How to dress for your family session

Updated: Dec 15, 2021

Family photos are a ton of fun and something you will cherish forever! With your upcoming session you probably have several questions on how to prepare. The most commonly asked question I receive before a family photo session is, "what the heck should we wear?" Once we establish a location you will then plan outfits around the look you're going for. Are we going for something classy and dressy for a downtown session? Are we going more casual in the mountains? We want your outfits to match the environment. You also want to ensure you feel confident in your outfit choice. There is nothing worse than feeling self-conscious or having an outfit that's itchy and uncomfortable.

Planning

My first piece of advice would be is to make sure you give yourself enough time to get your outfits together. The more time you have the less stressed you will be going into your session. Also, if you have small children it won't hurt to have a backup outfit just in case of any accidents or spills. Remember this is going to a fun session of capturing memories you will cherish forever. So don't stress and enjoy the process.

Coordinate your colors

Coordinating your outfit colors can be a challenge but you want to ensure you accomplish a cohesive look for the entire family. Choosing two colors is a great way for everyone to complement one another without looking to overly matching. You also want to ensure that there aren't too many patterns going on. We don't want mom in floral and dad in strips. We also don't want to see polka dots and checkers. Solid colors are a smart way to go so your photos don't look wacky and have too much going on. If one person has a pattern, for example, mom and daughter have floral dresses, then the boys need to stick with solids!

Weather

Being in Colorado we can have sunshine in the morning and a blizzard by sunset. You never know! This will make a world of difference in what you decide to wear. We want to avoid rosy cheeks, chattering teeth and blue lips! A few items that can help with the cold are scarfs, vest, boots and even hand warmers!

Seasons

Every season offers a different color theme! Here is a list I put together to help you chose your outfits!

Spring & Summer

Spring and Summer are a wonderful time of year to take family photos. Pastel colors are definitely a hit this time of year. These colors pop against the gorgeous greenery and floral we have this time of year. Floral dresses are also popular and photograph beautifully with all the spring colors. Khaki shorts and a solid shirt are a great option for men and little boys.

Accessories

Floral head piece

Bows

Sandals

Matching jewelry

Fall

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year to capture family photos! The weather is perfect, the trees are changing colors and the Rocky Mountains are breathtaking. Dark colors work well this time of year.

Here are some great color combos

Rustic Orange and blue

Maroon and black

Black and white

Dark green and orange

Accessories

Scarfs

Boots

Fashion hat

Winter

Winter is a fun time to capture gorgeous photos in the snow, but it is also cold! If you have small children, you will definitely want them bundled up. Kids are also eager to throw snowballs and create snow angels so having gloves and beanies are also important. As you can see the family pictured coordinated their jeans and jacket colors which made the photos look beautiful.

Solid colors photograph beautifully in winter. These photos were taken at the Dillion Ice Castles in Breckenridge Colorado. It was also freezing, but they were able to take their jackets off for short periods of time.

Accessories

Beanies

Gloves

Scarfs