STORY | AMSTERDAM

Two Moms in Amsterdam, with Their Daughter on the Canals

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Updated 3 November 2026

Two moms kissing on a canal bridge in Amsterdam while their curly-haired daughter in denim overalls stands between them

Jess and Dana, two moms from the US, spent a summer week in Amsterdam with their daughter, Hazel. At home, one of them is always the one holding the phone, so this time they wanted photos with all three of them in the frame.

I welcome all families equally, and their walk shows how my family photoshoots in Amsterdam work. I choose the spots and guide the hour together with the parents, while the little ones mostly get to play.

Two Moms and a Swing

We met on a quiet square under tall trees, paved with old bricks. Dana wore a long blush-pink dress, Jess a navy shirt with tiny white dots, and Hazel denim overalls and purple glasses. First, the three of them simply walked toward me, hand in hand.

Family walking hand in hand across a tree-lined brick square, a little girl in purple glasses between her mom in pink and her mom in navy

Then came a game Hazel clearly knew by heart. “One, two, three!” and her moms swung her between them. She landed laughing every time and asked for more, so we kept going.

Two moms swinging their laughing daughter between them on the herringbone bricks of a square under tall Amsterdam trees — A tree-lined square paved in a herringbone pattern

Canal Bridges in the Summer Sun

On the bridges, the trees threw patches of shade across the water. Hazel climbed onto Jess’s hip, and Dana held on to her little foot. For one frame, I asked all three to stand at the railing hand in hand. Hazel stood still for exactly as long as we needed.

Little girl on her mom's hip at a bridge railing while her other mom holds her foot, small boats and green trees along the canal

A little farther on, an old black bike leaned against the railing. Hazel planted herself beside it with one knee up and a big grin, as if the bike were hers.

Hand in hand at an iron bridge railing over an Amsterdam canal, two moms with their daughter in the middle

Curly-haired girl in denim overalls grinning beside an old black bike with a brown saddle, propped against a canal railing

Behind them stood a red canal house with a white bell gable. There, in the middle of Amsterdam, the two moms shared a kiss while Hazel stood between them and looked straight at me: that frame opens this story. Moments later, Hazel leaned in to kiss Dana on the cheek, with an arched stone bridge behind them.

Girl leaning in to kiss her mom's cheek while her other mom smiles, an arched stone bridge over the canal in warm light behind them

A Moment for the Two Moms

In a side street with climbing roses, Dana lifted Hazel onto her shoulders, and both threw their arms wide. Jess walked alongside, laughing. Then Hazel found a weathered wooden bench in front of white shutters and sat down for a good giggle.

Mom in a long blush-pink dress carrying her daughter on her shoulders down a street with climbing roses, both arms wide

Little girl with curly hair and purple glasses giggling with a finger in her mouth on a weathered wooden bench by white shutters

Next, I gave Jess and Dana a minute of their own in front of a dark green door with iron curls in its windows. They leaned in, forehead to forehead, eyes closed. Amsterdam has long felt like a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ families: the Netherlands was the first country in the world to open marriage to same-sex couples.

Forehead to forehead with eyes closed, two moms stand before a dark green Amsterdam door with wrought-iron panels

Side by side in front of a green canal-house door, two moms smiling, one in a blush-pink dress, one in a navy dotted shirt — A dark green canal-house door with iron panels

Funny Faces and a Front Stoop

Along a pale wooden house front lined with bikes, Hazel had an idea: funny faces. All three pulled the same surprised “oh!” For me, that frame says more about this family than any polite smile.

Family of three pulling the same surprised face in front of a pale wooden house front, bicycles parked along the wall

We ended on the stoop of a canal house, next to a planter of yellow and orange flowers. Jess and Dana sat down, and Hazel stood behind them with an arm around each mom. For a second she looked very serious, and then she burst out laughing.

On the stoop of an Amsterdam canal house, two moms sit with their daughter behind them, her arms around their shoulders

Ask Hazel for her favorite photo of her two moms in Amsterdam, and she will point at the funny faces. Traveling with a little one yourself? My guide to a photoshoot with little kids shares what really helps.

Visiting Amsterdam as a family? Discover how my family photoshoots in Amsterdam work.