Are you stressed about how to dress your family for fall family photos? Do you have some ideas for what you’d like to wear but not sure how to pull it all together? This styling guide is filled with helpful tips to help inspire you and take some of the guesswork out of dressing your family.

Family Holding hands as they walk through woods

Eight Tips to Keep in Mind When Deciding What To Wear for Fall Family Photos

Start Planning Your Family’s Outfits Early

I had a photoshoot last year in which the mother told me that she didn’t realize her daughter had outgrown the dress she was planning on having her wear until several hours before their session. She had to make a mad dash to the mall to find another dress for her daughter that coordinated with the rest of the family. Fortunately, she found a dress that worked and they still made it to their session on time, but there is no reason to put yourself through that stress! Believe me, your session will sneak up on you and then all the sudden you will be the one rushing around in a panic trying to plan outfits for your whole family. Make sure you avoid all the stress by planning everything out well in advance. This also means TRYING EVERYTHING ON well in advance. Even if everything looks good together the outfits need to fit each family member well.

2. Consider the Location of your Photoshoot

This is a big one for me. As a photographer I really like things to make sense and to not look out of place. It’s the whole reason you won’t ever find me putting a fancy couch in the middle of a field and then photographing families on it…. furniture doesn’t belong in the middle of a field (just my personal opinion 😉)! It’s the same with your wardrobe choices. Your fanciest attire might make sense for a photo session at the Duke Mansion with its fancy chandeliers and black and white tile floors, but would look strangely out of place in a relaxed in-home session. Really consider where your photo session will take place and make sure your outfits match the location.

3. Start with One Outfit (Your own!)

Often times, as mothers we are so busy planning and doing for everyone else that we leave ourselves as the afterthought. It’s the reason that I almost without fail forget to eat breakfast every morning… I’m so busy getting my kids dressed and fed and out the door I totally forget to feed myself. If you don’t make yourself the priority, you will end up dressing your whole family and then making your own outfit a last minute decision you don’t really love. I encourage you to take a few hours, get a babysitter, and go shopping. Try out some of the local boutiques in Charlotte, NC. Sloan Boutique and KK Bloom are great places to start. If you aren’t much of an in-person shopper then spend some time online. Look at websites like Nordstrom, Zara, Baltic Born, and Anthropology. The point is, find something that feels, looks, and fits amazing! If you show up to your session and don’t feel good about what you are wearing, it will put a damper on the whole shoot.

Here’s a couple things to consider when thinking about your own outfit…

Balance a flowy top with a more fitted bottom or vice versa. I know that very loose, flowy dresses are very trendy at this time, but I would recommend staying away from them for your photo session.
Consider bra and panty lines. Find undergarments that work well with your chosen outfit. You don’t want to be pulling at a bra strap the whole session.
Pick colors that are neutral, soft, or muted. (i.e. instead of wearing primary red, burgundy would be a better choice)
Be yourself. Don’t try too hard to follow trends if it doesn’t feel right for YOU. You want to aim for an elevated version of yourself. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t.

4. Select a Fall Color Palette

Remember that amazing outfit you just picked out for yourself? Now take the color(s) from that outfit and plan out a color palette for the rest of your family. The possibilities are really endless here, but because we are planning around the fall, it can be helpful to use the color of the leaves this time of year as your inspiration. Also, pick a color palette with around 4 colors. This could be a palette of all neutrals or a palette of a few neutrals with a few brighter colors as well. I know that this part can be really intimidating for some people. If you are feeling stuck, you can go on Pinterest and search “family photos color palette.” This will give you plenty of ideas. You can also go on to another photographer’s portfolio page, like mine HERE, and study the colors worn in some of your favorite photos.

