Where to Find the Perfect Dress | Slay During Winter Family Photos

Houston Portrait Photographer, Sarah Borchgrevink, shares how to slay during your winter family photography session + where to find the best gowns! 

Have no fear: styling is now here!

Good morning, gang! Thanks for visiting my blog to see where to find an awesome gown for a photo shoot! If this is your first time here, welcome! Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sarah Borchgrevink (Bork-grey-veenk) and I'm married to the coolest dude on the planet, Kevin! Together we have three little girls (Lucy, Emma and Amelia) who we like to call the Tiny Tribe of Wild Women (yup, click that link to see our pregnancy announcement & gender reveal, ha). 

However, just over a week ago we welcomed our son, Jack Alexander, into this world! This in mind, because I am a mommy and LOVE having photos done with my sweet little family, I do know what it's like to book the session and then say, "Okay. Yikes. What should I wear?"

I can attest that often, Moms put themselves last. It's part of the care giving nature. I find myself picking out my kiddos clothing first and then the hubby. Afterwards, I sit in my closet and think, "Does anything even look good on me?"

Stop. Right there. I, Sarah, totally give you permission to slay during those family photos! You are a awesome mommy + domestic goddess, HA! You deserve the coolest gowns that are soft, feminine, timeless and stunning. You are taking these photos not only for yourself, but for your little ones. This is also a fantastic way to connect with your spouse and significant other. Document the joy of your lives together. Give something tangible to represent all that is beautiful about your family. They're a wonderful way to preserve the love of your family and showcase darling milestones, such as an annual family photography session. Also, it's great for your little ones to see you feeling sassy, confident, and loving yourself. 

Now: let's talk about winter. If you live in the south, like me, you know that the winter is the best time to take family photos because it's the only time of our calendar year it's not hot as heck, ha! Even the fall can still be in the 90's and as women of the south, we are just used to being warm. What to wear then?

TA-DA: Presenting the best dress!

• This Olive Green Draped Gown with 3/4 Sleeves is the perfect dress for either a maternity session or family photos due to the adjustable waist. This dress, however, comes in a huge variety of colors such as black, burgundy, light blue, light pink, mauve, navy blue, olive, peach, periwinkle, pink, purple, and royal blue. So while I *did* select this as a winter choice, thanks to the sleeves, this could easily be used for any season.
• This dress is the bomb dot com, too, because it's meant to transition into motherhood. You see, as mentioned above, I have four kids and quite frankly, it's nice there is gown that makes motherhood a little easier. You can wear this during pregnancy thanks to the polyester blend but also can use it afterwards as it is breathable. 

Here's what Mom had to say about this gown:

I loved the dress because it's a soft wrap dress that was very comfortable to wear. Being a new mom and need to be able to move without feeling constrained is a big selling point to me. I did not feel confined during the shoot and could enjoy my time with Sarah and my family. I chose the olive green color because I love earth tones like brown, cream, and greens. This made coordinating with my husband a breeze! I cannot recommend this dress enough!

 5 Reasons to love this gown

1. Perfect for date night, baby shower, maternity photos or family session.
2. Flattering style with a solid pattern that is versatile 
3. Great dress for transitioning into motherhood as there is an adjustable waist (score!)
4. Sash tie adds super cute detail but also allows you to cinch to fit as needed
5. The draped v-neck is perfect for nursing moms too - we all need our life to be a little easier!

Pink Blush Boutique is a great vendor! 

The artistic part of me, however, loves this vendor for several reasons. I adore sending clients here, so check out their site, Pink Blush Boutique. 

The selection is fantastic! For example, you'll find clothing for every occasion from spring, fall, summer, winter, and even holidays like Valentine's Day or your special celebration, like a baby shower. Better yet: they also offer a selection of accessories sure to complete your outfit such a shoes, jewelry, hats, bags, scarves, etc. They all coordinate together perfectly and it just makes things easier. 

Moreover, they several sizes from size 2 to 3x. This is great they cater to many sizes and shapes! As we all know, everyone is different. They also have free shipping on all U.S. orders + a coupon for 10 percent off your first purchase! Wow! 

Allow me to introduce this stunning client

The D family is a baby plan membership client of mine. We also did a gorgeous maternity session, too, so check out more of their beautiful natural light, sunset pregnancy portraits. Mom is especially a sweet client because she inquired before she was even pregnant! One day, I was working at my desk, and she asks all about my packages, explaining they are going to try for a baby soon.

A few months later, she contacted me to let me know baby is cooking! We scheduled a maternity session (linked above) and then also a baby plan membership, which means they reserved the first year of life + family photos for their sweet baby! It includes a full newborn collection, 6 month sitter + family session, and also a 12 month cake smash + family photos. 

