Tips for your spring photo session (updated March 2024)

Blooming flowers, vibrant landscapes, and warm sunshine make spring in New Jersey the perfect season for updating your family photos. But choosing what to wear for spring family photos can feel overwhelming. This guide will help you coordinate stylish outfits for the whole family, ensuring timeless portraits.

Ten Tips for What to Wear for Spring Family Photos in NJ

1. Embrace Spring’s Palette – Balance neutral and muted tones with soft spring shades like pink, lilac or yellow
2. Coordinate, Don’t Match – Create a cohesive look with complementary colors and avoid a “matchy match” look
3. Channel Spring Vibes With A Dress – Nothing captures the essence of spring like a flowy dress
4. Add Layers for Warmth and Dimension – Cardigans, scarfs and denim jackets add depth and warmth to your outfits
5. Stick with Solids and Simple Patterns – Simple patterns photograph best so avoid big or busy patterns
6. Flowy Fabrics Flatter- Choose fabrics that flow, like chiffon, rayon, silk, or polyester. Avoid stiff cotton or boxy styles
7. Choose Comfortable Shoes – Ditch athletic shoes for comfortable footwear that coordinates with your outfit
8. Accessorize sparingly – Keep accessories like headbands, scarves and jewelry simple and skip trendy items, like Apple watches that will date your photos
9. Avoid Clashing – Steer clear of bright colors like red and “spring green” that will clash with the spring scenery
10. Comfort is key – Choose clothes that everyone feels comfortable and confident in

Mix Spring Colors with Neutrals

Neutrals are beautiful and timeless for spring photo sessions in NJ

Spring is a great time to pair pale pastels with neutrals like cream, ivory, beige and tan. The combination photographs well and creates timeless portraits. Neutrals also prevent your outfits from competing with the background.

Coordinate Colors for A Cohesive Look

Choose coordinating but not matching colors to create a natural look. For smaller or medium-sized families, choose 2-3 main colors and then add softer tones to accent and complete your look. Be sure to choose colors that will complement the environment. For example, if cherry blossoms are in bloom at the location of your session, consider starting with a base of neutrals and adding accents in varying shades of blush. Avoid dressing in colors that would clash or compete with the location.

Here are a couple examples of neutral palettes.

Not a fan of pastels? No problem! Add pops of color with muted or deeper tones, avoiding overly bright colors.

Embrace the Spring Vibe – Wear A Dress

Maxi and midi length dresses photograph beautifully on most women and allow for movement and interaction with your kids. Styles that have a fitted waist, but flow out below the waist are most flattering and also look fantastic in spring breezes.

Choose Flowy Fabrics with Varied Textures

When selecting a dress, or other clothing, look for fabrics that flow and resist wrinkles (e.g. chiffon, rayon, silk, or polyester). Avoid linen, spandex or stiff cottons. Incorporate textures like chunky knits, crochet, chambray, lace, and ruffles for added depth.

Mix Solids and Simple Patterns

Mixing solids with patterns creates depth and visual interest. For smaller families of three, have one person wear a pattern and everyone else in solids to ensure a cohesive look without being too uniform. For larger families, such as a family of four or five, balance two patterns with solids. Choose medium-sized patterns, not overly busy ones.

Add Layers for Warmth and Depth

New Jersey weather can be unpredictable. A well-coordinated cardigan, or even a denim jacket will help keep you and your kids warm. Layering also ties together all the colors you’ve chosen and adds visual interest to your photos.

Coordinating and Comfortable Shoes Are A Must

The right shoes make a difference. Avoid dirty or brightly colored sneakers — they’ll detract from your family portraits. Choose shoes that compliment your outfit. Sandals and flats look great with spring dresses. Save boots for fall and winter. And most important, make sure everyone’s shoes fit comfortably. Moms, keep in mind my sessions involve a lot of movement, as well as a bit of walking so heels are not recommended.

Choose Accessories Wisely and Let Hair Loose

Choose simple accessories that won’t compete with faces or the environment. Leaving long hair down looks more carefree and informal. It also allow me to capture more movement in your images, which will give your photos a more emotive feel. That said, if you’re worried about windblown hair, bring a small hair clip or headband.

Avoid Bright Green!

Spring in New Jersey is filled with vibrant greens so avoid similar colors that will blend with the environment. And be sure to steer clear of excessively bright colors like red and bright blue. Those colors won’t look good in an outdoor NJ spring photo session at a location with lots of greenery and blossoms. To get all the details on which colors to avoid, check out my recent blog post on What Not to Wear for Family Photos.

Comfort is key

Above all else, choose clothing that you and your kids feel comfortable, confident and happy in for your photo session. It will show in your photos! Comfortable clothing allows for movement and play without wardrobe malfunctions. Lastly, be true to your style — your photos should reflect who you are rather than someone else’s vision.

Need some outfit inspiration? See below for more color combos and outfit ideas.

Style Inspiration for Spring Family Photos In NJ

Baby Girl Romper – Francis Henri

Men’s gray henley – Banana Republic

Where to Shop

Here are recommendations for online and in-person shopping. Want to support local? Check out my blog post on the Best Boutiques for Baby and Children’s Clothing in the Westfield, NJ area.

Family

Gap

Banana Republic

American Eagle

Women’s Dresses

Baltic Born

Morning Lavender

Lulus

Joyfolie

Jessakae

Chickwish

Baby and Toddler

Francis Henri

Janie and Jack

If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy reading What to Wear for Summer Family Photos.

Have you booked your NJ spring photo session? I’d love to capture your family this spring! Get in touch today!