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Choose Natural Fabrics. We always recommend natural fabrics like cotton, linen, and gauze. These materials breathe well, move beautifully in the breeze, and feel authentic in a natural environment.
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Avoid identical outfits — they can make the overall look feel generic or less elevated.
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Coordinated doesn’t mean matching. Choose a color palette and build outfits around it, allowing each family member to express their style while still looking unified.
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Use long flowy dresses. They add movement, a romantic touch, and are a comfortable, flattering choice. Flowy fabrics allow freedom to move, sit, and interact with ease, while offering coverage and grace in every pose.
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Stick to soft, neutral, and pastel tones. Shades like light blue, sage green, beige, ivory, and blush pink always look great against the sand and sea. These colors create a clean and airy feel that photographs beautifully.
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Avoid bright, neon colors. These tones can create harsh color reflections on the skin and clash with the soft, muted tones of the beach environment.
styling tips
Choosing outfits that blend beautifully with the natural beach environment can elevate your photos and make the entire experience more enjoyable.
Here are a few simple styling tips we always recommend:
What to Wear for Your Beach Family Photo Session
Too many bold prints can become distracting, especially in group photos.
A balanced approach works best: You can include one bold or large-scale pattern as a focal point (often on Mom or one child), and then support it with neutral, smaller-scale patterns like stripes, polka dots, checks, or tiny florals on one or two other family members. To complete the look, include one or two people in solid tones that provide visual balance and tie everything together.
Be Careful with Patterns
We recommend starting with Mom when planning outfits—because let’s be honest, when she feels beautiful and confident, everyone wins.
A stunning dress can become the foundation for the overall color palette. Beginning with this piece allows for smoother coordination of the rest of the outfits.
start with mom
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This approach keeps the group looking cohesive in photos while still giving each family a bit of individuality.
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A third might wear blush pink with tan accents
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Another could wear light blue and soft gray
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One family might wear ivory and beige
For example, if the palette is dusty blue, ivory, and sand:
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Have each smaller family dress within that palette, but with their own variation in shades and textures
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Choose one shared color palette for the whole group (3–4 complementary tones work well).
When styling a large extended family that includes multiple smaller families:
Coordinating Multiple Families in One Session
