Ah, the age-old question always associated with photoshoots. Styling is one thing I love to help with. Most importantly is try to dress yourself and your family in something they would wear again but is a bit more dressed up then you would usually wear. You want to look back on these images and look like yourself. Think layers. Probably the biggest difference between sessions that look great and sessions that look amazing. Little boys in a t-shirt, with a button-up over it, or suspenders over top of a t-shirt and some cords! All little boys look so cute in a Fedora for a cute little extra touch. Little girls: same thing, leggings, a fun skirt, tank with a sweater and a tasteful (not too big and overwhelming) headband or hair clips.

*Side note: Stay away from neon or bright colours, ball caps, clothing with logos or anything with wording. They look dated and tend to take away from everyone's gorgeous features.

Coordinate. As you think about your colour palette, imagine your family being one complete piece of artwork. Each person/outfit will bring together a feeling of formality and coordination. Instead of everyone wearing the same shade of blue - think about what accent colours might look nice with said blue. Perhaps blue plaid shorts for your son with a t-shirt, suspenders and a hat. Pull some of the colours of his plaid shorts to find a great skirt or dress for your little girl. Dad can wear some jeans and a shirt that coordinates with the plaid shorts and skirt on your daughter, and finish it off with an awesome jacket. Mom will round the entire family out with some great boots, leggings and dress that (again) coordinates with the family colour story. Neutrals or earth tones are a personal favourite, they are timeless and classic, they will never date an image.

Head to toe. Remember to dress down to you and your family's feet! No scuffed runners for boys, but fun and dressier shoes. Runners are great if they are a solid colour but anything that has vibrant or neon colours will likely stand out quite a bit in your images. Same for girls, try to stay away from Frozen crocs or runners or shoes, but more traditional Mary Janes or boots work best! Shoes stand out in photos.

What NOT to wear. Remember the look of everyone in khakis + white button-down shirts? That isn’t the kind of matching I’d like you to do. Again, think to coordinate without matching perfectly. Dads, instead of defaulting to a plain ole polo, get a shirt to compliment your wife’s outfit with textures, they photograph amazingly. Get creative! Only one person should be in a pattern (usually mom) and everyone else should have a complementing colour that pulls from her outfit. Too many patterns can get distracting and take away from the beauty of your family. Also, let's talk hats (by hats I mean the ball cap style)! I know men can be more comfortable in them but they will always hide your face or cover someone else's face in certain poses. If dad must wear a hat, try and convince them to wear a solid coloured one rather then one with sports logos. I understand how men can be very sensitive of hairlines (my husband is) but we can do so many more close cuddling poses without them!

Helpful tip! Head into Old Navy (or the like) and mention you’re styling for family photos. They are happy to direct you - and free of charge! No need to pay a stylist when you have knowledgeable fashion advice right there in the store. Old Navy is a great resource as their entire brand is to be able to dress an entire family. One of my favourite kid's clothing online would be Zara Kids. Feel free to send me a message if you need any more ideas!