10 Family Christmas Photo Ideas for 2023

Everyone knows that as wonderful as the holidays are, they can sometimes bring a little chaos. Between decorating your house, packing presents, and preparing all those delicious Christmas treats, planning your family Christmas photo might seem like an overwhelming task. 

For instance, you have to decide what everyone will wear, which can be especially difficult if you’ve got little ones running around. If you’re planning on using these photos for the family Christmas card, then you might need several photos to choose from. Don’t worry — we’ve come up with 10 family Christmas photo ideas to make this holiday season a little more manageable. 

1. Embrace Your Cozy Side 

For a lot of people, the holidays are all about spending time with family and embracing their cozy side. If that sounds like you and your family, bring that coziness to your family Christmas photo by planning a photoshoot at home. 

Get your family decked out in Monogrammed Pajama Sets to make the memory even more special as you snap photos in all of your favorite cuddle spots. Matching pajama sets will help elevate these cozy photos and make your family look cohesive and cute at the same time! 

If you and your family love movie night, snuggle up on the couch for the photoshoot. Or, maybe you have the comfiest bed in the house that your kids just can’t resist jumping on. If so, have the entire family pile onto your bed for a funny Christmas picture idea.

2. Sunset Photo Op

Next time there’s a beautiful, cloudless day, bring your family to the nearest park or beach at sunset for the Christmas photoshoot. The last hour or so before sunset is known as the “golden hour” because the light is so vibrant and golden. This makes for a great family portrait!

This is a great option if your kids are a little bit older and don’t mind standing still. It can also work well if it’s your baby’s first Christmas, and you want to make sure to capture well-lit photos with them to remember the milestone forever. 

Even though the beautiful natural light may make these photos look more formal, don’t be afraid to tell a few jokes and get your whole family laughing so you can have some candids as well as posed photos. Whether or not you hire a professional photographer or snap a few selfies, a sunset photoshoot is an easy way to make sure your family Christmas photo looks professional this year. 

3. Go for a Snowy Hike

For families who love to spend time outdoors, the best family Christmas photo might be one taken on a snowy hike. This can be an especially meaningful photoshoot if there is a particular trail that your family loves to hike together. 

Bundle up and hit the trail with your family, making sure to snap photos along the way. You can also get your family to stop every once in a while for a family group photo when the view is particularly scenic. 

You can make this wintery photoshoot even more special by getting your family monogrammed duck boots. For your little ones, you can check out our Monogrammed Kids Buffalo Plaid Duck Boots, which feature a red and black plaid which will give the photos a Christmas-y flair.

For you and your partner, try our Monogrammed Holiday Red Duck Boots. The red laces match the red plaid of the kids’ boots, and they are the perfect shoe choice for a winter hike. 

4. Pile Into the Pickup

Although you might not look at your pickup truck and think “photoshoot,” we promise it can make an adorable background for a family Christmas photo. 

Dress your little ones up in some of their most festive attire (matching Santa hats are always cute!), pack up some of your favorite blankets and Christmas decorations, and drive your truck to a scenic spot. A pretty forest area or your local Christmas tree farm can make the perfect background for these rustic family photos. 

You can lay your Christmas blankets down in the back of your pickup and decorate a little bit before having your family pile into the bed of your truck for the photoshoot. This is an especially great Christmas photo idea for families with small children because the truck bed is a fun, easy place to pose. 

5. Feature the Furry Friends 

For a lot of families, their furry friends are the stars of the show. If that sounds like your family, then make sure to feature your family pet this year in your Christmas photo. You might even want to dress your cat or dog up in a Christmas sweater or bandana for the occasion. 

Once your furry friend is ready for the photo shoot, have your family gather around them and start snapping pics. Don’t be afraid to include a few candids playing fetch with your dog or hugging your cat. Sometimes the photos that are not staged turn out the best!

6. Capture Snowy Fun 

If you already know that your little ones won’t be able to sit still for a more formal Christmas photo, embrace their active energy. Next time there’s a snowstorm and your kids can’t wait to go out and play, bring your camera and capture the magic of the moment. 

As soon as someone starts a snowball fight or builds a snowman, snap some candids. These photos will combine all the beauty of the winter wonderland and the joyful energy of your little ones.

If they finish the snowman, then make sure to get a staged group photo around the newest, coldest member of the family as well. To make these fun photos more cozy, you can get everyone in your family a Monogrammed Plaid Scarf. If you know ahead of time that your kids love to build snowmen, don’t forget to get a scarf for the snowman, as well! 

