It's the most wonderful time of the year, so grab your cameras and get ready to capture beautiful family photos! I've gathered up a few tips from past years…
Traditional with a twist! Try setting up a traditional family photo with one offbeat detail. Last year we wore traditional red and green and dressed our pug in a little bear hat. She loved it… just look at that face!
Try something funny! My pal, Julie, creates the most hilarious and adorable photos with her husband, Ted, each year. Here's what she has to say… "Creating personalized Christmas cards was one of the traditions I wanted to start with my husband when we got married, and it’s been a treat for our family and friends to receive them every year since! When brainstorming ideas, I usually focus on which era in times past I would like to recreate. Then, I’ll pinpoint a few styling trends and go from there. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate setup, just emphasize on certain looks and mannerisms from your chosen decade. The key is to have fun with it and really get into character! Geek out as much as possible (in doing so, the outtakes are guaranteed hilarious)! You can heighten the kitschiness of your picture using some simple photo editing and then upload them into templates provided by sites such as Shutterfly.com. I hope the ideas are already churning in your head!"
Here's our contribution to the funny photo category from our first couple Holidays together! I love costumes so anything I can bribe my sweetie into wearing works for me. He was a sport our first Christmas together with those reindeer ears. I'm saving that one for our grandchildren….
Light it up! Try using Christmas lights in your photo. Lights from a tree or a special Christmas fort can be lovely. I love the warm glow that they bring to photos. It's the perfect time of year to play with light in your photos! xo. elsie
*twinkle light and fort photos by Arrow and Apple.
70 Comments
omg these are wonderful!
Amy
love the twinkle light photos! So dreamy:) and he’s such a good sport, dressing up for you. happy for you that you found a man like that 🙂
I love the lights! I’ve never thought to do a Christmas portrait, we might have to give it a go this year 🙂
So gorgeous Elsie! I love the twinkle lights idea! Would to do some Christmas shots this year, thanks so much for the inspiration.
Sophie x
Ha I love all of these ideas- they are all choc full of Christmas spirit! Love the lights.
Julie’s photos are too great! Thanks for the inspiration, as always.
Inspiring!
Ah, so excited to see this post!
My fiance & I just had our Christmas card photo shoot wrapped in lights, wearing reindeer antlers!
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I love funny Christmas pictures. May try to convince him indoors to do some kitsch ones this year for the cards next year! (I have a serious stock pile of handmade ones ready for this year!)
o goodness these are so sweet and such great inspiration. thank you for sharing!
Grace
http://herumbrella.com
Great ideas! Julie has the funniest Christmas photos ever. And I love the one with Suki wearing that bear hat. It’s so cute!
I just love the b/w one with the lamps. Lovely!!!
really really cute pictures!
http://www.petiteandhungry.blogspot.com
You two look adorable tangled up in the lights! Thanks for the ideas!
http://www.thoreausdaughter.com/
Awesome ideas, I ought to try some of this. Thanks for sharing!!
http://littlemisscibelle.blogspot.com/
These pics are so cute. My favorite is the one in black n white 🙂 Thanks for all your wonderful posts.
Emily, 18
Three favorites: black&white, with deer antler and with funny hats! 🙂
Great post! (As usual.)
You two are so adorable! I love these ideas, might try them out someday 🙂
pretty picture! 🙂 http://lovesimplegreen.blogspot.com/
I am very like this posting, waitng for next..pls keep continue new posts.
you guys are adorable. it is easy to see that you are still very much in love
These are all Wonderful ideas! And yes, it does get me thinking : )
Awww some lovely ideas here. My friend has asked me to do a portrait shoot of her and her boyfriend and I’m going to steal the Christmas lights idea…I love it 🙂
The first and last photos are just so precious and christmassy!
Sarah
xo
http://www.almostdelightful.com
I love the ones with the Christmas lights! That’s my goal for our Christmas cards this year : )
Jenn – passengerseatperspectives.blogspot.com
It is really very inspiring post Elsie! Thanks for the photos of your friend! They are great! Cheers!
Such great ideas!! I am definitely going to try something super cute this year with my hubby =) Not sure what yet. So many ideas…lol
http://julies-thisandthat.blogspot.com/
Omg! i love your family photos! You two are absolutely adorable! So much thought and creativity in each photo!
love these photos of you guys, so cute! i love the ones with the lights!
i really love the reindeer ears picture, his hair is awesome!!! john lennon-ish, but im partial to long hair!!!
Heart warming!
I actually love these all so much 🙂
Xo
http://kittysnooks.blogspot.com/
GORGEOUS! you’ve inspired me to take a few photos myself!
I love the pictures of you and Jeremy with the christmas lights! So festive and pretty!!!