5. Coordinate your outfits. Don’t match them.

Remember how I encouraged you to select a palette with around 4 colors? That’s to help you not fall into the trap of dressing everyone in the same color or two. You want your outfits to look effortless good together, you don’t want them to look totally forced. Just stick with your color palette and don’t get too obsessed about repeating a certain color or two in everyone’s outfit. Remember, just because you have on a mustard dress doesn’t mean that your daughter has to have a mustard color bow in her hair and the your son has to have on a mustard color t-shirt. Also, don’t worry about popping in a color or two that isn’t in your original plan. If it’s a neutral color, it shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Brother and Sister Sitting on Outdoor Steps

6. Use Layer, Textures, and Pattern in Your Clothing Choices

Don’t be afraid to mix it up a little bit by playing with layers, texture, and pattern. They all play an important part in adding a lot of visual interest to your photos and elevating your style. Some good examples of layers are suspenders for boys, a vest for dad, and a cardigan or shawl for mom. Play with texture by adding in Faux fur, chunky knits, or chambray. Also, adding in a bit of subtle pattern, perhaps in a floral dress for mom or daughter and/or a subtly patterned dress shirt for dad can ensure that not everyone is wearing one solid color. (Just be sure to avoid pattern that is too bold. That can take the focus away from your family members.)

7. Don’t Neglect Planning out Your Footwear

This can be an overlooked part of the process, but you don’t want to be stuck the morning of your session with nothing to wear on your feet! Boots, sandals, leather shoes, dress sneakers, and neutral slip-ons work well. Heels can look very nice on women and elongate their legs, but do consider your location if you are thinking about wearing heels. (At least bring a backup pair of shoes!). Please avoid bright white shoes, athletic shoes, shoes with neon or bright colors, and sparkly/light-up shoes for kids. I always recommend bare feet for at-home sessions and some outdoor locations can warrant bare feet as well!

8. Consider the Weather

If you have lived in Charlotte, NC for any extended period of time you will know that our seasons are anything but consistent. October can bring chilly temperatures with a crispness in the air or we can still be sweating it out in 80 + degree temperatures with a humidity of 1000%. Y’all, the humidity can be UNREAL during some of my so-called “fall” sessions. I have had several sessions in which I felt SO sorry for the family I was photographing because they showed up in their fall “best” only to be met with outrageous heat. My recommendation is to dress in layers and have a backup plan in case the weather turns cooler or warmer than you expected. Maybe those knee-high boots you were going to wear can change to sandals if the weather is unexpectedly warm. Maybe you can add a cardigan to your daughters dress is the weather is unexpectedly cool.

5 Things to Avoid When Dressing Your Family for a Fall Family Photos

Neon Colors or Colors that Are Overly Saturated

Neon and overly bright, saturated colors can take away from the focus of your session… your family! Neon colors should be avoided altogether and if you are considering a primary color such as red, you can always substitute a more muted version of the same color by going with a burgundy instead. Or how about selecting a dusty rose over a bright pink?

2. Bright White or Black

Bright white can REALLY reflect the sun. On a sunny day a bright white dress or shirt can be so reflective that it overpowers the faces of the people you want the focus to be on. Try a cream or off-white instead of bright white. Black (and at times navy) can be, well, too black. Some photographers ask for no black at all. I don’t mind a bit of black here and there, but I would avoid wearing large amounts of it.

3. Wrinkles

I avoid my iron and ironing board like the plague. Ironing is one of my LEAST favorite things to do on this planet. BUT, even if you hate to iron also, I implore you to at least get out your ironing board for your photo session! Yes, wrinkles do show up in photos and, no, I can’t spend hours upon hours trying to Photoshop out the wrinkles in your shirt in every image. Also, if you or a family member is planning on wearing a garment that you know will easily wrinkle, consider changing into it once you arrive at your session. Even a quick car trip can easily wrinkle some fabrics. Or even better yet, just avoid clothing that easily wrinkles altogether!

4. Transitional Lenses

Traditional eye glasses aren’t an issue and if you wear them regularly you can wear them to your session if you desire. But, transitional lenses can be very problematic when shooting a session outdoors. Because of their ability to darken, they can completely hide the eyes of the wearer. If you wear transitional lenses please refrain from wearing them during your session.

5. Athletic Shoes

Rarely, if ever, do athletic shoes work well in photographs. They, often times, can distract from a well put-together outfit. Even if you or your kids wear athletic shoes on the regular, this is one time in which you will probably want to make a different selection.

Family of seven walking through the grass

Fall Family Outfit Ideas

Below are a few inspiration photos for ideas for how to style your family. If you get really stuck when planning your own outfits, don’t hesitate to reach out to your photographer. They are there to help and guide you!