What to Wear for Family Photos: Timeless Color Palettes for the Delaware Beaches

The Delaware beaches have their own rhythm — soft sand, muted skies, and windswept dunes that change with the light. When it comes to styling your session, the secret isn’t matching perfectly. It’s choosing tones, textures, and layers that blend beautifully with the natural palette around us. Your photos should feel effortless. Cinematic. Alive. Not staged or stiff and definitely not overly “matchy.”

1. Start with Neutrals That Feel Like Home

Delaware’s coastal light is soft, creamy, and romantic and your wardrobe should complement it, not compete with it. I always recommend starting with warm neutrals: soft taupes, oat, sand, and linen warm whites over bright whites muted grays or soft sage tones neutrals photograph beautifully against dunes, marsh grass, and driftwood. They give us room to play with texture… think gauzy linen dresses, cotton knits, and lived-in chambray shirts.

2. Layer in Earthy Coastal Tones

The best galleries have dimension, not flat color. Adding a few intentional accent tones can make your images richer without overpowering them. Some of my favorite pairings:

Rust + Oatmeal → A warm, grounded look that pops against sandy backdrops.

Sage + Cream → Fresh, coastal tones that feel modern and timeless.

Muted Denim + Warm White → Perfect for a casual beach vibe. These tones let your surroundings lead the story instead of competing for attention.

3. Avoid Loud Patterns & Distracting Colors

Vibrant neons, heavy logos, and bold stripes almost always pull focus away from what matters: your connection. Instead, choose subtle textures over heavy patterns: Ribbed knits, delicate embroidery, softly layered linen, worn denim Simple choices give your images breathing room and they’ll age beautifully, too.

4. Dress for Movement

The Delaware wind is my favorite secret styling tool. Flowing fabrics, linen skirts, and oversized knits catch the breeze in a way that feels cinematic and effortless. Think textures you want to feel in your photos: A linen dress lifting softly with the wind, a baby barefoot in a muslin romper, a sweater pulled around your shoulders at blue hour. Your images come alive when we can see movement so lean into pieces that move with you, not against you.

5. Create Subtle Harmony, Not Perfect Matching

Coordinating doesn’t mean everyone wearing the same outfit. Instead, build a layered, tonal palette: Choose 2–3 main tones, add soft accents and textures and make sure each person feels comfortable and themselves.

Example:
If mom wears a muted linen dress in oat, dad might choose soft sage, and the kids can mix in chambray and warm whites. Effortless. Connected. Cinematic.

Bonus Tips for Delaware Beach Sessions

Barefoot is always better. Sand on your toes, kids running free… it photographs naturally. Think beyond the beach. If we’re shooting at James Farm, Baywood, or Lewes Historic District, we’ll style to complement the environment. Bring one texture-rich layer. A lightweight cardigan, gauzy shawl, or linen button-up can make your gallery feel more editorial.

Why Styling Matters

The outfits you choose don’t define your images, your connection does.
But the right tones, textures, and movement create harmony with the light, the dunes, and the colors around us. When everything flows together, your family, your story, the landscape, that’s when the photos feel effortless and alive.

www.MariaDeForrest.com | Follow along on Instagram @mariadeforrest