Tis the season for family pictures! I wanted to share my thoughts on how I decide what to do with my holiday cards, and I’m sharing our family Halloween costume pictures! And just because it’s Halloween themed, don’t think I won’t send it out with my Christmas cards. Favorite family photos from the year get included there.
Holiday Card Ideas
I love sending our holiday cards each year. I love planning, and I’m all about figuring out what to wear in family pictures. Some year our cards are JUST what we take in one family picture sessions, other years, it’s a combo of fun pictures throughout the year. I decided recently that our Christmas card this year with be the latter, a mixture of fun pictures from the year.
With that, I think about places we went throughout that year, fun things we’ve done, and put them into a folder. I haven’t figure out where where I will print my cards, but last year I did a postcard without a letter, and I loved that simplicity. Do you write a letter? I kinda love the letter part, along with the picture. Few people do letters anymore.
Family Photo Tips
As a photographer, I’ve shared many photo tips on my website throughout the years, and especially tips for taking family pictures, because I know it stresses out lots of people! I’ll share my top 5 best tips:
- Aim to take family pictures EVERY YEAR. It won’t stress you out as much if you do it consistently.
- Talk to your family weeks in advance to let them know family pictures are happening, and that it means a lot to you to have their cooperation. Promise a treat or family dinner out (or surprise) for good behavior.
- Shop all around for coordinating clothes (I prefer this to matchy-matchy), with 2-3 main colors. Once you get all the clothes, (buy extra just in case and hold on tight to receipts) lay them on the floor to see if you like what you have. Snap a shot and look at it with fresh eyes.
- Once there, let the photographer take the lead and RELAX! Your kids will listen better to the professional than to stressed out mom.
- Once you have the images, don’t just print one for the wall and leave the rest on the computer, make a photo album with the images to document this time in your family. Mine LOVE looking through our albums!
Halloween Family Costume
I wanted to share more about our Halloween Family Costumes!
I always let my kids choose their own costumes, and never thought much about the family costume until 2 years ago. I got this idea to take some family pictures–Halloween style–and we got in spooky black and white colors and were LEVITATING!
Last year I had to keep it up and we were unicorns and lucky charms.
THIS YEAR, I realized was my last year to do a family theme. My oldest is a senior (cue the tears), and it had to be GOOD! I had all this pressure on myself, which stifled my creativity. I asked my sis-in-law, Alayna, for some suggestions, and she came up with the concept we’ve done here.
I introduce to you….
Father Time, Mother Nature, and their Four Seasons
With an April, June, October, and November birthday for my kids, they each dressed in their season, too! (November is borderline fall/winter depending on where you live, and we made it winter for my oldest!)
This was actually a really easy costume to put together. Good ole Amazon is always a favorite when it comes to finding solid colors for family pictures. I got both of my girls dresses there, then hit up Walmart for my boys t-shirts. Most of the floral and CLOCK came from Amazon also.
Prepping for Family Pictures
A big part of preparing for any kind of family pictures is laying clothes out to view the scene all at once. You never really know if you have everything until you do that. I partnered with Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus for this post, because I’m a BIG advocate of doing things easier and smarter, and when it comes to wrinkles in family pictures clothes, we just can’t have it!
Since most of the clothes came from a shipping box, it wasn’t in great shape when it came to wrinkles. To use the Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus, just: Spray, tug, smooth and hang.
Not only is it a wrinkle releaser, but it can do so much more:
● Odor Eliminator
● Fabric Refresher
● Static Remover
● Great for Travel – travel size meets airline standards
● Try it on curtains, tablecloths, sheets, pillowcases
I have partnered with Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus for this post, but the content and opinions are my own.
