.Holiday Family Photo Inspo + Thanksgiving Outfits.

Kayla

Top (wearing xsmall, size down) $39! on mega sale || Jeans || Booties

Chain Bracelet (amazon prime under $20!)|| Lipstick (creme cup)  Lip Liner (soar)

Kennedy

Dress (on sale for $12)|| Booties (on sale for $18 and also come in gray)
 Faux Fur Vest (runs big, she's wearing a 2t-3t) || Bow (prime find + only $11) 

Tyler

Button Up || Pants || Shoes

This past weekend we had the pleasure of shooting our family photos with the ever so talented Yana. I say pleasure because surprisingly Kennedy was pretty cooperative! The shoot was in the mountains and about 30 degrees cooler than our house, so she was freezing! We probably bribed her with everything under the sun from candy to LOL Dolls, but hey it worked! I am so glad we went with the location we chose because it ended up looking like a fall wonderland.

You know how family photos go, it can be stressful to say the least! For some reason we have terrible luck too. For instance, Kennedy came down with a rash the day of our engagement photos and a double ear infection on our wedding day! Somehow the end result is worth allllll the trouble! 

I often think the stress starts, well for mom at least, the moment you book the photos! The first thing that goes thru my mind is "But what will we wear?!"...if I'm being honest I am usually stressing about that long before I even book them! 

If this is you, I wanted to give you some little tips that I find helpful when pulling all the looks together! 

First, is location! You want your outfits to vibe with the overall aesthetic that you have going on. I typically gravitate towards holiday colors, think reds & plaid, but decided to go a completely different route this time. I thought long term, not just Christmas/Holiday card. I wanted to have photos that I could display year round, not just a month and 1/2 out of the year! Now don't get me wrong, I love the holiday vibe!! But we have done it many years and I wanted something different! I decided to go with tones that matched our house, but also felt very fall-ish at the same time!

Second, start with one statement piece first! Mine was Kennedy's dress. I did this a little different this year. Typically I start with my outfit. I just knew I wanted her to wear that darling little pink dress and I would work us around her. She is the star of the show in our house anyways ;) It's easier to have a starting point then work down the line from there!

Which brings me to my next point, Coordinate don't match! You know get colors that compliment each other don't dress the entire family in the same thing from head to toe! This tip automatically makes me think of the 90's. Somewhere my mom has family photos where we are all wearing white shirts and denim pants, not cute! Some things just deserve to stay in another decade. The pattern on Kennedy dress had navy blue and burgundy running through it. I planned mine and Tyler's outfits around that! Somehow this was the easiest year for me when it came to outfits. It all just kind of worked out and I didn't find myself in full-blown panic mode.

The most shocking thing was probably my top. I always style myself in dresses and skirts when it comes to our family photos. I wanted to shake things up and go jeans & a pretty blouse, but didn't really have anything in mind. I thought it was going to end with a meltdown and last minute mall trip to pick up a dress, if I am being honest. Somehow the retail gods came together and made my life a little easier and I found my top on the sale rack when we were up at an event in Carlsbad. I do want to mention if you missed my try on with it over on Instagram, it's unlined. Which is a simple fix. I just purchased a burgundy cami from Forever 21 for $3! You'd never know they weren't attached. 

One of my last tips would be the day of, if you have little kids, go in with slightly lower expectations and have little treats with you! We brought one piece of Halloween candy that our photographer waved around and it scored us quite a few smiles. Also, when I backed up and let Kennedy do her thing, she worked the camera and gave us some great shots as well! Also, Tyler plays around with her a lot and some of their candid shots are my fav.

I hope that if you have family photos coming up in the next couple weeks, you find this info helpful! I know it can be a lot, but those precious pictures are priceless.

Side note, I also noticed when I was putting this together, that our outfits would make great Thanksgiving outfits too! That has been a request from you ladies to share some inspo. With the delicious holiday exactly one week away, make sure to order asap to get them in time! 

Xo, Kayla