What to Wear for Christmas Family Photos in Orlando: A Complete Guide to Holiday Mini Portrait Sessions
One of the benefits of living in the Orlando and greater Central Florida area is the beautiful weather we have in the late fall and early winter - crisp air and beautiful bright blue skies! Which gives us a little more flexibility with our wardrobe than other areas of the country might have. So if you’re planning your holiday photo session and wondering what you should wear, the sky is the limit! If you want to be bundled up and snuggly, you totally can but if you’d rather go for a more “Florida” look, you can probably manage that as well! Below are some suggestions for you to consider!
I Have Holiday Mini Sessions Available
I will get into all of my tips for your outfits below, but I wanted to make sure you knew that I have holiday mini sessions available FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! I’m really excited to offer this to my clients and currently have two dates available.
November 1st: Indoor at a studio in Longwood
November 15th: Outdoors at Moss Estates wedding venue in Eustis
You can find more info at the end of this article or on the 2026 Central Florida Holiday MIni Sessions page.
Matching Outfits vs Coordinating Outfits
I have a distinct memory one Christmas of my mom dressing up my sister and I in matching red velvet dresses with white ruffles along the neckline and wrists and thick white tights. The problem was that it was an unseasonably warm Christmas and we were sweating to death! But we sure did look cute!
You can definitely find matching outfits for your family to wear for your Christmas photos. A lot of retailers even sell matching outfits for parents and kiddos in holiday styles. As a slight variation to the matching option is to have coordinating outfits. So maybe you’re really loving a plaid look. Find a dress for your daughter in the plaid patter that you love. Then take the three colors in that plaid pattern and everyone can base their outfits around that. So maybe one person is in a more subtle plaid that incorporates one color but then everyone else is in solids of the colors from the main plaid pattern. It’s an option to be coordinating without being exactly matching. But either option works!
Christmas Pajamas
Who doesn’t love Christmas pajamas! I even went so far as getting matching pajamas for me and my dog one year when one of the major retailers was selling matching pjs for adults, children and pets! It’s a sweet and cozy look that’s perfect for the season.
Dressy and Elegant Holiday Outfits
Another choice for your holiday photos is to go for a more dressy and elegant style. Maybe it’s the same outfits you’re wearing for Christmas Eve service or possibly even for your New Year’s Eve party! You’ll want to be sure the location for your photos matches the vibe of your outfits, but it can be a stunning option for you. We’re talking about anything from slacks, button down shirts, and cocktail dresses all the way to high heels, floor-length gowns, suits and tuxedos! The sky is the limit!
Color Palette
These are your photos so obviously, you can do whatever you want! But here are some more traditional color palettes I’ve seen families use for holiday photos.
Creams and neutrals, possibly with a pop or gold/champagne
Neutrals with a pop of red
Black and silver
Jewel tones like navy, emerald, eggplant
Earthtones like tan, olives, burnt orange
General Tips for Holiday Mini Sessions
Consider using light layers for your outfits so you can be flexible with the weather. Some days in Orlando in the fall are beautifully breeze, but some years we’re still in the 80s! So if you get too warm, you can take off a layer to get more comfortable. But if we’re in a cool snap in Central Florida, you have that extra layer to stay warm.
Don’t forget to coordinate everyone’s shoes. If you choose to go with elegant outfits, don’t expect your photographer to be able to hide your son’s crocs in every photo! :)
If you can’t arrive in your outfits because you don’t want them to get wrinkled, be sure to arrive early enough to have time to change so that it doesn’t cut into your session time at all.
Speaking of wrinkled, make sure to iron or steam your outfits so they look their best! Or if you’re like me and you’re allergic to ironing, hang it in the bathroom while folks are showering to let the steam help to release those wrinkles. You don’t want to rely on your photographer to edit out those wrinkles. That might not be a level of editing included in your mini session package.
If you have young children in your family, consider what is a good motivator for them. Have their favorite songs ready to go on your phone, bring a treat like gummy bears or pretzels (be sure to avoid snacks that could leave stains on their outfits - looking at you doritos … and chocolate!), bring their favorite stuffed animal or doll to “help” the photographer take photos and just do some deep breathing. Kids almost always behave better for other adults, so let your photographer do their thing to help them participate in the photos.
Still Planning Your Holiday Mini Sessions? We have TWO options for you!
If you’re still planning your holiday mini portrait session, we are offering limited sessions for the 2026 season!
On November 1st we will be at an indoor studio in Longwood. There are three different sets within the studio. One is an elegant Ralph Lauren styled set with navy and green plaid accents. The second set is all brushed golds and champagnes and the third is a front door scene with a wreath. The furniture is all white or neutral in color.
The Longwood session on November 1st is great if
You’re looking for a more elegant option
You’re planning on more neutral tones for your outfits
You’re planning on Christmas PJs since those would look best indoors
You’d rather be indoors than struggle with Florida weather
Then on November 15th we’ll be outdoors under an oak tree at Moss Estates in Eustis. This set is PERFECT if you’re going for a more casual or rustic look. Wranglers and sweaters or prairie dresses will look great in this setting as will themed matching outfits, since it’s a more simplistic and classic background. We’ll also have a highland cow with us for a few hours on November 15th if you’d like him to be in your photos!
The session at Moss Estates in Eustis on November 15th is the right choice for you if
You prefer an outdoor, more rustic setting
Overall you’d prefer a more casual look
You love that natural Central Florida feel
You can see inspo images and find all of the registration information here: https://www.dawnaiellophotography.com/2026-central-florida-holiday-mini-sessions
People have already started registering, so you’ll want to book your session as soon as you can! If neither of those sets suit your style or if you have something more customized in mind, send me an email so we can book your portrait session soon in the Orlando area!