Because of this, it's truly been a joy to meet their family and work together. Here are a few super cute shots of their darling baby girl. Here she is at just a few days old.

Now she's 6 months old + sitting up all on her own, wow!

See more of why this dress is a great choice

Thank you for stopping by the blog to see a great dress for outdoor winter photos! I hope you enjoyed reading about the perfect dress plus how to find it!

If you enjoyed reading about how to slay during your own family photos, you may like reading about these topics, too:

• Cutest Family Sessions from the 2017 Fall Family Photo Season
• 8 Awesome Tips for an Amazing Outdoor Maternity or Family Session
• Bringing Your Fur Baby to Photo Shoot

Specializing in posed baby portraits, Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer serving the surrounding areas including Houston metro area, Cypress, Katy, Spring, The Heights, Sugar Land, West University, Bellaire, and The Woodlands, TX. In addition to breathtaking newborn images, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting couples.

 

What To Wear For Fall Family Photos When It's Hot in the South

You've scheduled your outdoor fall family session but it's in the 90's. Now what?

Fall Inspired Family Photo Clothing: How to Look Festive in the Heat

Hi there! Today's blog post focuses on your Houston Family Photography session and some ideas for fall inspired outfits that beat the heat. If you're from the south, particularly Texas, you may have realized we have two seasons here: hot and hotter. Sometimes we get three seasons aka hot and humid and muggy, lol! I have lived here for almost my entire life and I can attest I've worn shorts and flip flops on Christmas. It's just the way it is. However, you may have also noticed those adorable fall pinterest photos that we all long for. You know, the ones that take place in the Northeastern part of the country that are filled with fall colors, layers, textures, and dare I say snow.

As a mother, for me, the most stressful part of the entire photo process is finding outfits. Even as a professional photographer, I struggle with this, too, because you simply want to look nice, but not overly dressed, particularly if you're doing a rural photo location. Once you've found the perfect photographer, location, and scheduled your date, that's where the "now what?" begins.

Have no fear: while we're not going to have snow during your fall family session, I am here to guide you and help you select outfits that have a fall twist but aren't going to have you sweating buckets. After all, we are southern belles and certainly don't want to glisten too much during our sessions!

Light Layers With Autumnal Tones

One of my favorite outdoor fall color schemes is maroon, brown, cream or navy. These are fantastic because they look classic and timeless. They also allows for light layers so that you're sure to appear like a fall fashionista without too warm. We also know toddlers are in better spirits when they're comfortable, so a light jacket, scarf, or even leg warmers are an adorable way to show texture and layers without melting.

Choose two favorite colors and highlight those

Your accent color can vary from session to session, however, this is typically the brightest color. In this case, the deep maroon (or cranberry if you will) is the main tone in these outfits. As you can see, Dad's checkered shirt, Mom's skirt, little one's bow and tights are all similar in color. This provides cohesion without being too "matchy matchy". Gone are the days where everyone dresses in the same outfit. After all, if everyone wore khaki pants and a red polo, it would like like a Target ad. This is not to say I don't enjoy long walks down every aisle of Target, but for family photos you want everyone to have the main color in their outfit but it be sparingly. This is why little one has the bow in her hair, dad the stripe in his shirt, and Mom the skirt. Coheisve yet not blinding. 

Your Accessories Help Suggest Season

When selecting accessories, keep the season in mind. These images are most probably going to be hung on your walls; they'll be treasured heirlooms passed down from generation to generation. I know, I know: you may not be thinking of your great grandchildren right now, your child is a toddler, but I promise you: these things matter! Your clothing represents who you are. For outdoor family photography in Houston, a stylish pair of boots are a great option! Cowboy boots look dapper on dad, too, if these are a representation of his style. Little ones look adorable in ankle boots, perhaps even with a little burlap or lace bow. You know we love burlap in the south, ha! Seriously: it's adorable, just like mason jars and reclaimed wood. I know: talk Joann and Chip to me and we'll be best friends. What can I say? Ha! Light scarves are nice, too, because they add the accent pop of color I mentioned earlier but do not cause you to have a heat stroke. If you have a little boy, maybe consider a bow tie or even a pair of suspenders! So dapper, timeless, classic, and just fantastic! Truly lovely!

You May Also be interested in:

Fall Outdoor Family Photography featuring Navy, Grey, Cream and White Colors

Houston Family Photo Session | Mustard, Burgundy, Navy and White

Sweet Sunrise Family Session with Checkered Shirt & Bow Tie

Rustic Locations with green, blue, red and grey colors + boots

 Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.