Family of four walking hand-in-hand on a wooden bridge surrounded by lush green trees in warm sunlight.

Family Style Guide

Planning your family’s outfits might feel overwhelming, but don’t worry—I’m here to help. The right outfits can make your images feel polished, timeless, and full of personality without looking overly “matchy.”

In this guide, you’ll find simple tips, current trends, and outfit inspiration to help you feel confident and photo-ready for your spring or summer session.

Family of five walking on a park path, parents with three young girls in colorful dresses enjoying a sunny outdoor stroll.

Happy family of four smiling outdoors in a flower garden, parents holding two young boys in a warm, candid portrait.

Family of four posing in a lush garden with colorful flowers, smiling outdoors on a sunny day.

My Best Tips

Complement, don’t match.

Choose colors that work well together instead of everyone wearing the same exact thing. Coordinated tones always photograph better than identical outfits. Try googling "summer color palette" and see which colors fit well with others.

Choose texture and detail over busy patterns.

Linen, eyelet, knits, gauze, smocking, crochet, and denim add beautiful visual interest without distracting from your faces. I love outfits with ties, buttons and layers to create visual interest.

Use prints sparingly.

Florals and subtle stripes can be great—just keep them to one or two family members.

Stick with soft or earthy colors. Think creams, sage, dusty blue, blush, terracotta, soft yellow, muted lavender, and warm neutrals.

Fit matters most.

Choose pieces that fit well, flatter your body, and feel comfortable enough to move, sit, cuddle, and play in.

Family of four posing in a sunflower field, parents kissing children in golden light.

Happy family of four posing outdoors in a wildflower meadow at golden hour, parents holding two young children.

Happy family of four poses outdoors in a lush green garden, parents smiling with young boy and girl.

Step by Step

1. Pick mom’s outfit first.

I always recommend starting with mom's outfit. Find something you love, and that fits you well. If you have small children think about how you'll be moving and carrying them during your session- a cute cap sleeve might be more flattering than a spaghetti strap when you're wrangling a toddler!

2. Pull colors from mom’s outfit.

Choose 2–4 complementing colors and mix in neutrals like navy, tan or denim.

3. Add texture and layers.

A light cardigan, button-up shirt, linen overshirt, or layered jewelry can add depth and style.

4. Keep shoes simple.

Neutral sandals, bare feet, flats, ankle boots, or clean sneakers work best. Avoid athletic shoes if possible.

5. Hang everything up ahead of time.

Wrinkles, tags, and missing socks love to show up on photo day.

Family outfit collage featuring blue girl dress, pink cowboy boots, floral maxi dress, rust jumpsuit, olive men's shirt, and blue boy's shir

A family coordinated outfit collage featuring pink lace dress, denim shirtdress, boys shirts, baby romper, overalls, and accessories.