Why You Should Book a “Framily” Photo Session in Asheville

There’s family… and then there’s framily — the friends who have become so much a part of your life that they feel like family.

The people your kids run to when they see them. The friends you text when you need advice, a favor, or just someone who gets it. The families you share weeknight dinners, birthday parties, vacations, carpools, playdates, and ordinary afternoons with.

They may not technically be family, but they’re part of your village.

And I think those relationships are worth documenting, too.

Recently, I photographed the sweetest “framily” session here in Western North Carolina, and I left thinking: Why don’t more families do this?!

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The Session That Made Me Fall in Love With This Idea

I recently had a family visiting Western North Carolina from California with their neighbors, who also happen to be some of their very closest friends.

Instead of booking a traditional family session with just their own crew, they decided to book a session together.

And it was SO much fun.

During their session, we made sure each family had plenty of time in front of the camera on their own. We captured family photos, siblings, parents with their kids, and all those sweet combinations you’d expect from a traditional family session.

But then we got to add something extra.

We photographed the kids with their friends. The parents together. Both families laughing, playing, and loving on the people who have become such an important part of their lives.

Those images told a bigger story.

They weren’t just documenting what their individual families looked like in this season. They were documenting their village.

It Takes a Village

We hear the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” all the time, but when you’re in the thick of raising kids, you really begin to understand how true it is.

Our communities matter.

Sometimes your village is made up of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. And sometimes it’s the neighbors down the street. The friends you met when your babies were tiny. The family whose kids have grown up alongside yours. The people who show up when life is hard and celebrate with you when life is really, really good.

These relationships become woven into our children’s childhoods.

So much of family photography focuses on the people who share our last name — and of course those photographs are incredibly important. But I also love the idea of making space for the people who share our lives.

That’s what a framily session is all about.

Framily Sessions Aren’t Just for Vacation

While the session that inspired this post happened during a trip to Western North Carolina, you definitely don’t need to be on vacation to book one.

If you’re local to WNC, this can be such a meaningful way to document the community you’ve built right here at home.

Maybe it’s the family you spend every Friday night with.

Maybe your kids have been best friends since preschool.

Maybe your neighbors have become the people you trust to pick up your kids, borrow a cup of sugar from, sit around a backyard fire with, or call when you need an extra set of hands.

You don’t need a special occasion.

The relationship itself is worth celebrating.

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Why Book a Framily Photo Session?

One of the best things about a framily session is that you get the best of both worlds.

You still get beautiful photos of your own family.We’ll make time for each family individually, so you’ll still walk away with the family portraits, sibling photos, parent-and-child moments, and candid images you’d want from a regular session.

You get to document your kids’ friendships.Childhood friendships can be incredibly special. Imagine your kids looking back years from now at photographs of themselves with the friends who were such a big part of growing up.

Kids can feel more relaxed when their friends are there.When kids are surrounded by people they know and love, a photo session can feel less like “taking pictures” and more like hanging out together. That usually means lots of playing, laughing, and genuine interaction.

You’re documenting your community.These aren’t just your friends. They may be the people helping you raise your babies, cheering your family on, and walking through this season of life alongside you.

It’s genuinely fun.More kids. More personalities. More laughter. More connection. Yes, maybe a little more chaos — but the really good kind.

Photograph the People Who Show Up

One day, your kids will be grown.

The playdates will end. The carpools will stop. The toys scattered across the living room will disappear. Life will change, families may move, and the rhythms that feel so ordinary right now will become memories.

And I think there’s something incredibly special about having photographs that remind you not only of who your family was, but also who was beside you.

The friends who showed up.

The kids who practically lived at your house.

The neighbors who became family.

The people who made parenthood a little lighter, a lot more fun, and reminded you that you didn’t have to do it alone.

So whether you’re visiting Asheville with friends or you’ve built your village right here in WNC, consider inviting another family along for your next photo session.

Come ready to laugh, play, and embrace a little chaos. We’ll capture each family individually, the kids together, the grown-ups together, and, of course, the whole framily.

Because your village is part of your family’s story.

And that story deserves to be photographed.