These are so wonderful! Love the lights with the black and white. Makes the photo so classic and timeless.
Love & Lollies! Jessa
http://confessionsofthecupcakecountessa.blogspot.com/
you guys look so cutee together:) i don’t know how i came across Jeremy’s proposal on youtube today its so cute and you guys make a wonderful couple:). wish you a great christmas!
I love knit hats too but I feel like I can’t pull them off. A follow up post sharing how to wear knit hats would be super helpful! They look so cute on you!
I actually like only the first one!!
The Life After
Where are those beautiful lights from I NEED some for my house 🙂
I’ve always wanted to do a quirky family portrait every year and then hang them on the wall in a row to see how we change over the years.
This post has inspired me to start this Christmas! Although at the moment it’s just us and a blind cat and a MASSIVE rabbit. This should be fun 🙂 Zoe
http://www.enthusedmonkey.co.uk
Great photo ideas! I love this! =)
I LOVE the lights. I think that is so cute. Would love to do it with our baby! So fun!
Kacie
ever since you first posted your christmas pictures i’ve been in love with the light idea. so magical 🙂
LOL nice to hear that someone else has to bribe their boy into wearing silly hats too… still trying to convince mine to wear a santa beard haha
These ideas and review of seasons past is really neat! I love all of them: the retro-inspired ones by Linda are truly hillarious (especially that 2nd one!!), and yours from the fort in bear hats and J in reindeer antlers are lots of fun too. What a nice reminder of Christmasses past 🙂 xoxo, B
This is so COOL and you guys are adorable! Love, Love, Love the blog! 🙂
AWESOME post! i love your pictures, great ideas! XOXO, http://www.NatalyasCloset.com
all of these pictures are adorable!! and i love this idea of creating a little fort and wrapping up in lights!!
xo TJ
Love the photos with the holiday lights – very cool idea!
My daughter and I want to do the funny kitschy one like your pals. the cheesier the better. this made me smile 🙂
Too cute! Love the pictures of you two draped in the Christmas lights. Very fun and whimsical.
http://shannonhearts.blogspot.com
awwwwwww what beautiful fun photo treasures through the years! 🙂
sighhh that just made me all mushy inside 🙂
thanks for sharing the sweet pics!!
xxxx
-S
http://www.messylittlemonsters.blogspot.com
the last series with the lights are so sweet. great idea using Christmas lights. 🙂
These are great ideas! I especially love your feature on your friend. I’d love to get a Christmas card from them!
http://www.cashmerechronicles.com
Omaygah i love this so much! And your friend is hillarious! =D
http://www.missgricia.blogspot.com
Elsie LarsonI dont know if u read all comments..but just want to let u know that reading ur blog every day..has helped keeping me hopeful about work, life and love during hard times..and i wish u all the luck! and i do secretly aspire to be as inspiring and happy as u are 🙂
Amazing photos!!!!!! You guys are so adorable!!!!
Love this idea! I will definitely send friends to check this out.
Jonesy
http://www.misssavvychic.blogspot.com
great photos
I love Julie’s photos, the 80’s one is so perfect!
You guys have amazing Christmas photos! My husband and I just married on November 20th- its our 3rd year together (and we have a toddler!) and we’ve NEVER done these! For shame! We still have a couple weeks before Christmas…perhaps….
You’ve inspired me! I’m getting married this year and after this post I am starting the Holiday Photo tradition. I’m getting out the camera tomorrow, I can’t decide whether to do cute or totally awesome like your friend and her photoshopping skills.
oh, I’m digging the fuzzy animal ears!
you guys are just too cute!! i love the b&w photo, it looks so retro!
LOVE these! So fun and inspiring!
they’re all super pretty and creative but I think my favourite ones are those with the lights! I remember you once took some pictures with lights too, I think you were wearing a pink dress if I can recall… I loved those pictures!!
Thanks for the tips 🙂
I’ve never done personalized Christmas cards before, however now that the husband and I have our little bunny for her first Christmas with us, it’s definitely something I am contemplating! 🙂 The more wacky and unusual, the better!
Loooooove the third photo more modern but so vintage at the same time… it remind the good old das…
XOXO Lilou
http://www.guccibagsjapan.com/ 国土交通省運輸安全委員会は同日、船舶事故調査官を派遣。苫小牧海保は船長から事情を聴くなど事故の原因を調べる一方、巡視船など５隻とヘリを出して行方不明者を捜索している。
Awesome! My favorites are #2 (with the pug) and #4 (with the newspaper and cookies). I’m obsessed with past era workplace/fancy wardrobes and am trying to convince my bf to do a 50s outfit inspired Xmas photo with me.