I finally sent out the last of our Christmas cards and I’m so happy to have that checked off my list! One of my favorite things about this time of year is getting the cards in the mail and hanging them up to look at all season long. I know it can be a headache to get family photos done, but I’m always so happy to have them. Even while we were taking these it was so windy that my hair was blowing everywhere and I was just hoping we would get one photo of everyone looking at the camera. Luckily, I had some amazing photographers who worked their magic and made the whole process quick as well - Jenny & Ellis were so great to work with. So I thought I’d share a few tips with you on things I have learned over the years to help make family photos a little easier. You can also pin this post to come back to next year if you want.

| TIPS FOR TAKING FAMILY PHOTOS |

-PICK A THEME [decide if you want your photos to be more formal or casual and then pick the location based on what you want to wear. I always love the outdoors and lots of natural light. Everything about the photos should go together from the clothes to the scenery and then pick a font and design for your christmas card that blends with that]

-HIRE A PROFESSIONAL [it is so worth it to hire a professional photographer because it takes a lot of the stress off of you. They are good at what they do because they will bring all the equipment, worry about what time of the day is best for lighting, they will help pose you and get your kids to smile, and worry about getting all of the shots you want. They can even help find the best location for you and make sure your photos all turn out beautiful]

-COORDINATE OUTFITS [start with the outfit that has the most pattern in it and base everyone else’s outfits off of that and I think over dressed works better than underdressed. For these photos I had Capri’s dress first so I picked out all the other colors to fit the theme of mustard yellow with a touch of green and neutral colors. I like to have everyone coordinating but not too matching. It’s also a good idea to have every outfit laid out a day or two before with everything -including shoes and accessories so that you can see how everything will look together and if you need to go and get something you have time]

-BE PREPARED [it’s always tricky doing photoshoots with little kids, but if you can try to be little more prepared for the photos then it can help make it easier. Feed everyone before the photos and have your kids take a nap earlier so that they won’t fall asleep on the way there. Bring some candy to incentivize them if you need to or any rattle toy to get a babies attention. Make sure you have extra lipstick, shoes that work for the location, and a blanket if you are sitting down for any photos]

-TREAT YOURSELF [getting your once a year family photos taken are the perfect excuse to pamper yourself a little and make sure you feel beautiful. Carve out some time in the day for you to get ready to make sure you have enough time. And take this opportunity to do whatever your budget allows to make yourself feel ready for photos whether that’s getting a manicure, your hair blown out, a spray tan/self-tanner, or a new outfit]

And most of all just HAVE FUN! The best photos are the ones that the photographer captures when you aren’t looking. I think it’s best to let your kids play around a little and have the photographer capture some candid moments of you as a family in your element.