Need help picking the perfect outfit for your family photos?

If you’re anything like me, the thought of crafting perfectly styled outfits for family photos for everyone in your family completely stresses you out! I oftentimes want to quit before getting started. However, in the past year I have found a few things that really help me get a cohesive look and feel in our photos without the stress of “finding the perfect outfit” or having everyone wear khaki and denim – LOL ( you know the photos I’m talking about.) Choosing outfits for family photos is not easy, but these tips will help ease the process.

So here are my TOP 5 TIPS on selecting the right outfits for your family for photos!

1. Pick a color theme!

Start simple. What colors are going to be around you in the shoot? Are you shooting outside? Or inside? Take notice of the colors around you and try to complement them with you outfit selection.

I recommend choosing a one neutral, one main color and one secondary color. For example: you can see in these photos, our color scheme was Navy, cream and brown.

We were shooting outdoors where we have lots of greenery and reds/pinks in the rosebushes and blooms around us. I took this into consideration when picking our photo ready outfits.

2. Decide the types of pieces you will wear.

For me, I wanted these photos to be a little bit fun and more styled than your average pants and shirt. I knew I wanted to wear a jumpsuit or a two piece, my hubby would definitely wear jeans, and I had June’s style in mind for either a dress or two piece combo. Teddy was the wildcard. I styled him last. And thats okay! If you can’t figure out everyone all at once, start with what you do know and then work from there as the rest of the outfits will come together. It is always easier to find outfits for the rest of your family once you have a framework for everyone else!

3. Start shopping early for your family photos!

Oftentimes Pinterest and online shopping can be so overwhelming for me, especially when I just dive right in without knowing what I am looking for.

So this step is crucial to do once you’ve already nailed down a few things.

I’ll then go to pinterest or google and type in something like- ” navy and tan outfits for family photos” or “navy jumpsuit” You can then get a little more concrete ideas about what is out there and available right now.

I like to try things on, so I often look for pieces online and then will go to a store to find something similar. However – If I am planning in advance then I’m definitely a big fan of just ordering a ton of stuff online, trying it on at home and sending back what doesn’t work! Shopping and planning ahead will help make the outfit selection easier when planning for the perfect family photos.

4. Add some interest!

Once you’ve got everyone’s outfits roughly outlined and decided upon up the visual interest of your photos by adding detail pieces or props.

Some examples include: Hats, fun shoes, one person wears a flowy skirt or twirly dress, add a quirky print shirt or cuff the sleeves, etc.  Matching flower crowns are beautiful pieces for mother daughter shoots ( or really anytime!) Holding a bouquet of flowers is also a immediate interest and color booster!

5. Get comfortable!

Make sure that everyone feels good and comfortable in their outfits. If you’re not comfortable or confident it will show in the family photos. A confident smile is the best accessory to capture in your family photos. So try to be yourself and wear what you love! So keep this in consideration when selecting outfits for your family photo session.

There is also a really great website that I recommend for photographers to use who are helping their clients choose outfits. It’s called Honeytree Style and Select and does all the guesswork of picking out perfectly coordinated pieces for the whole family! They provide the direct links to shop right from their page. It’s a bit pricey for just a one-off photoshoot, but if you’re a photographer it would be well worth the investment. ( $150 for the year!)

Hope these tip help you and your family look photo ready on shoot day! I’d love to know, what are your favorite tips for styling your family for their Leave them in the comments below.

Looking for some tips on how to take better photos with your kiddos? Check out these tips on how to take Instagram worthy self timer photos with your kids.