Holiday Style // Family Chirstmas Photos

One question I get asked year after year is what to wear for family holiday photos. I know it can be stressful so today i’m sharing a sneak peek at this years family holiday photos and some tips (for staying sane and) how to style your own!

Family Photos should be a fun but let’s be honest, with non- enthusiastic hubby’s 😉 and impatient little ones I know first hand it can definitely be anything but. First things first, try to make your shoot as fun as possible. If you put too much pressure on it they will never turn out they way you want. If you have a picture perfect Pinterest image in your head…just scratch that off and know it’s probably not going to go as planned. Have Fun, be playful and recreate your own “Pinterest” moment;)  Pick a location you know your kids will love and maybe even a place that is special to you. When you look back at these photos years later, you’ll remember that place and that moment when your littles were actually little (insert emoji with the tears steaming down its face).

Try to keep your shoot as brief as possible.  I know that I have a solid 10 minute window (YES  10 minutes) with my kids when we arrive to new fun location to get some shots in before they lose interest and are ready to go off in every direction. As soon as we show up we are ready to roll! We try to sneak in as many shots in those first ten minutes as we can because kids quickly lose steam and there’s nothing worse than trying to wrangle up your kids and becoming a full on stage mom forcing them to pose a certain ways to get the “perfect” shot.  As a full time blogger my kids are used to the camera but I NEVER want to turn into that stage mom forcing them to do certain poses and honestly don’t want them to have the memory of me as they get older either. Playing little games with them or doing really silly things always gets the best organic smiles. My girlfriend just shared her secret that she pretend farted basically her whole holiday shoot and said she got the BEST belly laughs out of her daughter. (genius!) Doing silly things like that makes it fun for them and you usually end up getting the best shots too.  Lastly always…I repeat ALWAYS come packing some gummy bears. When the kiddos have lost steam they’ll perk up real fast once they see those 😉

When it comes to choosing outfits first you need to figure out your location. Are you shooting on the beach, in the meadow, at a Christmas tree farm or just in your home? If you’re at home some cute festive jammies and comfy clothes are always great. If you’re in a meadow or outdoors you can go with something a little more casual cute (think oversized off the shoulder sweater, skinnies and ankle boots for mom and some cute knits, denim and comfy boots for the kids (shared some below!). I’m not a big fan of everyone matching but do like when outfits compliment each other.

This year we went dressy and I had SO much fun picking out some pieces for Ava and Luca. I popped in Nordstrom and was SERIOUSLY impressed with their holiday selection! They have always had cute pieces but this year was on another level….I mean just check out some of these dresses for the girls below!! I adore the little suit I got for Luca and his little velvet bow tie….just stop! I wanted to just eat him up!

So here’s a little sneak peek from our family holiday photos this year and some seriously cute holidays pieces for the kids!

Lucas Top //Pants // Bow Tie and Leather Chucks 

Can we talk about these little dresses! I snagged a couple but am really eyeing that red one for Ava’s Holiday recital!

Add a little faux fur shrug or jacket and they are good to go!

 For shoes you can’t go wrong with classic dressy ballet flats but i’m also LOVING those little ankle boots if you want to add a bit of edge to your little ones holiday look (added bonus they can wear them over and over again throughout the season.

For the little guys there are so many cute options especially in the accessories department. I did not think Luca would keep his little velvet bow tie on but he rocked even after out to dinner 😉 You can’t go wrong with a velvet tie or pop of color with that fun little red bow tie! Ps both bow tie are SUPER easy to put on and adjust.

There are some great dress shoe options too but I really love keeping it playful with the little guys and adding some chucks an otherwise dressy look.

Festive Knits paired with denim are an effortless way to go or you can opt for a dress shirt, khaki denim and some sneaks or Winter boots too.

And for the girls if you want something a little more on the casual side you can opt for a fun skirt and knit top. Last year I went with something a little more playful for Ava like the liquid leggings and fuzzy top in bottom row.

I hope this was helpful for you mama’s and good luck with your Christmas photos this year!