I know, I know. It’s only September. But holiday card photo time is creeping up on us, and I wanted to get this post out there in plenty of time for everyone. One of our most asked questions from friends, family, and blog readers alike is, “Do you have any pointers for what to wear for family photos?” Since we take family photos at least once a month… we absolutely do!
So here are our top 5 tips for what to wear for family photos.
What To Wear For Family Photos:
1.) Think about where you are shooting. The background of your photos should complement the outfits you decide to wear. If you’re shooting with a bunch of greenery, we love navys, deep reds and mustards. If you have a beauty backdrop, we love neutrals. If you’re shooting at home, we think you keep it simple and wear jammies or what you usually would.
2.) Don’t get too matchy matchy. Even though we both have some 90s family photos with everyone in black turtlenecks and jeans (who has those from their childhood???!?! BE HONEST!!) family photos have come a long way since then. Now, our favorite family photos are when families look coordinated, but not perfectly matching.
For fall and the holidays – we think that emerald green, navy, khaki and burgundy look amazing together. And don’t be afraid to play with patterns. we think that stripes and plaids are SO fun for fall. We always love crisp whites and neutrals. For a winter shoot we think it’s beautiful to play off the background. One year, we shot mid December in a snow covered field in classic neutrals, and I LOVE the way those photos turned out.
3.) Think about the feeling you want the shoot to have. Are you going for fall preppy? Maybe you’re like Ashley and Joe and you’re going for urban chic. Or do you want your photos to look mountain holiday? Or maybe you’re like us, and you are sending out Christmas cards with summer photos on them because those turned out best. It is what it is. Whatever the case may be – think about what feeling you want your shoot to have.
4.) Don’t forget a good blanket – or the props you might need. Every year the blanket we bring to our family photo shoot is the MVP. Before we had kids, it was a buffalo check blanket that we sat on with our the pup, Henry. Two years ago it was a navy and emerald green tartan blanket from LLBean. This year, it was the throw from our living room because the kids were melting down in the front yard. 🙂 Also – SO many cute holiday shoots now include twinkly lights, picnic baskets, mugs of hot cocoa, pumpkins, pinecones… etc. Getting creative can be super fun if you put in the time.
5.) Be true to you – and your family – and your kids. I like family photos that speak to the people in them – and I think photos always come out better when you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing. So when you’re thinking about what to wear for family photos – think of what you would wear on a normal day – and go from there!
One last thing. Even though you may have picked out the perfect outfits…. just expect that your shoot may not go as planned… especially if you have young kids. {Or in our case, 3 young kids.} I always tell our photographer, Kourtney, that she has 10 minutes… yes… 10 minutes to get the shot. Anything more than that and my kids are running wild and have officially lost it. So move quickly, be prepared, hope for the best – and if all else fails – flip your kid upside down to get them to smile.
Life isn’t perfect, but hopefully the tips above will help you make your next family photoshoot a success.
My main thing with holiday cards is to BE YOURSELF. Do what is authentic and true to your family.
My Favorite Places To Shop For Holiday Family Photos:
Seriously THE best matching family PJS in the whole wide world. We did their penguin jammies for our holiday photos one year! You can see that photo >>> here.
I LOVE JCrew Factory for classic styles for the WHOLE family!
I LOVE Old Navy for basics for the whole family. They have adorable outerwear options that are easy to mix and match — and they have AWESOME inexpensive PJ options as well!
For the guys – you just cannot beat Bonobos for their classic shirting and chinos options!
I have a couple of different places on Amazon that I LOVE to shop for myself and for the kids. I LOVE these sweaters for me. They are PERFECT for any neutral photoshoot you are doing. I also LOVE this brand for the littles. They have amazing holiday dresses for girls – I just ordered Caroline a TON from here!
