yay! it's time for holiday photos... but it's hot out!


I grew up in Michigan. We typically would get our first snow in November. By the time the holiday season rolled around, it was cold and crisp and the perfect weather for wearing your Christmas sweaters and scarves and earmuffs. I remember, as a child, seeing really cute Christmas dresses in magazines with short sleeves and thinking "how in the world can they wear that at Christmas??? It's WAY to cold!"

Then I moved to Florida.

I'll never forget my first Christmas down here. Its was 83 degrees that day. I was miserable. Haha!

11 years later, I'm used to the warm weather this time of year. And, in all actuality, that first Christmas was a very warm one. It's not so bad.

but what about the photos???


So, you want to have Holiday photos done. That's awesome. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or the Winter Solstice, this is a great time of the year to document your family in a photo, see how much the kids have grown and compare the different years. You start thinking about what to wear. The traditional Holiday photos have snow and icicles, ornaments and pine trees. So, what do you do when the weather is hot? Fear not! There are actually a LOT of options as to what you can do!

traditional


This is the Holiday photo everybody knows and loves. The sweaters, scarves, coats, hats, gloves, whatever you deem necessary for your "winter" attire.

Here's the deal. Talk to your photographer- or research different photographers. Find one that is doing photos indoors (in the air conditioning!). The last thing you want is to do outdoor photos in 90 degree heat (because it is mid-October as I'm writing this and 92 degrees outside today) with a coat and hat on and be dripping sweat. Or worse, one of the kids overheats! Find a photographer that is doing indoor photos with a backdrop or can composite you into a winter backdrop. Then you can do it up! Have fun with it! Pretend to be a northerner for a little while!

pajamas


This is probably the second most popular option for Holiday photos. What says Winter Season better than curling up in warm PJ's with a good book, or by a fire? Or children waiting for Santa to come on Christmas Eve. I love these photos, especially, because they bring back memories of drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies as a child. Also, this is probably the only time of the year that you could potentially (if it's done correctly) get away with wearing pajamas "outdoors".

decked out for the party


Another very popular option for Holiday photos is to dress up. Put on your fancy dress or your suit, do your hair, do your makeup, and show up ready to impress. These photos tend to look amazing when used in a decorated room (or a set that looks like a room). You probably wouldn't be traipsing around in your 5 inch heels in the snow so this would not be the kind of wardrobe you would consider for a Christmas tree farm or forest photo, for example. But standing in front of a fireplace, with the lit up tree beside you- this would be perfect.

florida fun!


When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right?

Well, when in Florida...

There is NOTHING wrong with a fun Holiday photo shoot on the beach! Show off to your northerner friends and family how you are enjoying fun in the sun while they are freezing! Decorate a palm tree, wear a hawaiian shirt, stick your toes in the sand, and soak up the heat! Trust me, everyone will love it. (Just don't do the same thing every year or your friends will think you're just rubbing it in!)

my family christmas photos this year


For my family, we decided to be a little more traditional this year. We haven't done Christmas photos in a few years- which is something I really regret. I let life get in the way and, next thing I knew, it was all over. So this year, we went with a "Snowy Front Porch" and this is the same set I will be using for my Holiday Mini Sessions this year. Being a front porch, you could actually use 3 out of the 4 styling options! We went for traditional "winter clothes". Lets be honest, if we were really in the snow, these clothes would NOT be sufficient but, for photo sake, they look just fine! We could've done it up with coats and scarves as well. Pajamas could work too because it's just our porch! If you've never had to step onto your porch in your PJ's for one reason or another, I'm not sure we can be friends. (KIDDING!). And, of course, formal Holiday attire would look beautiful in this setting as well. Girls, I would just stay away from sleeveless dresses for the sake of matching the background. The only wardrobe choice I would not recommend for this background is the "Florida Fun" style. Your shorts, flip flops, tank tops, etc. will look silly and obviously fake in this sort of setting. I recommend leaving those at home!

to "wrap" it up...


Look at the background of the photo you want and dress accordingly. My family likes to switch it up each year. Sometimes we are formal, other times we dress super casually. We have done all of the above for our Christmas cards in the past and they all look really cute. The most important thing is that you and your family feels comfortable. If your 10 year old HATES the tux he is wearing, it will show. If Dad was forced to wear a sweater, hat, and scarf for outdoor pictures and he is overheating, it will show. If your family is comfortable and feeling good about how they look, it will show. Hope you all have a GREAT time with holiday season photos!