I just booked my session–Now what the heck do I wear?

Did I just read your mind? LOL! Figuring out what to wear for a session can be daunting, stressful, and tedious–but it doesn’t have to be.  So I decided to walk you through the process.

We recently had our family photos done by the AH-MAZING Twig and Olive Photography. They have been one of my photography “crushes,” for a very long time–I love their lighting, style, composition–everything! I get SUPER stoked when we book our family sessions because even in this busy life, it pauses time for just a moment and FOR ONCE I’m actually IN the photos. I get to let loose, have fun and interact with my littles and my husband and I’m not the one in charge–I hand over the reigns for a split second.

However, it also means the panic kicks in. Panic?! Yes Panic! About four months before our session I freak out as to what to wear! What is the weather going to be like? Will it rain? Will it be cold or chilly even if it’s June? What will I feel “good” wearing? How on earth will I tie everything together for five people? CRAP! I need to lose 20 pounds! As a photographer you would think this would be easy! Nope. It’s not. And every year I go through the same thing. And it’s a great reminder for me what my clients go through for their session. I understand the struggle and the stress and that’s why I’m here to help…

Step one: Choose a color palette.  One of my favorite things in life is Pinterest. I can find anything on Pinterest. Inspiration for my living room, what to wear for date night (what the heck is date night anways?!), Fall fashion, how to boil an egg, paint colors for bedrooms, inspirational memes–you name it, Pinterest has it. Think of your photoshoot like a room you are going to decorate.  Find a color palette on Pinterest to ignite the inspiration for your shoot.  This is the palette I chose this year: About 9 months ago, I purchased these beautiful skirts for my girls that were exactly that mustard color from the palette. I KNEW they would LOVE these skirts (I did too, of course) and I knew they would feel like princesses. I had my first inspirational pieces, so all I had to do was find colors and clothing that would compliment these skirts.

Step Two: Right away, find an outfit that YOU love.  That’s right YOU.  YOU are the top priority.  You need to feel beautiful and comfortable in whichever outfit you choose.  I think I bought 3-4 different dresses from all over and finally decided on one from Target.  Actually the girls decided on that dress when I tried it on they both said “you look SO BEAUTIFUL, Mommy!” Sold. In that moment, I felt like a princess too.

TIP: Stores like Old Navy, Gap, H&M, Target color coordinate outfits for everyone in the family.  Take a look at what they are displaying for the season!

Step Three: Think of mixing different textures and patterns. It’s just like decorating. Mixing patterns is great, but don’t overdue it, otherwise it can be too busy. Think of things that compliment each other.  My dress had a lot going on–different colors and flowers–so I knew I had to keep the other outfits lowkey.  For the girls, I chose a plain navy blue tank top and a yellow floral crown (from Amazon). TIP: I’m OBSESSED with ordering off of Amazon because I can have it to my house super fast and there are easy returns–that’s a win/win in my book!

For the boys, I searched Etsy for some help.  I wanted something that was classic and that tied everything together–bowties.  Gahhhhh! bowties! I adore bowties–I think they are classic and vintage-y and absolutely adorable. The easiest thing was to put the men in navy blue shirts (with light patterns) and search for mustard bow ties to tie that color into their outfits as well. Amazon didn’t have many choices in this department, but I found the PERFECT bowties on Etsy!! Check out The Dapper Dude Co! I ordered these brown leather suspenders and Daddy and son matching bowties! SO FLIPPING ADORABLE! You could LEGIT get carried away with all this cuteness.

Step Four: Accessorize! Think of jewelry, flower crowns (you can find a TON on Etsy and/or Amazon), scarves, sweaters.  All these things can add splashes of color or patterns without going overboard. I also found my necklace on Etsy.  It’s so dainty and perfect and really tied the yellow together perfectly for my outfit.  TIP: Make sure you read the shipping information for the Etsy store. This necklace was coming all the way from England, so I had to order it about a month in advance!

Step Five: Have FUN! I LOVE playing dress-up and primping.  I curl my hair, put on fake lashes, do “out-on-the-town” make-up. I curl the girls’ hair and put lip gloss on their cute little lips. This is your time to pamper yourself and your family. PLEASE try not to stress. If you plan everything well enough in advance, that should help keep things stress-free. Heck, even trying the outfits on about a week or two in advance will help eliminate stress! That way you have enough time to fix anything that doesn’t fit right.

See the final product below:)

KatieRie Photography || KatieRie is a Professional Charlotte, North Carolina Newborn Photographer that specializes in fine art maternity, cake smash, baby, infant, family and newborn photography in the Charlotte and surrounding areas including, but not limited to, Gastonia, Belmont, Clover, Fort Mill, Matthews, Lake Wylie, McAdenville, Weddington, and Tega Cay.