You know how coordinating outfits for family photos is super stressful, and the day of the photo shoot is notoriously known for everyone being grumpy and everything going wrong? Maybe I have a terrible memory or a very surface understanding of reality, but I do not recall a time when family pictures hadn’t been a good time for us. Or maybe I just haven’t experienced teenagers yet. So far, it’s usually just a fun day where we all dress up and hold hands while we wander around in nature, and my girls have always had a good time doing it. There was that time a couple of years ago when 2-year-old Lolly had her Chemoplaque in her eye to fight her eye cancer, and it was painful to her, thus making it difficult to coax a smile out of her. But can you blame her?
This time was no different. One of the more enjoyable years, even. Everyone was fed and happy; getting out and seeing the changing leaves was fun. The weather was beautiful, and Dad had the day off, which always put us in a good mood.
Coordinating outfits for family photos was fun! The inspiration for this year’s color scheme came from a trip to Target. I looked to see what kids’ clothing they had available and compared those colors with what I already had in my wardrobe. When choosing a theme, I usually try to pick three colors, and almost always, one is some off-white or tan color. Then, I make sure the two remaining colors coordinate well with one another.
I also like to make sure that at least one or two of the clothing pieces have some pattern that fits mostly within the color parameters I have decided. Sometimes, I’ll pick a dress with tiny flowers of a different color that is not one of the theme colors, but the dress itself is still mainly one of those colors. Adding a bit of pattern makes things more exciting and looks not matchy-matchy but still intentional.
Link to Lolly’s dress
Link to Eleanor’s Dress and Shirt
Link to Evelyn’s Dress
Link to Malcom’s Outfit
I also can appreciate the trend to get more candid photos. This takes a lot of the pressure off of parents on picture day, trying to make their kids sit perfectly still and wear a natural smile. We only need one photo with those requirements, but Photoshop can also aid in that.
What do I do with all of those candid photos, you ask? Why, I put them in our family yearbooks, of course! I create a yearbook on Shutterfly every year with photos highlighting everything that we did or happened that year. I always dedicate a two-page spread to all the darling candid family photos so they don’t end up lost in cyberspace and will be enjoyed for years.
That being said, here are a few more photos for you to enjoy! At one point, our photographer, Kim Kuhl Photography, had us all play a game of telephone, which made for some cute candid photos with genuine laughs. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at our family and that you were able to learn a bit more about the simple art of coordinating outfits for family photos!
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You are an amazing woman and it shows through your beautiful family. Wonderful parents to truly adorable children 😘❤️
Thanks so much Kathy!
So beautiful! Precious family! 🧡💛
Thank you so much!