We all know this time of year too well; the bustling streets, crowded Michigan Ave (or any store for that matter), everyone is rushing around to get their holiday gifts for the family. There are so many things on your mind and one of them should be your annual Holiday Card. The best holiday card features a photograph of your family with a lovely sentiment. Here are some quick tips when thinking about your card for next year.

I want to talk to you about the importance of holiday cards and booking your session early. All of your friends and family love seeing your children growing over the years, sure you can email them a photo or even an Ecard, but they just aren’t the same. There is something special about going to the mailbox, seeing a hand-addressed envelope, opening it to find a cheerful card that can be placed above the fireplace in the warmth of your home. Snail mail truly makes a world of difference. All of our holiday cards are printed on beautiful, thick, linen-textured stock and are designed so one side is a full image which is completely framable!

Many people seem to forget about deadlines around the holiday season. For photographers, they are extremely important and come much earlier than you may think. We will work backwards to easily lay this out. Let’s say you want to send your cards out by December 10th, a good two weeks before Christmas (and even earlier for Hanukkah). You need to place your final order with your photographer 2-4 weeks prior to this in the middle of November, remember they are just as busy as you are during this season. Also, most photographers take one to two weeks to process your images and place your gallery online or (as I do) meet for an in-person order consultation. So now, you see, your session must take place by the beginning of November. Many Chicago Photographers book 4-6 weeks in advance, which to make a long story longer, means you should start thinking about your Holiday Portrait Session in September or October. If you’re a super-savvy city mama, you could even think about it earlier – think summertime – so your session is booked while it is lovely and warm or when the leaves are just starting to turn. Either way, book it before it is bitter cold so you can have a lovely outdoor family photography session in Chicago. Make sure you book early this year, so you are able to book with one of Chicago’s best photographers, they all book up very quickly around this season.

So I wish you the best holidays this year and don’t forget to remember early for next years cards! Sign up here to receive updates and reminders about important events and helpful photography tips. I still have some September and October sessions available but they are flying off the shelves. I would love to photograph your family this holiday season so drop me a line!

(And one more quick holiday card tip, don’t go to crazy with the Christmas themes – everyone knows what time of year it is, they want to see your lovely faces, not crazy reindeer antlers on your head! 😉

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