1. Start the Outfit-Planning Group Chat

I am going to go out on a limb here and say you should just include the ladies in this one. Grandma, Mom, daughters, daughters-in-law, etc. They can communicate with their husbands/partners/children with big decisions, but the Pinterest inspo links and the clothes laid out on the bed photos will probably go over better in a smaller chat!

2. Choose One Base Color

Choose the main color that is going to serve as a solid base for everyone. I always recommend Blue! It’s universally well-loved and everyone owns a pair of blue jeans so you’re already starting out on a win! Plus, here in WNC, especially in the Spring/Summer/Fall, there are a lot of other colors going on (pink and yellow flowers, green grass and trees, orange and red fall leaves, etc) so you already know you’re not going to blend in with the background.

3. Choose a Pop of Color

Choose an additional color that you know will look nice with blue! If you are more of a fan of neutrals, this could be a color like brown! If you want something a little more colorful, try a dusty pink, a golden yellow or an olive green. This will open up your outfit choices and accessory choices and keep everyone from blending in to one giant ocean of blue.

4. Toss in Some Neutrals

Fill in any gaps with neutrals like cream or khaki. Sometimes a pure white can be a little harsh, so leaning towards cream or even ivory can help soften up the look a little bit.

5. Play with Patterns

I know adding patterns can feel scary sometimes, but adding these in can make your photos so much fun!

Here are a few tips for doing patterns well:

• Choose larger patterns/prints (like quarter-sized or bigger)
  • Small patterns (like thin stripes, small printed gingham, etc) can photograph oddly. If you’re not sure about a pattern, try looking at it from far away and see how well the details are visible.
• Consider having 1-2 person from each family unit wear a pattern and the rest in solids (if 2 people are in patterns, choose 2 different types of patterns (Ex: 1 plaid and 1 floral)
• If you have a little one who you already know you will likely be holding in most photos, prioritize coordinating (not matching) with them

6. Prioritize the Mamas

Make sure the mamas like what they’re wearing! I typically recommend moms to start out with what they want to wear, choosing a color/style/pattern that makes them feel pretty and then building the family’s outfits from there. This may not be true for every family, but typically it’s the moms who care the most about how they look in their photos so it’s beneficial to start with them!

7. Coordinating Over Matching

If you’ve already bought matching outfits for the kids, I’m not saying you need to return them and start from scratch. But I do recommend coordinating the kids instead of matching them exactly!