You found your dream photographer, picked the date, and set up your shoot… now it’s time to make the two most important decisions location and outfits. These things will have the biggest impact on the final images you will receive. If you love your outfits and feel good in them the chances are you’ll love your session as well! This is where I would lean in and listen to your photographers opinions on color choices. Make sure you are comfortable, never pick an outfit that you can barely move in because that discomfort if going to come through in the images.

Colors are so important!! You’ll want to go together but that doesn’t mean that you’re stuck to only one color choice. I always start with moms outfit, she is the queen of our shoot and most of the time the one who set it up and can often be the most difficult outfit to find. I recently had my own family photos taken and I started with my dress first. I had to consider what overall look did I want? How did I want to feel? The answer for me is simple, I like drama and boho so I knew this extra long lace dress would fit perfectly for me. It has lots of texture and interest while still being a solid simple cream color and that gave me endless options for the rest of my family.

Now that I know I want boho and have set the stage with my own dress I can move onto the next. I knew that for my son I wanted him in overalls because it’s such a timeless look for me and he likes them so there would be no fight over it! (Added bonus!) I searched and found the perfect pair, light muslin fabric, think texture and comfort, in a mint green! Since I have the start of my color palate and I know I can find a pattern to work in. Having at least one pattern always adds some visual interest but it’s also going to add to your color choices!

I searched for some patterned sundresses for my daughter and settled on one that was mint green with little yellow, deep green, and white flowers. I picked the deep green from the flowers to decide on dads outfit and add some depth of color since the rest of us has very light colors. A simple and classic polo or button up is always going to look on dad! My husband likes polos so he got a deep green polo and brown slacks to complete the look.

All together I think it took me about an hour to decide on pieces I loved! When you find one piece at a time the process can be really quick and you’ll end up loving the finished product!! Remember your outfit choices matter and are there to set the stage for what your final image will look like. Look through your favorite photographers work and see if there’s photos that you keep looking at, what colors are they wearing? This will help you find a good starting point for what you may see yourself in.