You’ve found a photographer, you’ve nailed down a date, and now the hard part—how to dress your family. Chances are, if you have gone to this effort and you are reading this blog, you are probably the mom. One way to start—find what makes you feel comfortable and beautiful, and plan your family’s wardrobe around that!
Here are a few other considerations you may want to keep in mind:
1). Coordinate Instead of Match:
If you’re planning a picture for 20 people, it’s simplest to say, “Everyone in white shirts with blue jeans.” But if you’re dressing your immediate family, it pays to put a little more thought into the wardrobe. A very simple approach is to work with neutral colors with just one pop of color. If you want to incorporate more color but aren’t sure how, you may want to check out this website to help you think about color schemes: Learn the Basics of Color Theory to Know What Looks Good.
2). What Will You Do With The Pictures?
If you plan to print the pictures and hang them in your home, you may want to think about the colors you’ve already chosen to decorate. Or will they be in an album that will be on a coffee table or shelf? Then maybe think about your family’s eye colors and what will compliment your family best.
3). What Is The Location and The Season?
If you’re doing pictures with me, you'll want to think about our beautiful Colorado backdrop. Right now, in the early fall, the goldenrod is a striking deep yellow and the grass is glittering golden. You can really enhance your final image by incorporating those backdrop elements into your color scheme.
4). The Details:
Accessories are a great way to coordinate or add a pop of color: a cute vest for a little boy, a soft scarf for mom, a bow on a baby girl.
Try to avoid shirts or hats with graphics on them—they can be distracting rather than harmonizing.
Footwear can be a challenge. For the outdoor locations I like to use, mom should be in simple shoes like sandals or flats (or cute boots, if you feel confident in them); we'll do a bit of walking during the shoot.
Please know that my goal with these tips is only to provide some guidance and not to stress anyone out! These are not rules, by any means, they’re just ideas. I truly believe what is most beautiful about your family is your love for each other and your connections to one another—how you dress it up is just the icing on the cake.
Have more questions? Contact me.