How to make Christmas cards a yearly tradition

If you've been wanting to send out Christmas cards every year, but can't figure out how to actually make family photos happen, this post is for you. Even as a photographer (i.e. someone who really values family photos, knows a bunch of photographers, and helps families every year to get family photos done and get Christmas cards made), I have had a difficult time making it happen. There's a lot to juggle! But it is something that is completely worth it. Hopefully this will give you some encouragement and guidance as you work on making family photos and Christmas cards a yearly tradition.

Give it 3 tries, in a row

The first year is gonna be hard. It just is. There are so many decisions to make, so many things to figure out... it really isn't a picnic. And honestly, the second year is pretty hard too — it's so much easier to convince yourself that you did it last year and don't want to go through all the effort again (especially if it was hard or painful the year before.) The second year is when you work out the kinks. But the third year? You've done it twice before, you know how to make it happen. You've made the hard decisions already and put systems in place. Your family is figuring out that this is going to be an every year thing, and is learning what to expect from it. The third year is when things start to fall into place. So if you really want to make a tradition of yearly family photos, promise yourself you'll give it three tries in a row before you throw in the towel.

Make time to sit down and plan

Whether that means scheduling time in next week, setting an alarm on your phone for in 2 hours, working on it for a few minutes over lunch, or making some notes right now, while you're thinking about it, nothing is going to happen until you decide to make it happen! If doing family photos and holiday cards really matters to you, you'll have to make time to make them happen.

Decide on a time of year

Fall:

Fall sessions usually take place between Mid-October and the beginning of November, at least in Alabama! This is one of the most popular times of year to do family photos. There are beautiful locations and colors everywhere, the timing is ideal for sending out holiday cards in the beginning of December, a lot of photographers offer mini sessions, the temperature and weather tends to be mild, and your kids won't have too much time to grow and look completely different before you get things sent off. One thing to be aware of: in Idaho, we have a short fall season. You'll want to plan in advance to make sure you're ready during the peak of the fall colors if that's the kind of background you want!

Winter:

This is actually my personal favorite, whenever I can find the clean, fresh look of snow and sparkling lights. I think it turns out so cool on a holiday card. Unluckily for me, Alabama doesn't have beautiful snowy winters most years! It's also worth noting that the timeline can be tighter to get photos back and cards out, and the temperature isn't as ideal. The weather can also be very unpredictable! Some families will opt for an indoor session for winter family photos to resolve some of these concerns.

Spring:

And this is my personal least favorite time of year for family photos. Although I do love spring for Mothers Day and Valentines Day sessions, I've found that it's very hard to predict the weather, locations that look gorgeous all through the summer, fall, and winter can look barren and dead, and little kids have almost a full year to grow up between when you take photos and when you send out holiday cards, so I always end up wanting to do another session later in the year. That being said, if you can find somewhere that's blooming and get a nice warm evening spring photos can be pretty magical.

Summer:

Summer sessions are also a really popular time of year. You'll have lots of options for locations, won't need to bundle up (although you might overheat if you get a particularly hot evening), and will have more greens, blues, and even some summer flowers in your photos. Early summers in Alabama can be absolutely gorgeous, and these photos are usually worth it even if you end up taking photos again in the fall :)

Add recurring reminders into your calendar

(Yes, I did google whether "recurring" or "reoccurring" was the right word to use here.) Use these timelines as a guide, and schedule reminders for yourself! I recommend setting them to repeat every year to help remind you and keep you on track. I've included 5 recommended timelines, one for each season you might want to do your family photos in... and one for if you're running late and need to get it done as soon as possible. If that last one is you this year, don't beat yourself up about it though! Most of us run late, most of the time. Start where you are, do what you can, and set reminders to get yourself going sooner next year!

Find a photographer you love, and stick with them!

I'm definitely biased, but I have found that it is so much easier to make family photos a habit once you find a photographer you love and can keep coming back to each year. My personal recommendation is me, obviously :) Especially if you're in Alabama! But there really are a ton out there and lots of different options to fit your family's specific needs.

