What to Wear for Family Portraits

It happens every year.  The first leaf turns orange, falls to the ground and MOMS start to panic. It's not just pumpkin spice latte's, Halloween and cozy sweaters, it's the number one time of year to have FAMILY PICTURES MADE!

October 15th rolls around, the leaves are changing, Christmas suddenly feels much closer than it did a week ago, and parents everywhere have the same realization:

We don't have an updated family portrait.

You need a beautiful photograph for your Christmas cards. Grandparents would love updated portraits for Christmas gifts. And when you look around your home, you realize the family portrait hanging on the wall is several years—and several inches of growth spurts—out of date.

That's exactly why I love fall family portraits.

You can create beautiful images for Christmas cards and gifts without making your session feel Christmas. Because while matching Christmas pajamas and holiday sets are fun, you may not necessarily want a giant portrait of your family dressed for Christmas hanging over the sofa in July.

Wether you are planning a session on beautiful Pine Mountain in Whitesburg KY, Hillside Knot and Venue in Knott County, or Downtown in Hazard, Ky, fall gives us the best of both worlds.

You get gorgeous seasonal color, beautiful clothing options and updated family portraits that can become artwork you'll enjoy in your home all year long.

Mom, Choose Your Family Portrait Outfit First

This is probably the most important advice I give families when they're deciding what to wear for family portraits:

Mom, pick your outfit first.

So often, Mom starts by finding something adorable for the kids. Then she figures out what Dad is going to wear. And somewhere at the very end of the process, she starts digging through her own closet trying to find something that works with everyone else.

Let's do that backward.

Choose something that you feel beautiful in first.

Maybe that's a long flowing dress, a beautiful skirt and blouse, or your favorite pair of jeans with a top you know looks fantastic on you. The exact outfit matters less than how you feel wearing it.

When you feel confident and comfortable, it shows in your portraits.

Once we've found Mom's outfit, we can build everyone else's clothing around it.

Coordinate Your Family Portrait Outfits—Don't Match, But can often use same colors on top

There was a time when family portraits meant everyone showed up wearing the exact same shirt.

We've moved on. 😉

Instead of matching, I want your family's clothing to coordinate.

Start with two or three complementary colors and let those colors appear throughout everyone's outfits in different ways.

For fall portraits, I love rich colors such as:

• Turquoise and deep teal
• Magenta, berry and wine
• Mustard and warm gold
• Rust and terracotta
• Olive and forest green
• Camel, cream and warm neutrals
• Denim

Imagine Mom in a beautiful magenta dress. Her daughter might wear a soft floral dress that includes touches of magenta and mustard. Dad could wear jeans with a neutral button-down, while a little boy wears mustard, navy or denim.

Nobody matches exactly, but when you put everyone together, it feels intentional.

That's what we're looking for.

Dresses, Skirts, Jeans & Textures for Fall Portraits

Fall gives us so many opportunities to add texture to family portraits.

Long dresses and skirts photograph beautifully because they create movement. Denim brings in a relaxed texture. Sweaters, knits, corduroy, jackets and layered fabrics can add dimension without distracting from your family.

The goal isn't to make everyone look like they're attending the same event.

It's to create enough variety that the portrait feels interesting while still looking cohesive.

One person might be a little dressier while another wears jeans. That's completely fine as long as the colors, textures and overall feeling work together.

Plan Your Family Portrait Outfits With Your Walls in Mind

This is something families don't always consider when choosing their clothing.

Where will these portraits eventually live?

Your Christmas cards will be enjoyed for a few weeks.

Your wall portraits could be enjoyed for decades.

If you're planning a large family portrait for your living room, think about the colors and style already in that room. If your home is filled with warm neutrals and natural textures, we can choose clothing that complements that space. If you love richer colors in your home, we can incorporate those into your wardrobe.

Your family portrait doesn't need to perfectly match your sofa—but it should feel like it belongs in your home.

That's one reason I love planning clothing with the finished artwork in mind rather than treating wardrobe as an afterthought.

WHAT NOT TO WEAR FOR FALL FAMILY PORTRAITS

When I look at your family portrait, I want my eyes to go to you.

Large logos, neon colors, extremely busy patterns and distracting graphics can pull attention away from faces.

That doesn't mean everyone has to wear solid colors. A beautiful floral dress or subtle pattern can actually be the perfect starting point for coordinating the rest of the family.

The trick is balance.

If Mom's dress has a gorgeous pattern, we might pull colors from it and use simpler pieces for everyone else.

Your Fall Family Portraits Should Still Look Like You

The best family portrait wardrobe isn't a costume.

If your family is relaxed and casual, you don't suddenly need to become a formal family for picture day. And if you love dressing up, this is the perfect excuse to do exactly that.

I want your portraits to feel elevated and beautifully styled—but I also want your children to look at them years from now and recognize the family they remember.

That's where thoughtful styling makes such a difference.

AND WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS, PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS? HOW TO DRESS YOUR CHILDREN FOR FALL FAMILY PORTRAITS IS ALSO IMPORTANT 

Once you have determined what you are going to wear, you are going to need some inspiration for other family members. 

Keep in mind the ages of all other people in portrait, your children, parents and grandparents.

Here are some successful outfits for styling the entire family.

WHAT ABOUT WHAT TO WEAR FOR THOSE LARGE FAMILY PORTRAITS? 

My best advice is to break your wardrobe down per individual family in a group text or email and just have everyone stay within a color scheme! 

Don't Wait Until October 15th

And now we're back to where we started.

Don't wake up in the middle of October, look at the calendar and suddenly realize you need family portraits, Christmas cards and gifts for the grandparents.

Fall portrait dates can fill quickly, and giving ourselves a little extra time means we can plan everything intentionally—from your family's clothing to the artwork you want to create for your home.

Whether you're coming from Hazard or elsewhere in Eastern Kentucky, fall is one of my favorite times to create a family portrait that serves two purposes: something beautiful to share during the holidays and something meaningful to enjoy on your walls all year long.

Because the Christmas card may only stay on the refrigerator for a season.

Your family portrait is meant to last much longer.