There are many schools of thought when it comes to what to wear to a photoshoot.  Do you wear all matching clothes?  All white on top with denim on the bottom?  Do you go all fancy? How about something comfortable and casual?  Or just all wear mismatched outfits and hope for the best?

Well…on our last family vacation, we went with the latter.  I just didn’t prepare well enough in advance, and with all the COVID-19 restrictions, I wasn’t really excited about trying to find fun, cute outfits at the store.  And shopping online has proven quite difficult for me.  I seem to always buy the wrong size or style the first time, and end up sending the items back.

So for this trip, our outfits for our family photo were unplanned and uncoordinated.  I decided that we almost always get a pretty cute picture for our Christmas card photos in our planned outfits that blend pretty well together, so I just wasn’t going to stress about this picture.

I had the kids put on shorts, a t-shirt that they liked, and a baseball cap.  Shoes were not necessary (see above photo). They were actually a little bit excited about this picture (which they usually are not).  Mostly because this picture was being taken at the beach in Florida, but also because it did not require uncomfortable khaki or denim shorts/pants, and because we were all wearing hats, their hair did not matter. Zero stress…

We were set!  Now we just had to wait for the sun to start setting and find a nice spot on the beach. But that still leaves the question for most people who aren’t at the beach:  What should I wear to my photoshoot?  

Well, there are many things to consider before you make this decision.  Where will the photoshoot be happening?  How many people?  Boys?  Girls?  Or a mix.  What are you planning to use the photos for?  A holiday card?  A graduation announcement?  Or a formal, framed print for your home?  

All of these things should be taken into consideration.  And when you’re thinking about these things, just remember…it is more important to get the pictures taken than to match each other! I have spent many hours stressing over what my kiddos should wear for our Christmas card photoshoots for many years.

I have found that in my house, for my crew, it is much easier to pick out my outfit and my daughter’s at the same time – I always try to make sure ours have a color in common or at least blend together. The boys are much easier – they are almost always in jeans and a nice shirt. Simple! We just make sure that the boys’ shirts don’t clash with our outfits.

From the pictures above, you can see that once I pick my outfit (or my daughter’s), I have our main color, and then the rest of us just need to blend in. She is really the only one who has a strong opinion about what she wears in our photos (especially now that she’s a ‘tween’), so getting her outfit right is the most important.

It took me a while (many years), but I finally realized that the outfit is the least important part of the photo. It’s much more important to actually get a picture of your family or kids – even if their outfits aren’t matching! If your outfits match and look all coordinated, that’s great, but sometimes the unplanned ones are my favorites.

You know…the ones where there is at least one kid not looking, their shirt is untucked, and their hair is messed up? We’ve all experienced those photoshoots before.

But the absolute most important thing to keep in mind when you’re planning a photoshoot, is to make sure that everyone in the picture is wearing something they are comfortable in. If you are not comfortable in your clothes, it will show in the photos. So don’t buy a new dress for the picture that you’ve never worn before.

Especially if you don’t normally wear dresses. If you are a jeans and t-shirt person (like me), you should probably try to find some nice, comfy jeans and a nice t-shirt to wear for your photoshoot! Besides…I think photos are more fun when they actually reflect your personality and stage in life…

As you can see from the family photos above, this was another occasion where getting the picture was more important than stressing over having the perfect outfits. This was Easter during COVID-19! We watched church from bed and no one wanted to dress up. So this is it – our family Easter photo from Easter 2020!

Goodluck picking out your outfits! If you have a style or way to pick out clothes that has worked for your family photoshoots in the past, please share it! Just remember…be comfortable and don’t stress out. It’s more important to get the picture!

I’d love to help you with your family photos when you’re ready. Just let me know.

Until next time…