Outfits: start with the right foundation

The recommendation I always give when it comes to picking outfits for family photos is to find something for whoever is the absolute hardest to shop for/please first. In a lot of families, that person is going to be you! The person putting the most work into family photos and Christmas cards, and the person most invested in the outcome. If that rings true, start with yourself. It will make it so much easier. If you know you'll be able to find something no problem, start with someone else. In my family, I always start with my husband. He is very particular about what he's wearing, and I know that if I start with him I'll be able to find something for myself that works well with what he's wearing.

Family photos: make it a tradition, not a chore

This is the most important part when your family might not be on board for family photos: make it something special you do together each year, not a day to be dreaded and avoided at all costs! Some of this comes down to your photographer, and some of it comes down to everyone's attitudes and moods, but you'd be surprised how much most of it comes down to you! Here are my recommendations for what you can do to influence this:

• Start getting ready early. WAY earlier than you think. Avoid the stress that comes when you know you're running low on time! It's okay to be early to your session.
• Dress kids when you get there. Do their hair and all that jazz beforehand, but wait to put them in their outfit until you actually arrive! This will keep them just a little bit cleaner for a little bit longer, and is always worth it.
• Eat beforehand. Hungry kids (and hungry adults!) are way less patient than ones who just got an awesome dinner!
• On that same note, bring snacks and bribery (preferably stuff that won't make a mess though.) The trick with this one is to keep it secret, and not pull it out until about halfway through the session.
• Be fun to be around. Growing up, the fastest way to kill the mood was for Mom or Dad to be stressed, annoyed, or generally hard to please. If you can keep your cool and keep the mood casual, it will affect the whole family.
• Once you get to your session, embrace the chaos and focus on doing what you want your family to do: smile and have fun! At this point, you've done all the prep you can do, and it's time to let go of control and trust your photographer. Rather than focusing on getting the kids to stand still or smile, focus on spending time with your family. The smiles will come, and so will all the photos you're hoping for.
• Plan a fun activity for afterwards! Go out for dessert, or go roller skating, or hit a movie together — just plan something that will help family photos be worth the effort and will build good memories together! This is the key to making it a tradition, rather than a habit.

Avoid procrastination by using waiting time wisely

There are two big wait periods while you're doing Christmas cards, and they can completely throw you off your momentum if you let them! Instead, use them as mental deadlines for yourself.

• Between taking photos and getting them back from your photographer, find a couple of holiday card designs you like. I recommend a couple horizontal, and a couple vertical, because you don't know what photos will work best yet. This is also a good time to update your list of addresses and decide where you'll be printing your cards at.
• Once you get your photos back, I highly recommend waiting to look at them until you're ready to sit down and get everything designed and ordered, or at least to set an alarm or reminder to come back to it by the next week. (Although that might be my ADHD and forgetfulness talking!) When you're ready, pick out your favorites, design your cards (using the designs or templates you've already picked out!), and order your cards right then. You can even have addresses pre-printed on your envelopes, depending on where you're printing from and if you want the additional cost!
• Between when you order your prints and when you get them back, finalize your address list and figure out where you put your stamps. (If you need to go get new ones from the post office, now is the time!)
• As soon as you get your cards in the mail, plan a time to sit down and address and stamp them. And as soon as you've finished that, take them to the mailbox or post office! If it's still too early in the year to do that, set a reminder in your calendar to come back to it.

Keep a running list of addresses

I recommend a google doc or note on your phone that is easy to find and update each year! Hand written lists get lost and are difficult to update without getting messy.

Order prints during yearly sales

Most print places have sales several times a year — Black Friday is a super common one, but they will have them around other holidays as well. Keep an eye on them, and avoid paying full price if you can! Planning to order prints and cards during these sales can also be a helpful mental deadline for you to get everything designed and ordered.