LGBTQ Family Photoshoot in the Woods

A Love-Filled Nature Reserve Family Session

Brittny Drye Founder + Editor-in-Chief of Love Inc. Magazine | On-Air Wedding Expert | LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in the Wedding Industry

Today's sweet family sesh captured by photography Vanessa Venable showcases Sean and Stephen's cute kiddos, Sawyer (4) and Iris (1), each brought into this world via gestational surrogacy. 

“We used an anonymous egg donor through an agency called The Donor Source. Our best friend carried Sawyer for us. For Iris we went the agency route and were matched with our gestational carrier through them,” the two dads explain of their journey to parenthood. After 15 years together (13 married), they felt the time was right because they both “felt like we had a lot of love to give and knowledge to impart.” 

Of course, the journey is an expensive one, and the couple saved up for several years. “Once we actually got started we were very fortunate. With both babies, the IVF cycle took on the first try, both pregnancies were complication-free, and both births were full-term and medically uneventful.” 

Their family of four has created a beautifully chaotic life. “Sawyer is energetic, assertive, expressive, articulate and hilarious. Iris is sweet and smiley and sometimes a spitfire,” they say. “We are busier than we used to be, our house is noisier and more lively than ever, our workout regimens have changed, and our hearts are fuller than we ever could have imagined.”

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Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020
Stephen and Shawn Family 2020

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Love Inc. is a leading EQUALITY-MINDED® wedding publication, devoted to creating original content targeted to both hetero and LGBTQ+ couples, setting us apart from other publications in this swiftly evolving world of weddings.

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