What To Wear For Your First Family Photography Session

6 Ideas On What To Wear For Your First Family Photography Session

I am a little bias – but I believe that scheduling family portraits is something that all families should do on a regular basis. At least once a year 🙂 If you have never taken family portraits. Or it has been a while since your last session, picking the right outfits is a good place to start. Here are six ideas on what to wear for your first family photography session.

Make Sure To Plan Ahead

what to wear for your first family photography session

Before you decide on what to wear, the VERY first thing to do is to plan ahead. I recommend scheduling your family photography session at least a couple of weeks in advance. This will allow you plenty of time to plan your outfits. Like with anything, planning things on short notice will only add stress. Your family photography session should be fun and stress free 🙂 So plan ahead!

Whatever You Wear, Make Sure You Are Comfortable

Another thing to consider when deciding what to wear for your first family photography session is to make sure you are comfortable. If you are comfortable and confident, it will show in the pictures 😉 Make sure not to throw on something that has been in the back of your closet and doesn’t fit well. I recommend trying on your outfits beforehand. The last thing you want to do is to find out that your planned outfit does not fit, right before you leave for the session.

Match What You Wear With The Location of Your Session

The third thing to think about when considering what to wear for your first family photography session is the location. If you are at a rustic location, like Bernal Ranch Park, boots and jeans would work well. Other locations may call for more of a dressy outfit. If you are not familiar with locations, make sure to ask your Photographer. Photographers typically have a list of locations that would work well for the look you are considering.

Bring Something Fun That Shows Your Personality

Another idea on what to wear for your first family photography session is to bring something fun to wear! This does not have to be something that requires a complete outfit change. Something that can be thrown over your outfit – such as a sports jersey. Or a fun shirt that you have on under your main outfit. If the second outfit that you plan does require you to use a restroom, make sure to speak to your Photographer. They can recommend a location that has a restroom nearby.

If You Plan on Wearing Heels, Bring a Second Pair of Flip-Flops or Walking Shoes

If you choose to go for a more dressy outfit that includes heels, make sure to bring a second pair of shoes. Most family portrait locations require a little bit of walking. And one of the things I have learned over the years is that the nicer the shoes, the more uncomfortable they tend to be to walk in!

Make Sure To Bring a Change of Clothes For Little Ones

Another thing to consider is that small children can be unpredictable. I recommend bringing a back up set of clothes for little ones. If they are starting to walk, they may find a puddle to jump into or manage to get something dirty 🙂 In these cases, having a back up outfit can save the day!

If you are planning on scheduling your first family portrait session, hopefully these six tips have been helpful 🙂 Thanks!