Easy Family Photo Outfits That Actually Coordinate
After years of family photos, I still use the same simple trick: I dress myself first, then build everyone else’s outfits around mine. Here’s how I coordinate our family without making everyone match.
(This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Disclaimer for more information)
I’ve been planning our family’s outfits for photos for more than a decade, and there’s one trick I started using years ago that I still follow every single time:
I dress myself first.
It sounds almost too simple, but it completely changed how I coordinate family photo outfits. Instead of staring at four closets trying to figure out how everyone’s clothes will work together, I choose something I feel good wearing and build the rest of the family’s outfits around it.
From there, I pull colors from my outfit, shop everyone’s closets first and fill in only the pieces we’re missing.
We’ve taken a lot of family photos over the years, and I’ve also learned a few things about making the actual photo session easier. So if you’re trying to figure out what everyone should wear without turning family photos into another stressful project, here’s the system I still use.
An Easier Way to Plan Family Photo Outfits
Quick & Simple Family Photo Outfits
I hope these simple tips help you coordinate a whole family’s worth of outfits quickly!
My #1 Trick: Dress Yourself First
I originally started doing this more than a decade ago, and I still dress myself first every time we take family photos.
Why?
Because I’m usually the person trying to coordinate everyone else’s clothes. If I start with the kids, I can easily end up choosing something for myself at the very end that I don’t really love.
Instead, I find an outfit that I feel comfortable and confident wearing. Then I look at the colors, textures and overall style of my outfit and use those as the starting point for everyone else.
If I’m wearing a patterned dress, for example, I might pull two or three colors from the pattern for the rest of the family. If I’m wearing something neutral, I can add color through the kids’ shirts, Jordan’s shirt or accessories.
It turns four separate outfit decisions into one starting point and a few smaller decisions.
And 13 years later, it’s still the easiest way I’ve found to coordinate our family.
Bonus tip—
If you’re debating about which shoes or accessories to wear, take a photo before your mini session. I purposefully bought this burgundy dress and cardigan to go with my knee boots. However, once I put them all on together, I did not love it as much as I thought it would.
You can see right away what looks better and it’s one less thing to worry about on the day of the mini session!
My Easy Formula for Coordinating Family Photo Outfits
Once I’ve chosen my outfit, I don’t try to make everyone match. Instead, I use a simple formula:
1. Pick 2–3 Main Colors
Pull them from the outfit you’ve already chosen or from the location where you’re taking photos.
2. Add Neutrals
Denim, cream, white, tan, gray, navy and black make it much easier to pull everyone’s outfits together.
3. Mix in Texture
Sweaters, denim, corduroy, knits, vests and other textures keep everyone from looking like they’re wearing the same outfit.
4. Use Patterns Sparingly
One or two patterned pieces can give you a color palette to work from. Everyone doesn’t need to wear plaid just because it’s fall.
5. Step Back and Look at Everything Together
Lay the outfits on your bed or hang them next to each other. If one piece immediately grabs your attention for the wrong reason, swap it before photo day.
Choose Clothes Your Family Will Actually Wear
Before you buy anything new, shop everyone’s closets.
Family photos are not the best time to convince your child to wear stiff pants, uncomfortable shoes, or an itchy sweater they’ve already told you they hate.
Start with things your family already wears: jeans, khakis, dresses, button-down shirts, sweaters and shoes. Then fill in only the pieces you actually need to coordinate everything.
I also try to buy things they’ll wear again. If I’m buying an entire outfit that will never leave the closet after our 20-minute photo session, it’s probably not the right choice.
Comfort matters in photos because uncomfortable people usually look uncomfortable. I’d rather have everyone relaxed and happy in clothes that feel like them than perfectly coordinated outfits everyone hates wearing.
If you do need to go shopping, you can do it completely online! I feel a little silly sharing this with you, but in the photo below, I bought everything online and during a lunch break. I didn’t have the time to run around town or in multiple stores this year.
