This post contains affiliate links + gifted items.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. . .except for when it comes to family photos.hahah YOU KNOW I’M RIGHT! It can be stressful trying to coordinate outfits for your entire family, whether it’s 2 people or 6 people. Here’s how to make your family Christmas photo stand out with my guide to what to wear for family Christmas photos.
MY OUTFIT: bright fair isle sweater–40% off today // dark wash skinny jeans–on sale for under $25 // similar headband–30% off w/ code FRIEND // Kendra Scott Vivian earrings in green apatite c/o // glitter moccasins (this year’s version) KAROLINE’S OUTFIT: toddler girl fair isle top–$5 (also love this one) // toddler girl skinny jeans–$10 // cat ballerina flats CHAUNCEY’S OUTFIT: navy henley // mens jeans–40% off w/ code CYBER // mens gray sneakers KANE’S OUTFIT: kids henley // comfort waist boys jeans // boys casual dress shoes–on sale for $29.99 CHRISTMAS FACE MASKS: adult Christmas face masks // kid Christmas face masks–$6.50 for a 4-pack
I saved our best picture for last–is there a more 2020 Christmas card photo than one where everyone’s wearing a mask?haha That one is for sure going on the front of our Christmas card photos! We took these out at Baker’s Christmas Tree Farm with Avenue D Photography.
WHAT TO WEAR FOR FAMILY CHRISTMAS PHOTOS: Step 1-Pick 3 colors
This is your starting point. Pick three colors for everyone in your family to wear for pictures, regardless of family size. This doesn’t mean that you put each person in a different color. That also doesn’t mean that each person should be in all three colors. For our pictures, I chose red, green, and navy as our colors. Navy is the sleeper neutral that people never think of when it comes to family pictures. It’s less harsh than black or gray. Chauncey’s in navy, Karoline in red and green, Kane in green, and I’m in all three colors. You can see how mine and Karoline’s use of multiple colors ties the whole look together.
WHAT TO WEAR FOR FAMILY CHRISTMAS PHOTOS: Step 2- Put someone in a plaid or fair isle pattern
When you have three or more family members, try to put at least one person in a pattern. This helps to give the photo depth. I love a good Christmas plaid for family Christmas photos, but I wanted to switch things up this year. In full disclosure, we had been through a very rough week as a family and I didn’t even have time to think through what we were going to wear for these pics. I built the pictures around my bright fair isle sweater. We were able to style two fair isle patterns together because Karoline’s toddler girl fair isle top is mainly red with a little bit of white, so they don’t blend together, even when right up against one another. You could easily substitute plaids as well.
WHAT TO WEAR FOR FAMILY CHRISTMAS PHOTOS: Step 3- Don’t forget accessories
You should strategically use accessories to accentuate your outfit. Here, Karoline’s bow and my headband are the finishing touches to our looks. You could also add a scarf or statement earrings, like my Kendra Scott Vivian earrings in green apatite. And really set momma’s look apart with a bold red lip!
WHAT TO WEAR FOR FAMILY CHRISTMAS PHOTOS: Step 4-If in doubt, take a flat lay picture of your outfits
This is the easiest way to spot potential issues in your outfit pairings is to do a flat lay photo of all of your outfits together. Lay them out exactly how you would wear them, side-by-side, and see if something seems off. If you can picture the outfits together in your head (like I do), you can skip this step. But if you have to see it, this is the easiest route to go instead of trying to wrangle everyone into trying on their outfits. If one child typically wants one parent to hold them, make sure their outfits don’t blend together.
I hope this helps you to plan what to wear for Christmas family photos! Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!
BTW, if you’re local to central Kentucky, Avenue D Photography is running a special promo now through December 5, 2020. It’s the last chance to book at current prices PLUS AN ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT before prices officially change for 2021. Checkout the promo here.
