The beach tends to be one of the best places for your family photos. It’s hard to get a bad view. Blue skies? Rolling waves? White sand? Every aspect is simply stunning. The only thing missing is your gorgeous family! When you are planning your family portraits with an Isle of Palms family photographer, one of the biggest things to consider is what the heck you’re going to wear. It can be difficult to settle on a color scheme and make sure you’re not clashing with the surroundings.

If you could use a little bit of help deciding what to wear for your Isle of Palms family portraits, I’ve put together a handy guide! Here’s some outfit guidance for your family pictures from an Isle Of Palms family photographer.

The Ultimate Guide To Dressing For Your Photo Session With An Isle Of Palms Family Photographer

Neutral Colors

Neutral Colors are a classic with group pictures for a reason! It can be hard to match the shades of your outfits perfectly and ensure everyone compliments each other without feeling too uniform. Neutral colors give you the freedom to incorporate different shades while still keeping everything cohesive. For beach portraits, it works well to stick with the coastal shades. White is always a good color, and it’s pretty easy to find the shade in every size. 

You can easily do white dresses for the girls and white polos with light-shaded khakis for the guys. Just be sure to hold off on the snacks until after your session is over! If you want a little more color, you can pull in the blues of your surroundings with navy or a light aqua. Similarly, soft pinks and light coral look downright magical against the sunset. If you’re still stuck, just keep thinking about the colors you typically see at the beach and build outfits with softer shades. 

Solids Or Subtle Patterns

I tend to advise my Isle Of Palms family photographer clients to stick to the solid shades simply because it’s so darn easy. Most guys can quickly go into a shop and find their perfect solid polo or button-up shirt in just a few seconds. Pair it with some khakis, and you’ve got a great outfit. As far as the girls, you can find a solid maxi dress in similar shades and instantly look like a million bucks. 

If you’re someone who does prefer to mix in some patterns, that’s absolutely fine! The main goal is to ensure you’re not clashing. Subtly is the name of the game! Not only do you want the group to feel cohesive, but you also want to make sure you’re not distracting from your cute crew. One idea is to find a single pattern and incorporate those shades into other outfits (i.e., put your little one in a patterned floral shirt and let Mom and Dad wear outfits that complement those shades). You can also find monotone, patterned pieces that add texture without creating noise. 

Flowy Outfits For The Ladies

For women, glowy outfits are ideal for Isle Of Palms family photos for a long list of reasons from your photographer. To begin with, you’ll have tons of freedom to move around. Do you need to chase a toddler real quick or change a diaper? You’re going to be able to hold down the fort while still being comfortable (and looking great doing so!). Plus, long, flowy dresses can be pretty forgiving. Let’s be honest. Having babies and growing older has a tendency to change our bodies in ways we don’t exactly love. 

You don’t want to look back on these images and pick yourself apart. Flowy dresses can hide the parts of your body that make you feel insecure, so you can feel confident displaying these pictures. And lastly, flowy clothes just look fabulous in general. A long maxi dress flows nicely in the breeze and feels so quintessentially beachy. It takes very little to find a long dress that perfectly complements your family’s outfits. 

Compliment Your Colors But Don’t Match

Have you ever seen those sitcoms with corny family portraits in monotone clothing? Yeah, as your photographer, I’m here to help you prevent looking like that in your Isle Of Palms family photos! If you have everyone wearing the same exact color shirt, it’s going to feel like an employee training meeting rather than a dreamy family portrait session. One of my biggest pieces of advice is to find complementary colors that aren’t identical. You can always do this by having a bolder color and incorporating lighter shades with other family members. 

Maybe have your daughter wear a navy dress and your husband wears an aqua button-up. Or maybe your son wears some burgundy shorts and a white shirt, and you can wear a blush maxi dress. If you want to break it up more, you can scroll through sites like Pinterest and find lots of options for color schemes. They’ll show you color wheels so you can see what shades will look great together and which ones to avoid. 

Get Curated Outfits From My Client Closet!

If you are still having trouble, I am here to help out as your Isle Of Palms family photographer. Look, I’m a mom myself, and I know the thing that matters is getting to make memories with the people you love the most. That’s why I work to make my process as easy as possible. Part of my full-service photography sessions includes a consultation where we can meet to plan your session. During this time, we can discuss outfit ideas. You can tell me what you’re thinking, and I will give you my professional feedback. And if that’s not enough, we can take things to the next level. 

Over the past few years, I have worked hard to create an inclusive wardrobe for my clients to use for their sessions. I can show you all my options, and you can decide on some that you think would be perfect for your pics. This service is included with all my packages, including my membership plans and the single sessions.

I Can’t Wait To Create Special Memories As Your Isle Of Palms Family Photographer 

If you’re on the search for the right Isle of Palms family photographer for your session, I would love to connect! I adore working with families to help them create gorgeous memories of this time. Like I said earlier, my goal is to make your session as laid-back as possible. Not only can I help you with your wardrobe, but I also offer styling, hair, and makeup. After your session is done, I will help you pick out prints and help you design your gallery wall. So, what do you say? If you’d like to work together, let’s chat so you can take the next steps.