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Family Picture Outfits

Step-by-step guide on how to choose your family outfits.

I always hear from my clients that coordinating family outfits is the hardest thing to do! They always have a ton of questions and second guess themselves when they don’t need to. This is completely normal! You are planning ahead which takes a ton of the stress off of the photoshoot. If this is the night before your photoshoot…take a deep breath, we’ve got this! I am going to help you coordinate beautiful family outfits that you will feel confident in.

To help my clients I created a Portrait Session Style Guide. Book a session with me here to get access to my Portrait Session Style Guide.

How to choose a color palette for more coordinated outfits

Softer color pallets look beautiful in any indoor or outdoor location. Muted blues, soft pinks, and sophisticated neutral colors like white, cream, leather brown, and heather grey look amazing on camera. Select soft colors with solid or simple patterns. Avoid bold colors or busy patterns that are distracting—those will keep the attention away from your family and your connection with each other. No matter the season or the scenery, beautiful muted colors complement any setting.

Should I choose Mom’s outfit first for family photos?

When choosing family outfits, I always suggest starting with one outfit first. This outfit generally tends to be the mom’s outfit. In family photos, women should always say “YES” to the dress.  Long, flowy dresses and skirts are the most flattering outfit for any body type! They are very flattering on camera and allow movement in the photos. Fabrics like tulle and chiffon move well and are very elegant, especially through a lens. 

When choosing your dress, consider if you have little kids you will be bending down and playing with or what you want from your dress. I love choosing dresses that hide my arms, so I tend to choose loose or three-quarter length sleeves. Heels are a great way to elongate your legs and help with posture. I can’t stress this enough though, dresses are amazing on camera! 

If you need additional reasoning to consider dressing up, family pictures is a great time to add your dream dress and accessories to your wardrobe. Have you ever pictured wearing a romantic gown, a floral crown, or a statement hat? This is the time to do it! Dressing up for your photos or adding statement pieces can make your photos look editorial and beautiful. There is no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to family photos.

Choosing specific outfits for the rest of the family members

When choosing outfits for the rest of the family, keep in mind the softer color palette suggestions from above: Muted blues, soft pinks, and sophisticated neutral colors like white, cream, leather brown, and heather grey. One thing I love about family outfits is that they don’t have to perfectly match! In fact, avoiding matchy-matchy outfits brings more of a visual interest to the photos. Think of putting everyone in their own dominant color and tying it in with accent colors. A dominant color covers the most amount of area, while an accent color covers a smaller area. 

For example, the mom might wear a flowy white dress, brown fedora hat, and nude closed toed heels (making white the dominant color). Dad might wear a navy coat with a white button-down, grey slacks, and brown leather shoes (making navy and grey the dominant colors). Sister could wear a flowy light tulle dress ending at her knees, white shoes, and a pink bow (making light blue the dominant color), while brother wears a light blue button-down with light beige slacks and leather brown suspenders (making blue the dominant color). For babies, make sure the outfit is fitted and isn’t too big. Loose clothing that is too big can bunch up or cover part of the baby’s face when holding them. Family outfits can be fun and creative. Make sure to dress them up!

One store I love picking outfits from for the family is Roolee. I list other recommendations where I’ve seen the best photo-quality clothing below. 

Should the family choose sample pictures from Pinterest before the shoot, and show the photographer if they want something specific?

Yes and no. I am more than happy to look at it, but you also don’t have to stress about making a Pinterest board. You chose me because I am a professional, have lots of experience with family portraits, and because I love what I do. I am going to try and get all of the poses and groupings you can think of. Let me take away the stress of planning the photo session. Just come ready to make memories. If you have one or two amazing shots that you absolutely want re-created, then yes! Show your photographer. Photo sessions are an experience and an investment, and you want to get the most of it.

Before my sessions, I send out a questionnaire asking about your family. At this time, definitely let me know of any needs you have. One family had their grandparents come from China that they hadn’t seen in 3 years. They wanted the focal point to be on them and I was so grateful to know this before the photo session.

Tips for a good photo session

For any photo session, express to your family the “why.” Explain to your spouse why it is important to you. In times where it’s hard to explain why, I always rate how important it is to me on a scale of one to ten. Have a conversation with your kids. Tell them a few days before the shoot, “We are going to take pictures with my friend Taynee! She’s so excited to meet you! We are going to have lots of fun with her and smile big for her!” Then over the next few days, practice your smiles and talk about your photographer friend Taynee. I once had a client refer to me as auntie Taynee to her son. Let’s just say we were best friends right from the moment we met!

With kiddos, young or old, bribes and snacks are always a good idea. Remember to use snacks like gummies or crackers that won’t make your kid’s faces messy. These snacks are a great option because we can give them one or two in between each pose. Then, as a fun treat for your family, take them out to ice cream after the photo session and make it a family tradition they will love.

As far as the photo session, I’ve got this! We are going to have an amazing time and laugh a lot! Once you get to the photo shoot location, you’ve made it! Sit back and let me get those amazing natural smiles from your family.

What to avoid in pictures

Throughout the article I have talked about what to wear and what not to wear. In summary, avoid bright colors, logos, and distracting patterns. Plaid and small checkered patterns can be very distracting in photographs. Remember to dress it up and come ready to have fun.

Favorite stores to shop for family session outfits

There are a lot of amazing places to shop for family outfits. There are so many amazing boutiques, malls, and specialty shops. But that can also make it overwhelming. So here is a list of some of my favorite places to shop for photography outfits:

• Roolee
• Morning Lavender
• VICI
• Zara
• Brooks Brothers 

Family photo sessions can be so fun! Dress it up and make it a family outing. Plan your outfits ahead of time, and come ready to make memories.