The holiday season is upon us and very much so if you are still hoping to schedule a portrait session as well as get an order in for cards and gifts! I know, I know, it’s crazy. I was at Hobby Lobby a couple weeks ago and they had Halloween, Thanksgiving and Holiday all out already! It sends a slight wave of stress over me but then I take a deep breath and remember how much fun Dana and I had last year when we did ALL of our shopping in ONE day just less than a WEEK before Christmas.
I did skip cards last year though because I just couldn’t get my act together in time! Part of that was the fact that I was working hard finishing client orders! I vowed to really put my foot down on holiday deadlines this year so I can have more free time! So, here it is. ALL HOLIDAY PRINT ORDERS (things you would like to receive at least 7 days before Christmas so you can still ship) must be in by November 15th. This means you will need to have your session done by November 1 to give you time to make these decisions. If you only want your cards in time to send out, then you’ve got until November 30th for card orders.
I do not traditionally offer holiday mini sessions because I don’t really want to shoot 10 families through an assembly line in one day and I don’t like the idea of 8 of those families being photographed in less than perfect light. However, I DO offer a 50/50 holiday session. What you do, is book your on-location session with a friend, split the session time and the fee! I also offer my holiday cards at bogo -only for portrait clients who have had their photos taken before the end of October! That means you purchase 25 cards and get 25 free! The 50/50 session is great for your pocketbook but also great because I accept a limited number of sessions each week and it may be the only hope for getting everyone scheduled in time! This should give you a solid 40 minutes in the location that you and your friend agree upon (90 minutes total which includes a little intro time.) That will be enough time to capture everything you need. If you like the idea of getting more time to relax and let the kids play or move around the location you will need to book a full session. Call your friend now and start coordinating your schedules and mine! 🙂
Last but definitely not least a word about holiday cards! I am going to update the catalog of card designs with last years creations – you can link here to view these and choose from them if you’d like. You can also find the entry under FAQ on the title bar. This year I have TWO very exciting new options. First of all, I am offering Holiday Ornaments that double as Holiday Cards! I AM IN LOVE WITH THEM. Here are some examples:
These babies are adorable, two-sided, with color and of course text customizable. On the reverse, they are each different, but basically give you the opportunity to send a sweet holiday message to your friends and loved ones. How much more fun is it to hang your cards on your tree than stick all over your refrigerator or one of those holiday-card-holdermajigs. My mom would probably cry if I ever get around to making one of these for myself! If you are not into the ornament thing, these designs are also available as square, two-sided cards.
So, the next exciting new option for Holiday Cards 2010 is the partnership I now share with THREE LITTLE BIRDS local design team. It’s not an entirely new thing as these designers have already been designing wedding albums, baby announcements, save the dates and other stationary with me for the better part of 2010. However, this will be the first holiday season with THREE LITTLE BIRDS! I do love design, it is REALLY fun, but it is time consuming and I have learned that having someone else who specializes in this take over makes a big difference for AGP and the time frame for your order. We do collaborate however, so control freak me gets to give my suggestions and input, plus sleep at night. I must admit though, (whispering) they are better than me. What this means to you is fresh new CUSTOM designs available without having to purchase digital files (unless you need them for something else) or the hassle of making a seperate card order. They specialize in customizing things but maybe I’ll get a few designs up here just to give you a taste of THREE LITTLE BIRDS style. Check back!
Phew, that was a mouthful.
Happy Halloween, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas.
That should cover it!