It’s that time of the year to start thinking about Christmas/Hanukkah cards. I have a handful of good tips to share!
- I love your children and love seeing how they grow up but I love you too! I love love family photos on holiday cards, seeing all my friends with their children. Get in on the fun! And by fun I mean of course it’ll be more stressful but hey! It’s the season. 🙂
- Try to finding a coordinating element to your outfits. And I don’t mean this:
With the younger children try having matching dresses for children and your outfit should have the same colors as their outfits, not identical but in the same color family. Boys could wear scarves, vests, bowties in the same hue. Let’s say they have white sweater dresses with snowflakes, you could do a sweater dress also or off the shoulder knit with chandelier earrings and hubs could wear white shirt, dark jeans and a sports coat. With older children you could each wear something in the same color family. Â If you have a family of boys have them and dad wear matching ties in dark colors and you can wear a dress in similar color. If you decide on neutrals, vary textures: tulle, cashmere, fur, angora etc.
Here, Melanie had gotten out of a hospital for emergency surgery on her neck, so considering this was not half bad. The sweaters are in similar tones so that helps pull the photo together.

This family chose lighter colors whites and grays for another great photo.

Even the Spanish royal family tries to color coordinate. Purple is not a Christmas color per se but darker colors work better for the season than say hot pink or turquoise.
3. Â Forget about the seasonality. If you have a great family photo you love, use that! You all fishing or camping or cooking – you do you!
4. Have fun with it! I did a sort of a ha-ha card one year and I was amazed how many people asked me if it was staged – yes, yes, it was. I don’t wear pearls/red lipstick and apron casually while my daughters decked to the nines eat cake. But I was more amazed how many people told me how much they loved that card, it’s been a few years and it still comes up! Girls dresses are from Carter’s.

Love this! I mean who cannot relate? I love seeing dad and mom there also, having fun.
And if the teenagers really don’t want to take a family holiday photo and husband isn’t thrilled either, this would be perfect.
5. Last but not least, hire a professional photographer, someone who has experience working with children. Ask to see previous work. The right equipment, right lighting and ability to photoshop and edit the photos later are crucial. Go early in the day when light is best and noone is tired. Try to do it before December as it will be hectic as is and then you need to order the cards, wait for it, get them mailed out etc.
Love
-haiku