What to Wear to Your Family Portrait Session

We’re so excited to have Lucy of Lucy Miller Photography, Greensboro, NC photographer, here to talk to us about how to pull together cohesive, beautiful outfits for family portraits!

When asking clients what is their biggest stressor when preparing for a family session, figuring out what to wear is the number one answer.

Let’s face it, trying to figure out what your family is wearing for photos can be daunting and overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. You just have to start with one outfit and build upon that. This is why I created a client wardrobe. Because a lot of times, it is hard to know where to start. Using my client wardrobe is a great way to start the process of figuring out what your entire family is wearing!

Again, focusing on one main outfit and building on that is KEY. When I start to piece family photo outfits together, I usually start with the mom. I want her to be wearing something that she feels pretty and comfortable in first, and then I can build on that. I can help you decide what dress from my client wardrobe looks best and feels best for you, then all the other outfits fall into place!

For example, for me in one of our recent family shoots, I knew that I wanted a long, flowy dress in a neutral color. Looking through my personal wardrobe, I found a dress that I felt comfortable in. Then I was able to pick through what my husband and son had in their closets. So I then decided to put my husband in darker khaki pants and a white long sleeved polo. My son was a little harder to figure out, but eventually, put something together that coordinated. Once I looked at everything side by side, I saw how cohesive they looked with one another, and I loved it!

It took a lot of trial and error to come up with this, but it all started with my dress. Whether it’s your daughter’s dress, your shirt, etc… Always start with one person’s outfit and go from there.

It’s also important to remember is to keep it clean and simple, relaxed and comfortable. Keep outfits free of distractions, that way we can focus all of our time on your family and the connection you have with one another. I have a whole Pinterest board with inspiration for what to wear for the whole family.

My hope in adding the client wardrobe to my portrait sessions is that it will ease some stress for my clients. Especially for maternity clients; it can be hard to justify purchasing something that you’ll likely only wear once or twice because you are only pregnant for a short time. New moms also benefit from the client wardrobe for lifestyle newborn sessions because it can be hard to find something flattering and also pretty after your baby is born.

My client wardrobe contains dresses in multiple styles, colors, and sizes. Typically when booking a session, your photographer will give you direction on what to wear. If not, ask them! If you have ever worked with me, you know that it’s a question I always ask before a session. I love it when my clients text me pictures of what they are thinking about wearing, and if anything needs to be changed, then I give my professional opinion. I want to help this sometimes stressful task to be a little easier, and curate a color scheme that you love. I hope these ideas help you with your upcoming family shoots!

Thank you, Lucy, for sharing your insight with us! You can follow Lucy here: website & Instagram.

*Photos from Lucy’s Motherhood Mini Sessions at McAlister-Leftwich House.