Here are my favorite stores for family photo outfits:
Easy Fall Family Photo Outfit Ideas
Fall is when we take many of our family photos, and it’s also one of the easiest seasons for coordinating outfits because you can use layers and texture to pull everything together.
Some easy combinations to start with:
- Cream + Denim + Camel + Burgundy
- Navy + Cream + Rust + Denim
- Olive + Cream + Tan + Denim
- Burgundy + Navy + Gray + Cream
- Camel + Black + Cream + Denim
You don’t need every person wearing every color. Think of the palette as a guide instead.
One person might wear a burgundy dress, someone else a cream sweater with jeans, another person navy, and the fourth a camel jacket. The colors repeat just enough to make everyone look coordinated without looking like you bought matching outfits.
How to Make Family Photo Day Less Stressful
We all know family photo mini sessions can be a flurry of activity in just 20 minutes. But you can still plan to have the smoothest session, even if you feel like it went by way too quick!
Choose a Photographer Whose Style You Love
If you don’t already have a favorite photographer, do some research before you schedule a mini session with one. Ask others in your local Facebook groups about who they recommend. Then, check out their Instagram accounts to see if you like their photo styles!
Once you find one that you like, ask if they have any mini sessions available.
If they haven’t already mentioned it, be sure to find out how many edited images you should expect and if you have the ability to print off your own photos for the future.
Bring Snacks
We all need a little motivation to do things we may not want to do, right? If adults need this, wouldn’t kids do too?
After having two toddlers who didn’t like to cooperate, I learned that having a small snack ready was the key to making our sessions go way better than expected.
Plus, big smiles make fun pictures, even if they aren’t perfectly posed!
What motivates your family?
Could you motivate your family’s cooperation with a pizza dinner after photos, snacks, screen time, or extra video game time?
Consider the time of day
Oh… this is one where I have learned the hard way… never schedule a mini session right before lunch. Without snacks. #rookieMistake
If you have a bunch of morning people, consider asking for a morning photoshoot! We did one once right before we went out for breakfast! [The photos above] It was early, the ground was a little foggy, but it made for some great photos.
If you want a pretty sunset, ask your photographer about scheduling something for the “Golden Hour.” The Golden Hour is generally the hour leading up to sunset. In the photo above, we shot it at 4:30 in the evening in November.
When you choose your next mini session time, don’t think about what time sounds okay, consider the time that works best for your family and their personalities. You don’t want to miss naptime, lunch, or cause any extra stress!
Tell Your Photographer Which Photos Matter
At the end of your session, would you feel disappointed if you didn’t get a certain pose? If so, be sure to communicate that before you start your mini session. It’s so easy to forget mid-way through the session and then all of a sudden, your time is up.
For us, I always like to request a photo of Jordan & myself. It’s so rare that we actually get a photo together, without a little person draped over us!
Let the Candid Photos Happen
When you’re looking through your photos, I completely understand that you want to see smiling faces and everyone looking at the camera at the same time! However, embrace the photos that happen in-between formal poses. Your photographer may catch some classic photos that are truly a “real life” photo over a staged one.
And that’s okay.
If you can step back from needing every shot to be perfect, it will make your photo session must less stressful. After all, the camera doesn’t record the complaints, the whining, or the occasional frown.
13 Years Later, I Still Use the Same Outfit Trick
Family photos don’t need perfectly matching outfits or hours of planning. Start with something you feel good wearing, build the rest of the family’s outfits around it and let everyone still look like themselves. I’ve been using this same simple trick for more than a decade, and it still works. Because years from now, you probably won’t remember whether everyone’s outfits coordinated perfectly. You’ll just be glad you have the photos.
Hi, I’m Brittany, and I believe life at home should feel easier, not heavier.
I’m the creator of Our Home Made Easy, a space for busy women who want dinner on the table, their homes running smoothly, and a little breathing room at the end of the day.
You won’t find perfection here, just realistic recipes, smart shortcuts, and simple routines that work in real life. The kind that help you feed your family well, stay organized enough, and still have time to actually enjoy it.
If you’re juggling work, kids, schedules, and everything in between, you’re in the right place. I’m so glad you’re here.
