Cherry Blossoms at the National Arboretum | Maternity Session

The cherry blossoms at the National Arboretum bloom every spring over the course of a few months. This stretches much longer than the one week peak bloom period of the Tidal Basin cherry blossoms! I had photographed a Tidal Basin cherry blossom session a few weeks before, so those cherry blossoms were long gone.

If you’re looking for a cherry blossom session but don’t want the stress of a Tidal Basin session, the National Arboretum is for you! We arrived on a weekday morning to the National Arboretum and found a patch of the Kwanzan cherry trees. The Kwanzan cherry trees are pinker and fluffier than the Yoshino cherry trees by the Tidal Basin.

The weather was gorgeous, and we had the cherry grove completely to ourselves. The National Arboretum opens at 8 am, so this is also a later start time than if we were to photograph at the Tidal Basin. Because of the immense crowds, the Tidal Basin sessions typically begin around 6:30 or 7 am – and even then, there will be crowds! We could park directly in front of the cherry grove and didn’t need to worry about finding a spot.

We were able to leisurely stroll and play amongst the cherry blossoms at the National Arboretum. Koryn was a beautiful expecting mother, wearing a blue dress from the client wardrobe that contrasted delicately against the blossoms.

Cherry Blossoms at the National Arboretum | Maternity Session

Maryland Maternity Photographer | Marie Elizabeth Photography

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