Snow-covered house in a forest with tall pine trees, bright sunlight, and a clear sky.

HOLIDAY STYLE GUIDE

Top Tips

THINGS TO DO

POCKETS: Empty your pockets! Literally. Don’t look back and see your phone or keys through your pockets.

PARKING FEE: This may not apply to your shoot but you always want to have cash on hand for parking fees.

TIMING: Allow additional travel time when life throws an unexpected curve ball or heavy traffic your way.

LIP COLOR & HAIRSPRAY: You may want to reapply lip color or adjust your hair after an outfit change.

COMFY SHOES: Fabulous shoes can be difficult to walk in, bring comfy shoes while walking between locations.

ACCESSORIES: Balloons, blankets, hats, jewelry, scarves, vehicle, instrument, or any other props you would like.

SOLID COLORS: Subtle patterns or solid colors that coordinate.

THINGS TO AVOID

Clothes that fit poorly. (Too loose or too tight).

Colors that blend in too much with the background (we don’t want you to disappear into the background).

Exact Matching outfits (this went out in the 80s). Unless this is the look you are going for.

Strong/overly bold patterns (subtle patterns are great and can pull outfits together).

Style(s) you’re not comfortable with (feeling awkward will reflect in your photos).

Shirts with large characters/logos (can be distracting).

Uncomfortable shoes (you will be walking and moving around).

Style Choices

Three children sitting on a fluffy white rug in front of a Christmas tree and fireplace, dressed in festive holiday clothes. The girl on the left wears a burgundy velvet dress and a red beret; the boy in the middle wears a plaid shirt, red suspenders, red pants, and a brown hat; the boy on the right wears a plaid shirt with a bowtie, red suspenders, and maroon pants.
Multiple rows of colored paint chips in various shades of brown, beige, and earth tones.

BOLD or NEUTRAL

  • Hoodies

  • Plain Shirt & Jeans

  • Sundress & Sneakers

CASUAL or DRESSY

  • Suits

  • Dress & Heels

  • Suspenders & Ties

  • Button Down Shirts

  • Sweaters

  • Trousers/Khakis

CLASSIC or TRENDY

  • Flowy dresses

  • Hats

  • Rompers

A young girl with curly hair wearing a red velvet dress and a red beret is riding a wooden rocking horse, with a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and lights, and a decorated fireplace in the background.
A young girl sitting on a wooden floor in front of a Christmas tree, wearing a red dress, a red beret, and gray boots, smiling at the camera.
A baby girl in a red Christmas dress sitting on a wooden floor near a decorated Christmas tree and fireplace with stockings.

  • You don’t have to apply all of these “ingredients” to get a perfectly BRIGHT & BOLD look. These ingredients include:

    Only one wears a pattern: If one of you wears a bold pattern, it’s important that the other doesn’t. The more bold the pattern is the more important this rule is.

    Bold Backgrounds: if you are going for a bold and bright look we will help balance it with solid colored/neutral backgrounds. It’s a double win if the background coordinates with the outfits.

    Only one bold color: we recommend one wear a bright and bold colored outfit and the other wear solid / neutral to balance out the colors.

    Large Patterns: If you want to wear a bright & bold pattern larger scale is a great choice.

A young boy with a plaid vest and bow tie sitting cross-legged on a wooden floor next to a fireplace with a fake fire, in a cozy room decorated for Christmas with stockings hanging from the mantel and greenery with hanging decorations above.
A young boy sitting cross-legged on a wooden floor in front of a decorated Christmas tree, smiling at the camera, with a fireplace and stockings in the background.
Three children dressed in vintage holiday clothing pose in front of a decorated Christmas tree and fireplace mantel with greenery and ornaments.

  • If you’re hoping for a more romantic style that includes “light” and “airy” colors you can make outfit choices that will lead your images to be brighter, softer and more photogenic. Here are some ingredients that result in a romantic styled images.

    Neutral Colors: blush, light pinks, light blues, light teals, creams, light grays and whites result in a light and airy look. These colors photograph softer and more romantically!

    Long, Flowing Skirts/Dresses: dresses and skirts with feminine ruffles, multiple layers of fabric and the ability to flow and move in the wind photograph beautifully! You will be in awe at how impactful moving fabric softens an image.

