my Christmas Mini Sessions are finally here this month!

I absolutely love seeing my Ickwell studio completely transformed for Christmas and welcoming so many familiar faces back through the door.

For some families, Christmas Minis have become an annual tradition, which makes it even more special seeing just how much the children have changed since the previous year.

At the time of writing, I still have a small number of spaces remaining for my 2026 Christmas Mini Sessions, so if you've been thinking about booking but haven't quite got around to it, now is the time.

Then it'll be Christmas music on repeat, lots of festive outfits and probably finding remnants of Christmas in the studio for several months afterwards.

Something new for those first birthdays

If you've been following me on social media, you might have spotted a new session I've recently introduced — My 1st Birthday Sessions.

I know a traditional Cake Smash isn't for every family, but that doesn't mean such a big milestone shouldn't be celebrated and photographed.

My 1st Birthday Sessions are a simpler, portrait-led way of marking your little one's first birthday. The focus stays on them and all that personality they've developed over their first year, with beautiful, natural portraits and simple styling.

Parents and siblings can get involved for a few photographs too, because reaching that first birthday is quite a milestone for the whole family!

And don't worry —Cake Smash Sessions aren't going anywhere. These are simply another option for families who would prefer something a little simpler and more timeless.

To celebrate their launch, I'm offering My 1st Birthday Sessions at a special introductory price for sessions taking place up until 31st December 2026.

From January, these sessions will move to their full price, so if your little one is celebrating their first birthday before the end of the year, there's still time to take advantage of the introductory offer.

Christmas gift vouchers & a Black Friday treat

If you're beginning your Christmas shopping, don't forget that photography gift vouchers are available too.

They're a lovely option for the people who are always difficult to buy for grandparents who insist they don't need anything, new parents who already have a house full of baby things or a family who's been saying for years that they really need to update their photographs.

And this November, I'm going to be adding a little something extra.

For one week only, I'll be running a special Black Friday offer on gift vouchers.

Purchase a gift voucher for any full photography session and I'll include an additional 5 digital images with the recipient's session.

Or purchase one of my £50 set-value gift vouchers and I'll add an extra £10, giving the recipient £60 to spend.

With my maternity leave coming up next year, the validity of gift vouchers will also be extended to take my time away into account, so nobody needs to worry about losing time to use their voucher while I'm away.

I'll be sharing the exact Black Friday dates and details nearer the time.

Expecting a baby in early 2027?

It feels slightly strange talking about next year's newborns when I'll have a newborn of my own before too long!

With our little one due in April, my photography diary for the beginning of 2027 will look a little different to usual.

If you're expecting a baby in January, February or early March 2027 and you're thinking about booking a newborn photoshoot, I'd recommend getting in touch sooner rather than later.

I'll be keeping the number of sessions I take on before maternity leave fairly limited so I have some breathing room as we get closer to April.

I won't be taking newborn bookings for babies due from mid-March onwards.

As we all know, babies don't necessarily arrive when expected, and I want to make sure there's plenty of flexibility around those final few weeks without risking being unable to photograph your baby if either of our little ones decides to make an early appearance!

If you're due from mid-March onwards, you're still very welcome to get in touch. I'm more than happy to recommend some lovely local newborn photographers whose work I trust so you don't have to start the search from scratch.

For babies due earlier in the year, you don't need to know exactly when they'll arrive before booking. We'll use your due date to reserve space in my diary and arrange the final session date once your little one is here.

A little life lately…

Away from the studio, life has been a lovely mixture of trying to keep our exciting news a secret, getting back into the usual autumn routines and suddenly realising just how quickly the end of the year is creeping up on us.

Now that our baby news is finally out in the open, it's going to feel very strange actually being able to talk about it after keeping quiet for so long!

We've started having all those conversations about names, what we need and what life might look like next year although I think we've got a long way to go before we're organised.

It's also quite surreal experiencing pregnancy from this side after spending so many years chatting to expectant mums during maternity and newborn sessions. I have a feeling I'm going to have a whole new appreciation for my clients by the end of it!

And seeing as so many of you reading this have already been through it all, I'd love to hear your recommendations.

If there's a baby item you couldn't have lived without, something everyone told you to buy that you never actually used, or just a little piece of advice you wish someone had given you before your baby arrived, I'd love to hear it.

I spend so much of my time giving newborn session advice that it feels quite funny being the one asking for the baby advice now!

For now, though, we're just enjoying this chapter and looking forward to everything the next few months will bring.

Thank you, as always, for following along, supporting my little business and trusting me to capture so many of your own special chapters.

Phoebe x