FAMILY:

Deciding what family photo outfits to wear can be just as challenging as finding the perfect photographer. These are photos you are going to hang on your walls and cherish for years to come. 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.

Long gone are the days of everyone wearing a white shirt and matching. Please don’t have to have everyone buy a white shirt and jeans. Allow personalities to shine with colors and patterns. Pick a couple of colors and choose clothes that will fit in this color scheme.

Look at your home decor

This may seem odd. What does your home decor have to do with family picture outfits? A lot actually.

Do you like bright colors? Neutrals? Since you will be hanging these photos in your house you want to make sure the colors of your clothes go with the color scheme of your home.

Walk around your home and think about where will you display these photos? If they are going in the living room look at the colors in there. Do you have bright decorative pillows or more of a neutral palette?

Don’t forget accessories to go with your family picture outfits

Accessories not only add to your outfit, but they can be fun to use in photos.  Remember the idea is not to create these perfect photos. Family photos are a time to capture who your family is at that time. Consider some of the following, a fun scarf, cute coat, or stylish hat, ties, jewelry, shoes and so much more. The possibilities are endless.

Limit patterns

Personally, I enjoy having an outfit in the mix that has all the colors in it. However, not everyone in the photo should wear patterns as it may distract the final image.  Consider picking one outfit for your family photos that has a lot of colors or fun pattern. Choose that outfit first. This gives you plenty of colors to choose from to pick your coordinating colors.

Look for clothing collections

When shopping for clothes for my kids, I head to stores that typically have color coordinating collections. (ie:  Target, Old navy, H&M) You can then purchase clothes for all the children from one store.  Don’t be afraid to lay all the clothes on the floor of the store to see what they will look like together.

Plan ahead for your family photo outfits

Once you book your session, start thinking what to wear for family photos right away. You may think certain clothes will fit your kids or that one dress is clean. If you wait until the day of or day before you may run into an issue of clothes not fitting, being dirty or need to be dry cleaned.  Consider the weather also when choosing these outfits, depending on the time of year, our weather can be very unpredictable.  A cold child is not a happy child, so possibly bringing a sweater or jean jacket to go along as well.

Say no to characters

Yes, your little one may love their Toy Story shirt, but you may want to skip it for the family photo session. Just like patterns, characters on shirts can be pretty distracting. Characters, like too many patterns, can make your photo look too busy.  Also remember this with men's logo shirts.

Textures are your friend

I am a huge fan of a cotton fitted shirt. However, in photographs I like to add textures like scarves or belts to add a little more to the image. Don’t shy away from different textures.

By adding different textures through the material of your family outfits or your accessories you are adding depth and interest to your photos.

Consider your background

Depending on whether or not you chose the studio or an on-location session, keep in mind the scenery of your choice.  For example:  Beach - sandles, shorts, sundresses, hats.  Cooler tones like blues & greens and even adding in pops of coral.

Think classic for what to wear in family photos

These photos will be hanging on your walls and treasured for years to come. By choosing simple, classic clothes you will help give your images a timeless feel.

I hope this was really helpful, but if you are still very stuck... don't hesitate to ask for help.  I don't even mind if you text me with photos of what you have : )

Maternity: Styles Perfect to Highlight your Bump

Engagement Photos:

Stumped on what to wear for your engagement photos? You're not alone. As these sentimental images will appear on everything from your save-the-dates and wedding website to the walls of your first home, it's important to put together looks that feel 100 percent you.

4. Tie Everything Together with a Color Scheme

Once you have an idea of what colors you'll be wearing in your engagement shoot, consider how that color will translate throughout the entire album. You want to create synergy, rather than have the final result look like a jumbled collection of images. For example, if you love light blue, you can wear this as a dress or a jumpsuit.  Then have your partner incorporate the same hue in a later look during the shoot to tie everything together without being overly matchy-matchy.

5. Incorporate at Least One Accessory

Accessories, such as a stylish scarf or chunky necklace, can lend oomph to any engagement look. Plus, they're easy to slip on and off, which means you'll be able to style a variety of looks. Adding in at least one accessory per outfit for the ladies, and wearing layers of clothing for the guys, are two things that photograph well because it adds more visual interest to their looks and, as a result, to the images.

6. Opt for Classic Rather Than Trendy Looks

You may love that black-and-white maxi dress now, but next year you may only be reminded of a referee when you see yourself in head-to-toe stripes. I always recommend looks that will remain timeless, rather than outfits that could make your images feel dated a few years down the road.

7. Stick with Two Outfits

Don't fall victim to treating your engagement session as a full-fledged fashion photo shoot. You're going to have a million wedding photos where you're all dolled up and looking gorgeous.  These are the pictures where you get to remember who you are at the end of the day when it's only the two of you. Two outfits are more than enough to reflect this in couples, and it ensures you won't spend your entire engagement session in a rush to change into the next set of clothes.

8. Garner Inspiration from Throwback Photos

Browse through old photos of you and your partner together, as well as individually. Now pick out the absolute best aspects of those pictures (perhaps, it's a pose you love or a gorgeous backdrop) and create a mood board on Pinterest to start planning the direction of your engagement shoot. Seeing what makes sense and what you're into will help give you some guidance.  Do you go hiking or camping a lot?  Do you love long walks on the beach?  Are you attending baseball games together?  Tell us and we can help bring these things to life in your session.

9. Create Visual Interest with Unexpected Pairings

Attention-grabbing fabrics (think: lace, knit leather, etc.) into a couple's engagement session outfits. These elements add a ton of visual texture, which in turn brings more warmth to your images. Plus, they'll work well with whatever scenery you decide on.

10. Use a Rental Subscription

On a budget, but want to snag a designer wardrobe? We get it. These photos are meant to last the test of time, and your engagement is deemed special enough of an occasion to warrant the purchase of a gorgeous designer piece. If you're really just buying the piece for the photoshoot, however, you might consider renting from a site/subscription service like Rent the Runway or Le Tote. Both options make it easy (and more affordable) to access high-end looks that you may only wear once.

11. Think About the Season

Bikinis won't work for a winter engagement session lol, and a cowl neck scarf doesn't work in the summer. Take advantage of the season you're in by styling a look that's in tune with the climate and location.