Summer Family Portrait Outfit Guide | Mary Beth's Photography - Augusta GA Newborn Photographer

Choosing outfits for family portraits can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! The goal is to create a cohesive look that feels effortless, comfortable, and most importantly, true to your family. Summer sessions are all about light colors, soft textures, and timeless pieces that photograph beautifully. As a family photographer in Augusta, Georgia, I love helping create an effortless, stress-free experience for my families in any way I can. In other words, choosing outfits and offering inspiration are among my favorite ways to create those experiences. ❤️

This family outfit guide for summer portraits was created to help you build coordinated looks without everyone matching exactly. Below are tips to help you create personalized looks for your family, along with links to outfits that coordinate perfectly for summertime portraits.

Start With a Color Palette

For summer portraits, I always recommend sticking to soft, classic colors that won’t overpower your images. Think:

Light blues
Navy
White
Cream
Soft Pinks

These colors complement outdoor summer scenery while keeping the focus on your family’s connection and personalities.

Coordinate, Don’t Match

The days of everyone wearing identical white shirts and jeans are long gone. That is to say, choose colors that complement one another.

A simple way to build outfits is:

Choose one statement piece (like mom’s striped/patterned dress).
Pull 2-3 colors from that outfit.
Dress everyone else in coordinating shades.

This creates a polished, timeless look without appearing too uniform.

Mix Textures & Patterns

Adding subtle textures creates visual interest without being distracting.

Try incorporating:

Soft stripes
Smocked details
Woven accessories
Chambray pieces

If one family member is wearing a pattern, then keep everyone else’s outfits mostly solid.

Keep Shoes Simple

Although shoes often get overlooked, they make a huge difference in the final gallery.

Great options include:

Neutral sandals
White sneakers
Simple canvas shoes
Woven slides

My Biggest Tip: Dress Mom First

In general, when planning family outfits, always start with mom’s outfit. It gives Mom the chance to be confident and comfortable in her choice and be able to build around that decision. Once you choose her dress, it becomes much easier to coordinate everyone else around it. This creates a balanced, cohesive look that photographs beautifully.

If you’re not sure where to start, a great way to try several looks is to use a service like StitchFix. It is one of my favorite ways to try new styles and colors. Here is a link for a discount from me! ❤️ ( Click Here )

Remember: The Goal Is Timeless

Even though trends come and go, your family portraits will be displayed in your home for years to come.

Choose outfits that are:

Comfortable ✓

Coordinated ✓

Soft and neutral ✓

Classic over trendy ✓

True to your family’s style ✓

The most important part of your session isn’t having a perfect outfit; it’s capturing genuine moments together. In other words, when everyone feels comfortable and confident, it always shines through in your images.

At Mary Beth’s Photography, the fun moments, the love in every portrait, and capturing it all behind the camera are some of my favorite things about photographing families. If you would like to book with me, please click the link here. I look forward to hearing from you. ❤️