Extended Family sessions in Virginia Beach, VA are quickly becoming some of my favorite sessions! I love when families travel into Virginia Beach to see family here! I love it even more when they reach out to me to capture their reunion to get shots of the entire family!

Extended Family sessions use to be when all the family would wear jeans and a white shirt, then stand awkwardly in front of the camera and hoping they would have one shot with everyone smiling to put over the fireplace.

Well, that’s not how I do my extended family session here in Virginia Beach! I encourage coordinating outfits instead of matching ones, lots of laughter, and the least awkwardness that’s possible! I wanted to break down some reasons why I love extended family sessions and help you with outfit choices!

Grandparents get shots too!

When families take family pictures, usually grandparents aren’t part of the professional ones! They will get the cell phone pictures, but won’t have the professional ones to hang on their wall. Which sounds awful! They should be included so grandkids can have special memories captured with their grandparents. Also, it doesn’t just have to be with the grandkids! Just because we grow up and have families of our own, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have special pictures with our parents as well. I make sure we capture all this!! You just never know what memory will be the one you hold closer to your heart.

Aunts and Uncles want to have fun!

Aunts and Uncles are some of the most important people to me. My son loves his uncles so much! They have a very special bond. The more I do extended family sessions, the more I realize aunts and uncles have special bonds with their nieces and nephews! So let’s capture them playing together, maybe running and jumping in the water or searching for shark teeth together! Capture all these moments because soon they will grow up and they will just be memories

Cousins playing!

I remember only seeing some of my cousins at family reunions. We would all get together and quickly become best friends again while playing games and running around together. My absolute favorite part of extended family sessions is being able to capture cousins playing together. I usually bring my toy boat or some sand toys and just let them be kids together! I promise, these end up being some of the cutest shots!

Yes, let’s talk outfits!

I have found the best thing to do is pick 3 to 4 coordinating colors and let everyone find what works for them and their families! Colors don’t have to match! So if you pick a light blue, it’s okay if grandma wears a navy!

As long as all the colors look good together it will be perfect! When you have matching colors it can look monotone so it’s good to mix in colors and patterns. I do always suggest dressing up a bit to elevate your images even more! My favorite colors for extended family sessions are blues, sage greens, pinks, and neutrals!

Want more tips on outfits, click here for more ideas!

Would you every do an extended family session with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins? Let’s have a chat!