What To Wear For Your Next Family Session

Family Photography Tips

What to Wear for Your Family Photography Session

Choosing what to wear for your family photos can feel overwhelming - but it doesn't have to be.

Your session isn't about everyone looking perfectly coordinated or following a strict set of rules. It's about capturing your family as you are: the connection, the laughter, the little hands, the quiet moments, and everything in between.

With a few thoughtful choices, you can create outfits that photograph beautifully while still feeling comfortable and completely like yourselves.

Start With a Feeling, Not a Color

Before you start picking out individual outfits, think about how you want your photos to feel.

Do you want them to feel timeless and classic? Soft and romantic? Light, bright, and airy?

Once you figure that part out, choosing everyone’s outfits gets a whole lot easier!

For a timeless + classic look:

Think soft neutrals, creams, warm tans, muted blues, subtle greens, and other natural colors. Keep patterns simple and choose pieces that won’t feel overly trendy a few years from now.

For a soft + romantic look:

This is where you can bring in those really soft, feminine colors and textures. Think dusty pinks, soft mauves, creams, warm blush tones, delicate florals, flowy dresses, linen, lace, and little details that add some movement and romance.

For a light + airy look:

Keep everything light! Whites, creams, ivory, light beige, soft pink, pale blue, and other really light pastels photograph beautifully. I’d stay away from really dark colors or heavy patterns here—the lighter and softer your outfits are, the more they’ll help create that bright, airy feeling.

And remember, everyone doesn’t need to match. Actually, I’d rather you didn’t! 😂 Instead, pick a few colors that look really pretty together and build everyone’s outfits around those. Maybe that’s cream, warm beige, soft brown, and a muted blue. Then mix in different shades, fabrics, and textures so everyone looks like they belong together without looking too “matchy.”

Think coordinating, not matching.

Add Texture

This is one of my favorite little tricks when putting outfits together! Adding different textures can make such a difference in photos without making your outfits feel too busy.

Think linen, chunky knits, soft sweaters, flowy dresses, denim, cotton, or even a little bit of lace.

You don’t need a ton of it either. Something as simple as a flowy linen dress, a cozy knit sweater, or a textured cardigan can add just enough interest while still keeping the focus on your family.

Keep Patterns Simple

You absolutely can wear patterns! I just recommend keeping them on the softer, simpler side.

Small florals, subtle stripes, and delicate patterns can photograph beautifully. I’d stay away from big logos, graphics, neon colors, or anything really bold and busy because they can start to take attention away from the people in the photo.

A little trick if you’re not sure: look at the outfit and ask yourself, What do I notice first—the person or their clothes?

If your eyes immediately go to the outfit, I’d probably simplify it a little.

Think About the Location

Your location can also help you decide what everyone should wear.

If we’re at the beach, I love soft colors, flowy fabrics, bare feet, and anything that moves beautifully in the breeze.

If we’re somewhere surrounded by fields, mountains, or lots of greenery, creams, warm neutrals, soft earth tones, and natural textures look so pretty.

And for a studio session, we can keep things really simple and timeless with soft, neutral colors and fewer layers or patterns.

You definitely don’t have to figure all of this out by yourself, though! When we’re planning your session, we always look at your location and the overall feel you’re going for and put everything together from there.

Comfort Matters—Especially for Little Ones

If your kiddos are uncomfortable in what they’re wearing, trust me, we’re probably going to know. 😂

Choose things they can actually be kids in. They should be able to run, play, snuggle, sit on the ground, and move around without you constantly having to fix their clothes.

And please don’t stress if they get a little dirty during the session! Grass stains, bare feet, messy hair... sometimes that’s just part of having little kids.

I would much rather photograph your child running around having the best time than have everyone stressed about keeping an outfit perfectly clean.

Don't Forget the Details

Once you have everyone’s main outfits figured out, take a quick look at the little things too.

Shoes, socks, jewelry, hair bows, cardigans, jackets—all those tiny details can make a difference.

You don’t need to overthink any of it! Just try to choose things that go with the overall look instead of distracting from it. And depending on where we’re shooting, we might just ditch the shoes altogether and let those little toes be free. 🤍

AND MAMA, PLEASE DON’T LEAVE YOURSELF FOR LAST

I know how easy it is to do this.

You find the cutest outfit for your daughter, figure out what your son is wearing, make sure your husband has something that coordinates... and then suddenly you’re standing in your closet the night before wondering what in the world you’re going to wear. 😂



So this time, start with yourself!

Find something that you feel really good in. Something comfortable that you aren’t going to be adjusting or worrying about the entire session. I personally love flowy dresses because they photograph beautifully and add so much movement, but ultimately, I want you to wear something that makes you feel like you. You don’t have to look perfect. Your kids certainly aren’t expecting you to.

They just want their mama.

BUT HERE’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART...

At the end of the day, I promise you aren’t going to look back at these photos and think about whether everyone’s outfits coordinated perfectly.

You’re going to notice your little one’s hand wrapped around yours.

You’re going to see those tiny arms around your neck, the way your kids made each other laugh, and the way your husband looked at you when you weren’t paying attention. That’s the good stuff.

The outfits help everything come together beautifully, but they’re really just the background.

Your family is the story.

And you don’t have to figure all of this out on your own!

When you book a session with me, I’ll help you with the details so you can show up feeling good, love on your people, and actually enjoy having your photos taken. Ready to Tell Your Family's Story?