Here is everything I would tell you if we were standing in your closet together.

Pick one palette and stay in it

I put three of them together for you. I suggest picking whichever one is closest to what you already own or love to wear to make shopping easy.

Mint, forest and copper. Soft and pretty, and it plays off the vine beautifully. If you go green, make sure the greens are actually different from each other. Something pale on one person, a medium tone on another, and a deep green on a third. When three people wear the same green it goes a little flat, and I would rather mention that now than have you notice it later.

Navy and camel. The easiest to shop for and the crispest on camera. There is no true dark anywhere on this porch, so the navy hands your photos a depth the location cannot give them on its own. If you want a safe bet, this is it.

Burgundy and cream. The richest of the three and my personal favorite. Burgundy shows up nowhere in the frame, which is exactly why it looks so good standing in front of it.

Cream, oatmeal, taupe, and chocolate all work underneath any of the three, so those are your friends.

I would avoid true white and true black. The white goes flat against the siding, and the black tends to turn into a dark hole where a person used to be.

Please remember that it is September

Your session is in September here in Houston, which means it will be pretty warm even in the morning.

I know Pinterest is showing you sweaters and boots right now but I would avoid those. Nobody looks relaxed while quietly overheating, and the camera does notice.

Stick with linen, cotton, gauze, eyelet, chambray, and light knits, and skip anything heavy or lined. You may also want to avoid silk or tightly fitting clothes, since both of them show sweat in a way you will not love. And go sleeveless or short sleeve if that is what feels good. Sleeves are not a requirement for looking pulled together. 

If you want to give a fall vibe then add light linen jackets, vests or cardigans that can be worn tied around your shoulders. 

Texture matters more than most people realize

Soft shade flattens things just slightly, and texture is how you win that back.

Eyelet, gauze, ribbed cotton, linen, a light waffle knit, a raw denim. If you can get two different textures into your group, your photos gain a richness that color by itself will never give you.

This is the tip almost nobody hears, and it is the one that makes people ask who took your pictures. Worth ten minutes of your time.

Mixing patterns

One real pattern per family is plenty. Let one person wear it, then let everyone else pull a color out of it.

It also helps to put the biggest print on the tallest person, or on whoever is standing toward the back. A large floral on a four year old up front can read like a costume, while that same floral on you reads like you meant it.

Florals do especially well here because the vine is organic and the shapes agree with each other.

I would avoid tight stripes and small checks. They shimmer a bit on camera and pull attention off faces, which is the opposite of what we want.

If two people are set on a print, make one of them small like in the example photo.

Silhouettes

Mix up the shapes a little. Something flowy on one person and something more fitted on another will look better than four people in the same cut every time.

Also, mix up the lengths. Someone can wear a long dress, another in a short dress; tailored shorts for boys also works! 

Long dresses are lovely here. The porch has strong vertical posts and a long line echoes them, so if you have been waiting for a reason to wear the maxi, consider this it.

You may want to check hem length on the little ones before you leave the house. The brick is uneven and a dress that drags becomes a trip about four minutes in.

Shoes

You will see feet in these, since this is a full length setting on brick.

Boots, flats, loafers, and simple sandals all work, and I recommend keeping them in brown or in the palette you picked.

I would steer away from bright white sneakers. Your eye goes straight to the brightest thing in a photo, and I promise you do not want that to be your teenager's shoes. Same story with big logos and anything that lights up.

Accents

One per person is plenty, whether that is a hat, a light cardigan tied on, or a linen jacket.

I would not count on layers in September. If the weather hands them to you, wonderful, but nothing is lost if it does not.

Jewelry

Gold rather than silver here. The lantern is brass and the brick is warm, so gold simply belongs.

Keep it on the smaller side with thin chains, little hoops, or a stack of rings. Pearls are always a good call and they never end up looking dated, which is really the point of all of this.

Big statement pieces don't work here, since in soft light they catch attention that belongs on your face. 

A few things to skip

Neon, large logos, and character shirts. I would also avoid putting everyone in the identical color and cut, and I suggest not wearing anything brand new and stiff that has not been broken in yet.

That is truly all of it

Pick one palette. Add one pattern and two textures, wear gold, put on shoes that compliment your colors.

If you get stuck, text me a photo of what you are considering. I would so much rather help you now than wish we had talked about it after. That is genuinely part of what you booked.

You are going to look wonderful. This porch is very good to people.