Client Spotlight: Lara Mattey, Founder of Ivory Tree Portraits

Lara has been married to her husband Nick for 22 years. They met when she was just 21, and their journey together has included both beautiful milestones and serious challenges. In their early twenties, Nick was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease, a moment that shifted their perspective in a profound way.

“It’s allowed us to really go through life knowing what’s important,” Lara shares. That clarity has shaped how they raise their two daughters, Caitie and Lorelai, and how they spend their time.

Family is everything in the Mattey household. One of Lara’s favorite traditions is Sunday dinner with extended family, sometimes gathering up to fourteen people around the table. There is always music playing, always food being prepared, and always someone stopping by. “Quality time and quality food go hand in hand in our home,” she says. “We always have an open door and full plates. We never know who’s going to pop in.”

In what her niece lovingly calls a “character arc” rather than a midlife crisis, Lara discovered a new love of cooking during the pandemic. Once someone who couldn’t make pasta, she now bakes cookies, bread, and cupcakes with confidence. Chocolate chip cookies are her signature. Her friends know they can pop by and grab one anytime. Even her Concihairge stylist, Cassie, is often sent home with something sweet.

While Lara’s home is filled with warmth and music, her professional life is equally intentional. She is the founder of Ivory Tree Portraits, a newborn and family portrait studio with locations in Wayne on the Main Line and in Newtown in Bucks County.

Ivory Tree Portraits operates with a kid-led philosophy. Lara understands that busy parents need portraits to be easy, consistent, and beautiful. But beyond logistics, her deeper mission is about confidence. In what she describes as an overfiltered world, her studio focuses on helping children feel seen, valued, and comfortable in their own skin.

Her “why” is rooted in something even bigger. As the studio has grown to two locations, Lara has focused intentionally on building a team of women in different seasons of life. Some are fresh out of school. One recently had her first baby. Another returned to the workforce after years of raising children.

“It’s incredibly important to me for people, especially women, to define success for themselves,” she says. “I’m proud to create an environment where personal and professional growth can coexist.”

For Lara, success is not one-size-fits-all. It’s personal. And she creates space for others to define it in their own way.

As a busy mom, caretaker, and business owner, Lara’s mornings are full. While Nick proudly handles early mornings with the girls, Lara balances caregiving, family logistics, and running a growing studio.

Having Cassie from Concihairge come to her residence has been transformative. “To have my hair polished is really important to my being able to get out the door at a reasonable time,” she says. It’s not just about looking put together. It’s about feeling ready to take on the day without sacrificing precious time.

There’s also something deeply personal about the trust built over nearly a decade of appointments. At her last visit, Lara and Cassie were chatting about some hair thinning Lara had noticed. Cassie gently suggested she speak with her doctor. That conversation led to discovering several vitamin deficiencies that were likely contributing to the issue. “I’m very grateful to Cassie,” Lara shares. It was a simple moment of care and attention, but one that made a real difference in her overall health.

For women managing households, careers, and everything in between, convenience is not a luxury. It is support. And sometimes, it is advocacy, too.

Lara and the team at Ivory Tree Portraits are always dreaming up meaningful ways to celebrate the families and women they serve. While we’re not sharing details just yet, stay tuned to our newsletters. There are exciting things coming that you won’t want to miss.

If you’ve been thinking about updating your family portraits or refreshing your professional headshot, now is a beautiful time to start planning.

You can learn more about Lara and her studio at www.IvoryTreePortraits.com and follow along on Instagram at @ivorytreeportraits to be the first to hear what’s next.

Lara lives by a simple but powerful phrase: “Shine Bright.” She calls it out to her daughters and their friends as they head out the door each day. It’s both a reminder and a declaration.

Her current Taylor Swift favorite is “You Need to Calm Down,” which feels fitting for a woman who balances so much with grace and humor.

When it comes to local favorites, Lara swears by Cornerstone for wine recommendations, Renegade Flower Farm for fresh blooms, and a Nuuly subscription for a rotating wardrobe refresh. Mother Denim is her go-to for jeans. She loves Home Appétit Philly for prepared meals, supports her local CSA for seasonal produce, and sources meat from Barbed Wire Farms. And of course, Concihairge keeps her hair looking polished.