How to dress for a family photoshoot

We recently had our family photos done for the first time in almost six years, and I am beyond thrilled with how they turned out! I happen to be lucky enough to be friends with a very talented photographer (and fellow military wife), who brought us out while the cherry trees were blooming a couple of weeks ago, and I love the results! I’m a fan of a more contemporary style for photoshoots, where the kids are acting natural and there is less of a “posed” look. I also love some of the dreamy overlays she did on some of our photos, it’s different and unique and right up my alley;)

While getting our clothes together for this shoot I found myself browsing Pinterest for outfit ideas and thought I would share what I found and what I did when styling my family for these photos.

1) Since I didn’t want to buy a whole bunch of new clothes, I looked in our closets and found that we all had a good amount of blue things to wear, so this was the color palette I went for. I wanted a mix of color and pattern for visual interest, so each one of us either had a shade of blue, or a pattern with blue in it. (Though looking back, I would have switched out my denim jacket for a blue floral kimono!)

The kids also went wild picking the dandelions in the orchard that day, and I love the pop of yellow that unintentionally appears throughout. If you aren’t going to but new things, look at what you already have in abundance and work with that. Don’t be afraid to let your kids be unique either! My daughter loves floral crowns, so we both wore one. My son prefers to be casual, so I threw a polo and simple shorts on him and kept him really casual. I tried to keep logos and anything commercial out of the mix as well, this helped keep the photos more timeless.

2) Something you can also think about when choosing a color palette for your photos is to look at your own decor. These pictures will most likely be featured in a prominent way in your living space, and you want to make sure they mix well. I have a lot of places in my home that have a paler, beachy vibe, as well as a living room that has some fun pops of color. I know these photos will fit in my living room and match my current decor, which is important (and something I hadn’t thought of before!)

3) Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone! I realize that getting your family photos can be expensive, but it’s okay to take a risk when it comes to style. Mix some unexpected colors together (aqua and mustard! pink and red!), and try to avoid the cliche blue jeans and white tee look (been there, done that!) Show off what makes your family unique by including fun props in the shoot, too. I loved that my photographer brought along a couple of unique items for the kids to play with. You can bring along these things as well, maybe a fun blanket to sit on, or a beautiful bouquet of flowers that coordinates your look. Something I have also found while taking my own blog photos is that bolder colors and accessories tend to work better. A bright lip on me, as well as clothes that can be manipulated for poses (pockets so you can do something with your hands, a long and flowy skirt to twirl around in!) helps make you feel more comfortable, and really shows up on film. If necessary, take cell phone photos beforehand in the outfits you plan on posing in to see if your vision is really what shows up on camera. You’d be surprised by what shows up sometimes, as well as what doesn’t always look the way you envision.