How to dress for family photos

photo by Hooton Images

Thank you so much for your response to yesterday’s gender reveal! It was such a relief to finally be able to share the secret we’ve been keeping for the past two months.

Ironically, I found out yesterday that yet another pregnant friend is having a girl around the same time that I’m due. That’s four baby girls due in early 2014… and counting! Le sigh. I guess our little dude will have his pick of girlfriends!

It was also exciting to post the family photos we took in early November. Not only did we get some blog-worthy photos during that shoot, but we also got a fantastic family shot to use for our New Year’s card. For the third year in a row we’ll be ordering them from Minted, my go-to source for photo cards.

From a creative standpoint, I completely trusted our photographer Heather from Hooton Images to execute my vision with the giant balloon. I was mostly concerned about what to wear! I may be able to dress myself, but I’m no stylist, and creating a cohesive look for a group of people is not my specialty.

color palette via Color Collective

Luckily, Heather had some tips for how to dress for family photos. Here’s what I learned from her:

1. It’s OK to cheat! You don’t have to create a color scheme out of thin air. Heather suggested we browse Color Collective for inspiration, but you can also check out Design Seeds and DeGraeve for possible color palettes. When I found one I liked, I pillaged our closets for pieces of clothing in those five colors.

2. You usually can’t go wrong picking three colors and pairing them with a neutral. We actually used grey as our neutral, but white or black are always a good choices.

3. Create texture by layering and mixing fabrics. Think blazers, skirts with tights, and scarves. It’s also fun to pair different patterns together, but keep some people in solids to balance the look.

images via 1) La Petite Peach 2) 100 Layer Cake-let 3) Oh Joy 4) 100 Layer Cake-let

4. Make sure you’re all equally dressy or casual. For example, Dad shouldn’t be wearing a suit if Mom is in leggings and the kids are sporting jeans. Choose complementary styles for the entire family (and while you’re at it, be sure to dress appropriately for the season!).

5. Spend some time on Pinterest browsing family photos. Identify what you like and don’t like about each family’s wardrobe. But whatever you do, don’t replicate those awful photos from the 80s or 90s of your whole family wearing black turtlenecks with khakis!

6. When in doubt, ask your photographer for color palette and wardrobe suggestions. I even emailed Heather photos of our outfits for her approval ahead of time!

I’m curious: When was the last time you had a family photo taken? Will you be sending out a photo card for the holidays?

P.S. Last year’s family photo drama and how Minted helped me decorate for my sister’s baby shower.

This post is in partnership with Minted. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to bring creative content to the blog.