CAPTURING TEEN TEAM: A Trip to The Christmas Tree Farm

The leaves are gone, the air is crisp, and the calendar has officially flipped to the holiday season! That means it was time for our favorite annual tradition: the Teen Team Christmas photoshoot! This year, we bundled up and headed out to a beautiful Christmas Tree Farm for a morning of festive fun, laughter, and of course, stunning photos. We invited the whole Teen Team out to celebrate the start of the most wonderful time of the year! ​To make sure every girl got plenty of time in front of the camera, (and didn’t get too cold) we broke the morning up into three sessions.

​Hour One: Fresh Faces and a Festive Sophomore

The first hour belonged to our incredible freshmen squad:

Kyleigh Smith

Riley Chonko

Taylor Wadsworth

Teagan Reynolds

Grace Moulton

Summer Thompson

We were also thrilled to have sophomore Summer join this session, as she had an orchestra concert that evening and wouldn't be able to make the second hour—we couldn't miss capturing her festive spirit!

These girls jumped right into the holiday mood, despite the incredibly chilly weather, which was amplified by the heavy wind and snow that began to fall. The biggest laugh of the first hour came courtesy of Kyleigh, who was in charge of leading the group around the sprawling farm. She managed to take them in the completely wrong direction not once, but twice! It was a hilarious moment that broke the ice and resulted in some truly genuine smiles.

​Hour Two: Sophomores Shine in the Snow-Kissed Scenery

​The second session welcomed our fantastic group of sophomores:

Kristen Dillon

Chloe Quick

Addy Ross

Emma Smith

Rylee Stoicoiu

Bailey Baldasare

Allison Hards

The weather was even more intense for this hour; the snow continued to fall amidst a heavy wind, making the temperatures truly biting. The girls were dressed head to toe in their cutest Christmas outfits—think festive scarfs, adorable hats, holiday skirts, cozy tights, and cute boots. And just so you know, it was absolutely freezing! We kept the energy up and the bodies warm by dancing and running around the rows of trees. The dedication was real, and every girl brought her unique style and energy, resulting in some truly memorable group and individual shots.

​Hour Three: Juniors Bring the Holiday Cheer

​Our final hour was dedicated to our fabulous juniors:

Emma Wagler

Ellie Snyder

Keegan Nelson

Laila D'Amato

Paisley Nader

Mack Richmond

Mia Damicone

Haleigh Potts

Kristlyn Kehrer

Reyna Ripley

By this time, the snow had mostly stopped, but the cold lingered. This session brought the last big wave of laughs when we overheard another photographer nearby making noises and funny faces at a baby to get them to smile. Laila immediately turned to us and asked if that's what we would be doing to the Teen Team girls from now on! Rest assured, we rely on genuine laughter and running around, not silly sounds, to get those perfect smiles! Not only did we take pictures, but we also captured so many fun little Tiktoks and social media videos throughout the entire morning—make sure to keep an eye out for those on our social media platforms!

​Teen Team Takes on the Holidays: A Festive Q&A

​As always, we took a moment to chat with the girls and learn what makes the Christmas season so special to them. Here are some of their wonderfully honest and heart-warming answers!

​Question: Decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving or after?

​This question definitely divided the group!

Before: Kyleigh, Haleigh, Mia, Allison, Addy, Davinda, and Siena all agreed that Christmas decorating should happen before Thanksgiving. Davinda shared, "I’m a before! Right after my birthday." Addy chimed in, "Before! I had my tree up a week ago."

After: Grace, Bailey, Ellie, and Chloe prefer to wait. Ellie stated, "We do the night of or day after." Chloe echoed that, saying, "The day after is usually what I do."

​Question: What makes the holiday (Christmas) season so special for you?

The answers showed so much love for family and faith. Siena finds it special because she has the "opportunity to travel solo around the USA so I can see all of my loved ones!!" Ellie and Chloe both highlighted their faith, with Ellie saying, "Going to church to celebrate the birth of Jesus!!!" and Chloe adding, "What makes it so special to me is being able to celebrate the birth of Jesus with my church and be surrounded by my family for the holidays." For Keegan, it is about family gatherings: "I get to have all of my family over in my house and we have a separate Christmas at my grandparents because my grandma also loves hosting too." Addy summarized the spirit perfectly: "The birth of Jesus and it’s a season of giving! It’s the spirit in the air. Seeing family and friends. Amazing food." Taylor and Allison both mentioned gift giving. Taylor loves "getting to spend time with my family and friends and also buying gifts for people!" Allison loves "going to see all of my family and having fun things with my friends. And I love getting gifts for people!"

​Question: What are 3 things everyone is thankful for this year?

​With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we loved hearing what everyone was grateful for. Chloe is thankful for her friends, family, and pets. Keegan shared that she is grateful for her family, all her friends, and Stranger Things season 5. Ellie kept it simple and sweet, saying, "It’s just me my mom and sister for thanksgiving this year so I’m grateful for them." Riley gave thanks for her family, Thanksgiving food, and God! Finally, Taylor is thankful for her family, her best friend Grace, and her animals!

​We had the best time capturing the energy and festive spirit of the Teen Team. Thank you to all the girls who braved the heavy wind and snow! We can't wait for our next adventure together. Happy Holidays!