    Khakis vs Jeans: If you want your images to be as bright as possible, consider having the gentlemen where lighter pants instead of dark dress pants or dark jeans.

A family of three dressed in festive holiday pajamas and hats, standing together and smiling against a white background.
Family of four in matching pajamas playing and laughing together against a white background.
Family of four wearing matching Christmas pajamas, laughing and having fun together, with the children sitting on their parents' shoulders.

  • Casual has never looked so good! This look allows for a lot of variety and style. With casual you can go for that bold and beautiful, or a light and airy style. Think of casual as an upgrade to your daily style.

    Casual outfits allow more patterns in your style. Flannel, animal prints, solids can work well with this style. When considering your family it is always a recommendation to have guys one color and girls another. This allows for a nice contrast between family members while still keeping the whole family looking put together.

    Jeans or khakis go well for the casual look as well. For shoes, we have a few suggestions as well. Sneaker work if they are clean colors. Black, white, brown with minimal patterns. Boots or dress shoes can also pair well with casual but avoid too much shine. Too much gloss to your shoes and you are bumping into a fancier category.

    Casual should still compliment you and your personal style. Wear it proudly and with confidence.

Family of five dressed in formal and holiday-themed attire posing indoors with a decorated mirror and greenery.
A woman in a shiny black evening gown and three children in formal black attire posing against a dark gray background.
A woman sitting on a stool, surrounded by three young girls, all dressed in elegant, formal attire against a dark background.

  • Who said the red carpet was for celebrities? Dressy style images stand out because they are not done very often. For this style you want the best of the best. Suits, dresses, ties, button ups and the shoes to match. Think of dressy as a night out on the town or a school dance.

    Now, before we continue, dressy styles are harder to pull off. Not everyone dresses in suits or these style of dresses. If this is not something you would normally wear or if it does not fit your personality, don’t force yourself into this theme.

    One piece of advice with dressy style is to consider a second style to compliment. Sessions pair really well when you have a dressy and casual styling. This gives your entire album an unique look as the day goes on. We suggest starting your session with your casual style and ending in the dressy style.

    Dressy styles are a fantastic choice to give your session a high end feel and one you will be proud of for years to come. With all styles, stick to a couple colors and use your color pops as an accent to compliment the rest of the outfit.

Display of matching red and plaid clothing sets for children and adults, including dresses and shirts.
A collection of five clothing items with red plaid patterns, including two girls' dresses, a girl's dress with a bow, a white shirt with a red plaid tie, and a white shirt with a red plaid tie.
Display of various women's and children's clothing, including a plaid button-up shirt, a long green velvet dress with sleeves, a shorter green velvet dress, and a matching smaller dress, all laid out on a white surface.

  • Classic recipe’s are great for a more traditional look and coordinating outfits. Sweaters, blouses, button down shirts are a great choice for classic and works for both male and female members.

    Classic works great also when you want to feel comfortable and still look really nice. Polos and sun dresses are other fantastic choices because they allow kids to move more comfortably and are a step up from their daily attire.

    When considering classic styles we ask you to still keep in mind coordination is key to tie your party together. Pick a general color theme for this style and try to have each member compliment these colors with various accent pieces.

A Christmas-themed baby outfit on a wooden surface that includes a white onesie with red and green text and a Santa hat graphic, bright green furry pants with red buttons, and decorated holiday ornaments including a small snowflake, holly with red berries, a reindeer face, and Christmas berry decorations.
Green velvet elf costume with white fur trim on the collar, matching green velvet elf hat with red and green accents on a round woven placemat, and green velvet elf pants with red bows and white fur trim.
Wedding decorations both with white ruffled cuffs and hem, laid out on a wooden surface with holiday decorations.

  • Trendy styles are always a favorite because, when done right these the final images have a unique look. How do you explain trendy? Well one way is styles that are bringing a comeback from years ago. Bell bottoms, flares, wide brimmed hats, high tops or name brand clothing all make great choices when considering a trendy style

    Trendy styles utilize accessories to go along with the rest of the outfit. Hats, necklaces, scarves, boots, jackets pair well with the trendy look. Another great advantage to trendy styles is the ability to mix and match amongst family members and couples.

    Because trendy looks come and go, but even the most trendy of styles can last a lifetime. Coloring for trendy is also more flexible. If you chose Trendy as your style, have fun with it! Get bold, get confident and let’s create some beautiful images.