You know that one photo of your grandparents on their wedding day? The one tucked in a vintage frame, full of promise and hairspray? It might just be the last professional photo they ever took.

And while your phone is probably bursting with candids from holidays and birthday parties, when was the last time your entire family was photographed together? Not just your household. Not just the kids. We’re talking grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles—the whole family tree in one beautiful frame.

You’ve finally done it—you found a date when Grandma, the cousins, your brother-in-law, and everyone in between can be in the same place at the same time. 🎉 Now comes the next big question: “What do we all wear?”

Here’s your ultimate, no-stress guide to dressing your beautifully big crew for an extended family photo session that feels like you.

A lifestyle photographer offers gentle guidance and prompts, then allows space for your family’s personal interpretation to play out, making each family’s pictures unique to them. No longer do you have to worry about perfection, instead you get to have fun and spend an hour with the people you love most.

Now that you have done the work of gathering everyone in the same place at the same time for your extended family session, you may be wondering how to make the most of your time together. It can be difficult to get everyone on the same page, let alone all smiling for the camera in unison.

Read on for simple tips and things to keep in mind to ensure you leave with beautiful and meaningful photographs.

Isn’t capturing our relationships with our parents and siblings equally as important as with our children? And even more, documenting our children with their grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins a valuable way to tell our family story, providing us with imagery that our family will cherish for years to come?