“What should we wear?” is probably one of the questions we hear the most often before a family session.
And we TOTALLY get it! You’re already planning a trip to Costa Rica, packing for every occasion, thinking about the kids… and now everyone has to look good together too for a session? The good news is: you don’t need to match. Actually, we love when everyone keeps their own personal style. What we do recommend is choosing a general color palette so that, once everyone is together, the outfits feel connected and organized. This will create more flow in the photographs when you come back to them.
Choose a color palette, not a uniform
Think about the family as a whole. You can choose two or three colors and then play around with different shades and textures. Creams, whites, beige, soft blues, greens, and other natural tones are always beautiful in Costa Rica because they work so well with the beach and tropical surroundings. But you definitely don't have to stay neutral. Soft pinks, blues and even darker colors will photograph beautifully too. What matters more is that, when everyone stands together, the colors make sense as a whole. This is what gives family photos that polished, elegant feeling without making everyone look like they were given a dress code.
Be careful with prints
We don't have a strict "no prints rule". A print can actually be really beautiful and add personality to the photographs. The trick is not having too many prints competing with each other. If one of the children is wearing a floral dress, for example, you can pull colors from that dress for everyone else's outfits. If Mom chooses a patterned dress, Dad and the children can wear simpler pieces. Large logos, very bold patterns and several strong prints together tend to make a photograph feel busier. We want to notice you first, not your clothes.
Decide how you want your photos to feel
This is something people don't always think about. Do you want your family photos to feel elegant? Relaxed and beachy? Colorful and tropical? A little more dressed up? All of them can work.
For a more elegant session, long dresses, linen shirts, trousers, and coordinated softer colors photograph beautifully.
For something more relaxed, shorts, simple dresses, polos, and linen pieces can feel completely at home on a Costa Rica beach. You can absolutely wear black to the beach! If black feels natural to you, wear it. Paired with simple neutrals, it can look incredibly beautiful against the sand and ocean.
Think about where we're taking the photos
Costa Rica gives us some pretty amazing backgrounds. At places like Nekajui Ritz Carlton Reserve, Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo, Andaz Peninsula Papagayo, or one of the many beaches around Guanacaste, we may move from tropical greenery and resort grounds all the way down to the sand. Your clothing should feel comfortable in those surroundings. Flowy fabrics, linen, cotton, and pieces that flow naturally tend to photograph especially well. Remember that if we're heading to the beach, shoes will probably come off at some point!
For bigger families, coordination matters even more
When we're photographing an extended family, there are already a lot of people in the frame. This is where choosing a palette beforehand makes a huge difference. Everyone does not need to wear the exact same shade. In fact, mixing cream, beige, tan, white and other complementary tones can look much more natural than putting everyone in identical outfits. The goal is simply that when we finally get everyone together for that big family photograph, it feels like there was some thought behind it.
But please, still look like yourselves
This might be the most important part. If your daughter loves dresses, a dress it is! If Dad would never normally wear something very formal, don't suddenly put him in something that makes him uncomfortable. If you love color, don't think you have to wear beige because you're taking photos on the beach. Make it work, but don't lose your personality. We want your photographs to feel beautiful and put together, but we also want you to recognize your family in them. If you're still staring at two dresses or wondering whether everyone's outfits work together, send us a photo! We're always happy to help before your session.
