Sakura Hanami
Hanami is the Japanese word describing the celebration of the cherry blossom, or sakura. This celebration, which symbolizes the arrival of spring, traditionally incorporates eating lots of food, drinking good sake, sitting underneath the cherry trees and enjoying time with friends and family. When the weather is nice and cherry blossoms are in full bloom, families flock to parks known for their beautiful sakura trees and lay out picnic blankets, claiming the area surrounding that cherry tree for the entire day.
The sakura season is short lived so it’s a common understanding to get out and enjoy the beauty of this delicate flower while it lasts. For the past two years, we have memorialized the season with photos taken by our friend and photographer, Nizar.
Last year, while we were pregnant with our son, Nizar helped us create pregnancy announcements for our sakura shoot, and this year, we asked for Nizar’s help in capturing our family enjoying the sakura hanami, a springtime tradition here in Japan.
In an effort to have an authentic sakura hanami, I purchased Japanese bento boxes, sandwiches, fruit, cookies, mochi, dango, and other sakura flavored desserts. Rather than Sake, I packed a couple mini bottles of pink champagne to enjoy during our picnic.
During our shoot, Nizar was able to capture some great shots of the kiddos playing in this corner of the park overgrown with yellow Rape Blossoms, the seeds of which are commonly used to make cooking oils.
Summer is so sweet to her baby brother. She picked a flower to give Ryan, and laid down next to him while Nizar was snapping his photo.
They are just too cute!
I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Nizar for her incredible ability to produce gorgeous portraits of our family, even when the children are restless and I surprise her with impromptu lifestyle shoots! We are sad that she and her husband will soon be leaving us to head back to the States, but we are looking forward to seeing her again in the future!
Check out Nizar’s website to learn more about her services, inspiring photography, and online shop with one of a kind pieces from Indonesia!
Does your family have any Springtime traditions?
