Family Pictures. Do's + Don'ts.

Our first family picture shoot was quite hectic to plan. Newborn photos are best if shot when your baby is one week old. We had scheduled pictures for exactly one week after she was born but the day before large fire started up lake from our home and smoke started to settle in our valley. For Vienna's safety we packed up our bags and headed over to Seattle for some blue sky and clean air. Sadly, leaving behind our amazing Photographer Kristi Bonney. Fast forward a week later and we finally got the go-ahead from family that the air was clear enough that we could come home. I was so excited to get home that I completely forgot that while I was in Seattle (close to some of the best shopping malls) I didn't have an outfit to wear! Once we got home I frantically looked for an outfit that I would feel comfortable in with this post-baby-body of mine. We eventually found something for Vienna and Jonny as well, and all of the pictures turned out exactly how I had pictured them!

So, with all of that being said here is some things I wish someone would have told me BEFORE we had our first family photo shoot.

{DO's}

• Pick out your outfit first, ahead of time. If these are newborn photos I'd suggest picking two or three outfits in the same color scheme just in case you put on your first choice outfit and don't feel comfortable in it. After you've found your outfit, pick out your kids and husbands.

• Send hubby on a coffee run and eat before the photographer gets there. Like right before. Pictures can end up taking a long time, a lot longer than you expect so cut down on melt down moments by checking "hangry" off the list.

• Wash your hair the night before, so you have enough time to get your people ready the morning / day of. Also, Jon went in for a haircut three days before the shoot instead of the day before or day of so that his hair looked more "normal + relaxed" and less "I just got my hair cut for pictures".

{DON'Ts}

• Expect everything to go perfectly. There are bound to be hiccups. There are bound to be shots that don't go as planned. And there is bound to be crying.

• Leave clothes to steam the day of! Get it done the day before.