5 Ways to Prep For Family Pictures
With just a little intention (and a touch of pampering), we truly believe that you can step into your family portrait experience feeling confident, coordinated, and completely camera-ready. Think of it as curating a beautiful experience for yourself and your loved ones…not just checking a task off the list. Here are five effortless ways to elevate your prep and make your family pictures feel as magical as they’ll look.
01. STYLING. Creating a cohesive family wardrobe takes thoughtful planning. Start with Pinterest for inspiration! Some of our favorite key phrases to search for are “magazine inspired family outfits”, “chic streetstyle outfits”, “modern outfits for family portraits”, and “formal family outfit ideas”. From there, shop your own closets to see if you already own any of the pieces to fit your dream style. After that, it’s time to hit the stores to fill in the missing pieces for your family. We love working with Norstrom stylists for a full service experience, and some of our other favorite local shops include The Refind and Smith & Main.
02. HAIR. Plan ahead for your family’s haircuts. We recommend giving a solid week between going to your barber or stylist and the day of your photoshoot. That allows for your cut to be lived in (and also gives a nice buffer on the off chance there’s an “oopsies” moment…not wishing that on anyone but better to be safe than sorry!). On that note, this is not the time to attempt a new cut or fade. Stick with the tried and true!
03. SKIN. We know that everyone wants a healthy glow on the day of your photoshoot. It’s time to lock-in during the 2-3 days leading up to your photoshoot! Our best advice is to intentionally hydrate (anyone else have the carry around an emotional support water bottle in order to hit their daily goals?). For guys and gals, we also would encourage you to moisturize your skin and don’t skip the chapstick during these prep days. And finally, not surprisingly, we also recommend a good night’s sleep for the whole fam before photoshoot day! And if you’re in a season of life where 8 hours a night is just not possible…we recommend splurging on your favorite under-eye masks ;)
04. START WITH MOM. I know, I know — it feels completely counterintuitive! But mamas, you’re going to think your kiddos are the cutest humans to ever walk this earth no matter what they’re wearing. So instead of pouring all your energy into their outfits and leaving yourself running on fumes, start with you as the anchor and style everyone else around your look. And if you really want to make the day feel special, we highly recommend upgrading to our luxurious camera-ready styling and letting our hair + makeup pros work their magic before you step in front of the camera. Let yourself be pampered — you deserve to feel amazing and cared for!
05. FOOD. We all know that people get silly when they’re hangry (let’s be honest…grown ups and littles ones alike!). Plan ahead to make sure your entire family has a snack before they put on their photoshoot outfits — no stains or crumbs here! If you have young kiddos, don’t forget the power of snacks as bribery during a photoshoot (we love fruit snacks for being easy to eat without making little hands messy). And if you’re a family of teens or grown ups, making a dinner reservation for after your photoshooot gives everyone something to look forward to as well!
