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Let’s be honest – outfit planning for a family session is the part that sneaks up on people. You’ve got the date booked, you’re excited, and then suddenly it’s four days before the shoot and someone is standing in the closet holding up a shirt saying “does this work?” The good news is that this doesn’t have to be stressful. After photographing families across Savannah’s beaches, downtown moss-draped streets, and coastal marshes, I’ve seen what works beautifully and what creates a little chaos. Here’s everything I wish every family knew before their session.

The Sessions That Have Stayed With Me

Some sessions just click, and a huge part of that is the outfits.

One beach session with a family of five comes to mind immediately. The mom chose a dress in a green that pulled from the marsh grass and just enough blue to mirror the ocean behind them. The little girls wore simple white dresses with small pops of color. Nothing was over-styled, nothing was trying too hard – it just belonged in that space. It said “beach” in the best way.

Then there was a family of three downtown, all wearing the same shade of green but styled completely differently. Same color, totally different looks. And the mom’s green eyes? They lit up in every single frame against those Savannah oaks. It was one of those outfits that felt personal and intentional, and it showed.

Both of those sessions had something in common: someone thought it through ahead of time.

My Real Philosophy on Dressing for Savannah Sessions

Here’s where I’ll skip the generic advice and give you what I actually believe after shooting real families in this city.

Start with Mom’s outfit. Find one piece you genuinely love – something comfortable, something with a print or a color you’re drawn to – and pull everything else from there. That one dress or top becomes your color palette guide. You’re not dressing everyone in the same print. You’re pulling shades and tones that feel connected.

Coordinate, don’t match. Yes, this is a cliché. It’s also just true. Identical outfits can go sideways fast, especially once you’ve got a preteen in the mix who has opinions about being dressed the same as their little sibling. That energy shows up in photos, and not in a great way.

Comfort is the actual number one rule. If someone is tugging at their waistband or squinting because the sun is reflecting off a scratchy collar, that’s what the photos will show. Comfort isn’t a backup priority – it’s the first one.

What Doesn’t Work (Let Me Save You the Trouble)

On the Beach

• Anything short and flowy above the knee – the Savannah coast wind is relentless and it will not cooperate. It just won’t.
• Top ruffles – they hit you in the face, everyone’s waiting for them to lay flat, the wind doesn’t care, and it becomes a whole thing. Not worth it.
• Super high heels – the sand situation alone makes this impractical.

Downtown and Everywhere Else

• Lots of black clothing – this is a personal one, but I’ll be straight with you: I don’t feel like I photograph heavy black clothing well. Some photographers nail it. For the way I shoot and edit, I find the tones don’t land the way I want them to. So I’ll always gently steer away from it.
• Matching every single child – once a kid is old enough to have an opinion, they have an opinion. Coordinating is charming. Matching can feel forced, and sometimes that frustration shows.

The Mistake That Catches Almost Everyone Off Guard

Here it is, the thing I want every client to hear before their session: try the clothes on your kids more than a week out.

I cannot tell you how many stories I’ve heard – and lived, honestly – about someone assuming an outfit still fit, only to find out the morning of the session that it absolutely does not.

Fun fact… I have a family photo of my own where my son Christopher’s pants are sitting about five inches off the ground. You can see the print on his socks. His pants were that short. We laughed about it, and because I own the camera and didn’t pay for the session, it became a funny memory.

But if you’re investing in a family session and that happens to you? That’s a gut-drop moment that could have been avoided with a ten-minute try-on two weeks before.

Try. The. Clothes. On. Early.

Why This All Actually Matters

Getting dressed for a family session isn’t about being fashionable or perfect. It’s about removing the things that pull your attention away from just being together in front of the camera.

When everyone feels comfortable, when the colors belong in the environment, when nobody’s fighting the wind or tugging their hem – that’s when the real moments happen. The laughing, the little looks between siblings, the mom-and-daughter candids that become the framed print on your wall.

The outfits set the tone before I ever take a single shot.

Let’s Make Your Session as Easy as Possible

If you’re getting ready to book a family session in Savannah and want help thinking through outfits before we even show up, that’s something I genuinely enjoy being part of. It doesn’t have to feel like homework.

Reach out through the contact page and we can start talking through what will work best for your family, your location, and the season you’re shooting in.

Start with one outfit you love, try everything on two weeks out, and leave the ruffles at home if we’re headed to the beach. You’ve got this.