what to wear: family photos

We had Bella Life take our first family photos with baby Lawton a few weeks ago and I’m loving how they turned out! Choosing coordinating outfits for pics is tough. And it was especially challenging this time since I don’t yet fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes. I thought I’d share some helpful “rules” that I follow when picking out group photo outfits.

1. Choose your outfit first.

Since you probably planned the photoshoot, you should feel happy about what you’re wearing! In my case, I was feeling self-conscious about my post-baby body and nothing fit. I found this charcoal midi dress at Zara used it as my starting point.

2. Limit patterns.

Stick to mostly solid color outfits. Different textures are fine, but mixing multiple patterns can make the pics feel busy. I fell in love with Denton’s sweater and so it became the one patterned piece.

3. Coordinating, not matchy-matchy.

The outfits should color-coordinate with each other, but not be matchy-matchy. In this case, I used the colors from Denton’s sweater as the palate. The rust color shows up in my shoes, Lawton’s blanket, and Pavel’s shoes and belt. The cream is repeated in Lawton’s onesie, and the light-gray in Pavel’s sweater.

4. Weather and venue appropriate.

Consider your surroundings. Don’t wear a sundress in the snow, or a ski outfit to the beach. And similarly, don’t have one person in shorts and a t-shirt and another in a sweater and jeans.

5. Plan ahead.

A few days before the photoshoot, make sure the outfits are clean and set aside. This will make sure they’re ready to go for picture day! It sounds silly, but when trying to get everyone dressed and out the door on time, you’ll be glad you did.