Choosing Outfits for Family Holiday Photos

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The weather is changing and fall is in full swing. That means we’re 6 weeks (give or take) from ordering holiday cards. I love taking photos and because my first (and usually 2nd, 3rd ad 4th) attempt don’t always go as planned, I start early on thinking about a good family photo. It’s not just for the sake of the cards but more for knowing that once a year I am going to really try and get a good shot of everyone looking at the camera. Below are some outfit picks and tips for taking holiday photos:

Family Photos

Whether it’s because of the holiday cards to be made or just the lovely fall scenery, I think this time of year is very popular for having family photos taken outside. We haven’t had a family photo taken outdoors since Maggie was 9 months old. I’ve been wanting to for a few years, but it seems like every fall I’m pregnant and figure we should wait until this newest family member joins us to get the photos taken. So this year we’re finally doing it!  When we had photos taken when Maggie was 9 months old, it was a lot easier to plan the outfits. Plus, she was an easy going baby and actually let me change her outfit mid photo shoot so I ended up with a ton of options for which photo to print.

This time, after scheduling our family photos, I realized I had no idea how to dress 6 people for a photo shoot. I love matching clothes for the kids, but all 4 matching seemed like a bit much. I asked a fellow blogger, Ashely, who is also a family photographer for suggestions. She said to “Try to stick with four or less colors. I start with the kids and then figure out my husband and myself last.” She also suggested:  “Pick three different textures (so suede, denim and flannel for example) or (corduroy, denim and cotton, etc)…”.  Another friend also suggested thinking about where in the house you might want to hang the photo. With all of this in mind, I got to work. Here’s what I came up with:

I knew I wanted some yellow and some plaid. I already had this plaid Mini Boden dress for the girls and realized they had the same plaid in a shirt (for Alex) that I could pair with the skirt. Then I pulled colors from the plaid for the rest of the family. Most of the items are from Boden and Mini Boden. Tom’s sweater is J. Crew and Miles will have a white tee shirt from Baby Gap. I hope it goes well!

Sibling Photos

People always ask where I get the kids their matching clothes and monogrammed clothes. I’ve tried many different places over the years. I love kids clothes and really enjoy special, monogrammed outfits for holidays. Also, if you follow this site and social media, it’s no secret that I love matching siblings. I’ve been getting the girls matching outfits for years and this year I get to pick out matching “brother” outfits for the first time. After years of dresses, I am having a blast with boy clothes. My favorite spot for sibling outfits and monogrammed outfits is The Beaufort Bonnet Company.

I got Miles a special monogrammed outfit from The Beaufort Bonnet Company for his Baptism and he wore it all the time this summer. It was so sweet and so well made. I also got him one of their monogrammed bonnets. Alex had one when she was a baby and I was so happy to see they had them for little boys too.

I picked out these adorable coordinating plaid outfits for them for the holidays. The girls have red corduroy dresses that still fit them from last year that will match well with them too. I like finding coordinating outfits like this that are the same pattern but different styles. The Beaufort Bonnet Company has so many great sibling options. I like patterns like plaid because they look nice for outdoor photos or you can stick them on a solid color chair in the living room and still get a great photo.

Another Easy Option

Two years in a row I have gotten great photos of the kids in their winter coats. Instead of buying festive, matching outfits, I got cute hats and gloves that matched their coats. We took the photos outside and the warm coats seemed to make the photos look very winter/ holiday. Having them in their coats while you’re buying a Christmas Tree makes for a great photo!

Last, but not least:

If you’re really struggling with outfit choices: stop. Just take a fun family photo and make it black and white. Then if everyone is in red and green but your persistent 3 year old princess insists on hot pink, you don’t have to worry.

Have fun and take some photos you’ll cherish for years to come.

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