7. Bake Your Favorite Holiday Treats 

Another fun holiday activity that can make the perfect setting for your family Christmas photo is baking. This is the perfect idea for your family if sweet treats are a big part of how you spread holiday cheer every year. Set your kids up at the kitchen table building gingerbread houses or decorating Christmas cookies. 

Given that baking can be a delightfully messy process, make sure you clean and declutter your kitchen before the photoshoot begins. Scatter a few Christmas-y items, like mugs of hot chocolate and candy canes, on the table to enhance the holiday spirit in the photos even more. You can also have your kids dress up in their matching Christmas PJs with aprons on top. 

Taking your family Christmas photo while baking holiday treats can also be a sweet way to include more family members in the photos. If any of your recipes were passed down from your parents, invite grandma and grandpa over to bake to capture memories that your kids will cherish forever. 

8. Celebrate Christmas at the Beach 

Most people can agree that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, but that doesn’t mean it has to come with snowy days and freezing nights. If you always celebrate Christmas at the beach, then take your family’s Christmas photoshoot on the sandy shore. You can make these photos seem more cohesive by giving everyone Monogrammed Beach Chairs. 

If you’re planning on using these photos for your Christmas card, it can be a cute idea to get a photo of everyone in their chairs from the front and back. When designing your holiday card, you can use the photo with everyone’s faces for the front of the card and show off your matching chairs by using the photo of your backs for the opposite side of the card. 

Given that people usually associate Christmas with colder weather, you can make your beach photos seem more Christmas-themed by including some holiday photo props. Bring along reindeer antlers, Christmas tree decorations, and Santa hats. You can also string some lights on your chairs and dress your family members up to give the photos a little bit of holiday spirit. 

9. Set the Scene With Decorations

If you love to decorate for Christmas, let your hard work and creativity shine by making those holiday decorations the background of your family Christmas photo this year. Try cuddling up in front of your Christmas tree for a few quintessential family photos. 

If you hang stockings, have each one of your kids stand under their stockings. Remember to save extra strands of twinkle lights and garlands to wrap around your little ones for a few of the photos. And, of course, don’t forget to hang mistletoe and have your kids snap a photo of you giving your partner a Christmas kiss!

10. Be a Tourist in Your City

Do you want a chic background for your family Christmas photo but can’t quite find the right place in your home? If so, don’t be afraid to be a tourist in your city and make use of all the beautiful Christmas lights that are set up. 

Take a walk around the city with your family and look for festive spots that everyone loves for a photo session. This is a great way to explore your city with your family and capture the perfect family photo. 

If you live in a colder place, you might want to wait for a night when there are some snow flurries before heading out for your holiday photoshoot. Oftentimes, the combination of twinkling Christmas lights and snowflakes can make for beautiful holiday photos. 

Tips for Capturing the Perfect Family Christmas Photo

If you know what type of family photo you want to take this Christmas, but aren’t sure how to make the idea come to life, we’re here to help. These are some of our best tips for capturing the perfect family Christmas photo:

• Choose clothing carefully: Matching jammies or Santa hats can make an otherwise chaotic photo seem more thoughtful and cohesive. Christmas PJs also make the perfect stocking stuffer!
• Use props: This tip is especially crucial for families with little ones. Giving your baby or toddler a Christmas-themed object to hold will keep their hands occupied while you snap the perfect photo. Props can also help add a little holiday spirit to photos taken in locations that aren’t usually associated with Christmas. 
• Set up a timer: If you want to take your Christmas photos yourself, set up your phone or camera with a timer. Make sure it is set up on a flat, stable surface and that you give yourself enough time to hop in the photo with your family. 
• Editing is everything: Remember that your family photos don’t have to be absolutely perfect at the moment. You can always go back with a photo editor like Photoshop to crop out unwanted objects or adjust the lighting slightly. You’ll be able to enjoy the photoshoot more if you know that you can finetune the photos later. 

The Bottom Line

Taking your family Christmas photo should be a fun way to make new holiday memories with your loved ones, not a cause of last-minute stress. With these Christmas card photo ideas, you’ll take your best Christmas photos yet. And remember that clothes, props, and equipment can help you capture the Christmas magic in your family photos. 

Whether you go for an action shot taken in the middle of a snowball fight or a cozy photo of you and your little ones cuddled up on the couch, your family Christmas pictures will be a way for you and your kids to remember this holiday season for years to come. For more family-friendly tips and tricks, check out the Marleylilly blog!

Sources:

Golden Hour Photography: A Complete Guide (+10 Tips) | Digital Photography School

Gingerbread House Recipe | NYT Cooking

92 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes | Delish

Photo Editing for Beginners: A Simple Introduction | Digital Photography School