Deciding what to wear can be just as challenging as finding the the perfect time to take family photos or finding the perfect photographer. These are photos you are going to hang on your walls and cherish for years to come. This is one of the most common complaints I hear when chatting with moms about a family photo session (the most common is the desire to lose x pounds – but we’ll save more on that for a different blog post). It can seem overwhelming when considering what to wear but it doesn’t need to be.
Whether you are looking for fall family photo outfits or beach family picture outfits use these tips to help you pick out the perfect outfits for you and your family.
Do Not Match, Coordinate instead!
We’ve moved beyond the days of everyone wearing the exact same color top and pants & matching. Allow individual personalities to shine with colors and minimal patterns.
Begin with choosing a color palette, again not matching colors. Set the outfit choices based on this color scheme. It doesn’t have to be difficult – light or dark, choose a broad theme, and go from there. This will ensure each family member retains their unique style while looking good as a unit. The point is for your family to fit together and for no one to stick out in a bad way. Not every color fits or works for every person! Just relax, and above all else, be comfortable. The emotion in your photos is essential to everyone looking right.
Look at your home decor
This may seem off, what does your home decor have to do with family photo outfits? Well, a lot actually.
Do you like bright colors? Neutrals? The ultimate result of the photo session is for you to have pictures to hang your house. So you want to make sure the colors of your family outfits compliment the color scheme of your home.
Limit patterns
I really do enjoy having an outfit in group that has all the colors in it. However, I highly recommend that not everyone in the photo wear a pattern as it can be distracting and take away from the members in the photo.
Consider picking one outfit for your family that has a lot of colors or a fun pattern. This gives you plenty of colors to choose from to pick your coordinating color scheme.
Look for clothing collections
When deciding on where to buy outfits for for my kids, I prefer to go to stores that typically have color coordinating collections. This way I can purchase clothes for my kids from one store.
I’ve had a lot of luck at Target, Children’s Place, Old Navy… Lay all the clothes on the floor or table of the store, this way you can see what they will look like together. Want a second opinion?! Just shoot me a text with some pictures and I can give some input.
Plan ahead for your family photo outfits
Start thinking what to wear for family photos as soon as you book your session. Double check the ones you are considering if you already have them, try not to wait until the day of or day before you may run into an issue of clothes not fitting, or being dirty.
Think classic for what to wear in family photos
By choosing simple, classic clothes you will help give your images a timeless feel. These photos will be hanging on your walls and treasured for years to come. We want faces and kids sizes to help you remember what year, not so much the outfits.
Season & Session Location can influence color tones too.
Fall is the most popular time of year to get family photos, especially in Florida! Most of my clients prefer for the somewhat cooler temperatures to help avoid the glisten of sweating in the Florida summer heat. Consider the tones of the season for fall pictures.
A popular location to get family photos done is at the beach. Again, avoid the desire to wear matching family outfits like all white shirts. Instead, while at the beach consider wearing cooler tones like blues & greens and even adding in pops of coral.
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