styling family photos (+ some of our recent fam pics!)

Family photos: love ’em or hate ’em? I personally love them! Well…the shopping part, hanging with my photographer BFF and the final result. Not necessarily the part where I have to get my kids to behave. 😉 When I polled my Instagram, 88% of you said styling family photos was difficult. I get it! It totally can be. I’m here to help! Keep on scrolling for some of my tips and tricks.

Most of you indicated that you’d be willing to spend between $250-400 on styling a family of 4 so I did just that for this last set of photos we took. I was able to style our entire family with a quick visit to Beachwood Place. Lucky for me, it’s a one-stop-shop – stores for kids (Zara, The Children’s Place, etc.), men (Tommy Bahama, Nordstrom, Ticknor’s), women (Evereve, H&M, etc.) – they seriously have it all and it makes it SO much easier. I ended up styling the kids from head to toe (shoes included) and skipped shoes for Ben and I (we already had some that worked!). Here’s how my budget broke down:

Greylen
I simply can’t with this outfit. It’s so cute and I need it in my size, ASAP! Also, that HAIR!
shirt: zara $22.90
pants: zara $22.90
shoes: zara $29.90
headband: h&m $9.90
total: $85.60

Nixon
Somehow, Nixon went from a baby to a little man overnight. He started walking the day after these photos were taken! 
pants: zara $19.90
t-shirt: zara $14.90
sweater: zara $9.90
shoes: children’s place $18.74
total: $63.44

Ben
Ben was easy to style this time around. Nordstrom kills it in the men’s department!
pants: nordstrom $49.50
shirt: nordstrom $29
total: $78.50

Me
I don’t usually have a hard time finding things for myself – always too many options. I am so happy with what I chose – I will re-wear everything a ton!
sweater: evereve $68 (I have to give a shoutout to the ladies at evereve. They got so into helping me find the perfect thing for myself. It was SO fun to work with them!)
jeans: abercrombie $44
necklace: $13.99
total: $125.99

family total: $353.53

This is kind of an extension of this post (for even more family photo tips, check it out!) but I’ve learned some things in the past few years, especially now with two kids!

  • Start with your kids for inspiration! I personally think kids are the easiest to shop for. Usually kid’s stores have “collections” of outfits that go together/have the same color palate so no matter how many kids you have, you should be able to find coordinating pieces. Zara is a perfect example of this. Their fall collection had a lot of the yellow/mustard tone so that was my starting point. Kid’s clothes are also usually the most fun/patterned and I typically coordinate mine and Ben’s outfits to theirs.
  • Set a budget per person but don’t feel like you ABSOLUTELY have to stick to it. Typically, all my money goes to my kids but in this case, don’t be afraid to spend the most on yourself. 🙂 You want to feel comfortable and confident. Plus, you’re putting in the work!
  • Almost everyone I polled said that styling men is the hardest and I’d have to say, I usually agree! Now is probably not the time to try new trends. If the man in your life is typically a neutral dresser, keep it that way. Just choose coordinating colors in simple basics (men just look so good in basics!). Add some shoes and a belt and you’re done.
  • Shop for shoes and accessories last IF your budget allows. Get the larger, coordinating pieces that you absolutely need first. If you’ve hit your budget, you can always wear shoes you own or accessorize with things you already have at home.
  • Re-wear, re-wear, re-wear! Take family photos around the holidays, back to school time or close to another event and by all means, re-wear the outfits. Don’t ever buy anything that will just sit in your closet.
  • Go shopping alone! Easier said than done, right? But seriously, it helps so much! I tend to avoid purchase regret (and a trip to return!) when I’m able to shop by myself and concentrate. Not to mention, it takes about half the time!
  • Lastly, something that has nothing to do with styling – work with a photographer you love and feel comfortable with. I typically shoot with one of my best friends (which I realize is a unique situation) but simply finding a photographer that is good with your kids (and is totally okay with it if/when they lose their minds), understands your style and makes you feel comfortable will go a long, long way.

Finally, on a bit of a personal note, we took photos during this shoot to announce our 3rd pregnancy, a pregnancy that we unfortunately lost in the second trimester the very next day. Thank you so much to those who saw my Instagram post and liked, commented or reached out. It has been a tough time for our whole family and your kindness and support means more than you know!

photos: little bit perfect

Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with Beachwood Place.