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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To dislike this Christmas card trend

76 replies

feliznavidadatodos · 23/12/2016 12:21

Family/baby photo shoots that are then sent as the images on Christmas cards.

I know it's the done thing in America and has been for years but I just don't like it.

My friend from work spent a fortune on a photo shoot for her DS and his pictures are emblazoned all over the Xmas card. My DH asked whose baby it was and said he found it strange that there was a child he didn't know staring back at him in his living room.

AIBU to think just buy some cards instead of spending the best part of £1000 on photo shoots and getting cards made?

I know I'm probably BU

OP posts:
Lonoxo · 23/12/2016 12:31

I think it's being efficient, better than sending a card with a photo inserted in it. I wouldnt spend thousands on a photoshoot, just choose a good photo from the personal collection.

CaraAspen · 23/12/2016 12:34

It is very much about them rather than about the Christmas season. I dislike the idea.

OllyBJolly · 23/12/2016 12:36

I love it. Helps me keep track of my distant relatives as they grow up (and yes, mainly my US & Canadian family who do this).

AlpacaPicnic · 23/12/2016 12:37

I so wish they were a thing in this country - I can just imagine the fun I'd have dressing me, DH and our cats up in little matching christmasssy outfits, in July, and striking a cheesy pose!
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I'll get me coat...

MrsPeacockDidIt · 23/12/2016 12:44

We do this. Not an expensive photo shoot but a camera phone picture of my DS and made into a card. They don't get sent to everyone but a fair few. I think it's a nice thing to do and the people I send them too enjoy receiving them. My DS is still pretty young so not sure how many more years we'll do it. I keep one back every year to put in his memory box. Not everyone gets to see him often in the flesh or on Facebook so why not. I wouldn't send one to people we don't know so there wouldn't be a "stange" child staring back from anyone's mantelpiece. If you don't like receiving them then just throw it out when it arrives. Problem solved.

TheLambShankRedemption · 23/12/2016 12:45

yanbu

I can't stand it either and it weirds me out.

OverAndAbove · 23/12/2016 12:45

I love them too. I really like getting a photo but on a card it gives you an excuse to display it. They're fairly harmless anyway aren't they?

Original poster
feliznavidadatodos · 23/12/2016 12:49

over I agree no harm but £1000 is beyond my comprehension

OP posts:
TrustySnail · 23/12/2016 12:50

I'd see it as a bit aspirational - in the UK, family photo cards seem to be the preserve of the Royal Family and politicians. On the other hand, it might please distant relatives/friends to receive a family photograph, and as a previous poster said, it's an efficient way of sending one.

The OP didn't mention the style of photo - aesthetically, I really dislike the (now almost ubiquitous) style of family photo against a pure white background, so if it was one of those it would probably be put at the back of my card display!

WhooooAmI24601 · 23/12/2016 12:52

How do you know it cost £1000? I took the DCs to my friend who is a child photographer to have some obligatory christmas pics done for Grandparents and she charged less than £250 including the prints and at least 20 different shots.

busyboysmum · 23/12/2016 12:54

We do a photo shoot every year for the grandparents really. Gets us all together looking smart and fairly coordinated. we paid £100 to a local photographer who gave us an sd card with about 80 images to choose from. Some family ones some of the boys together some individual ones of each of them. we send them to relatives not friends however. I can't see any of our friends wanting a photo of us. But the grandparents and aunts and uncles love them.

TinselTwins · 23/12/2016 12:58

I like them, if you're on their chirstmas card list you're not a random stranger are you?

gabsdot · 23/12/2016 12:58

I like them. A friend of mine does one every year if her family and displays them all each Christmas on her mantelpiece.
It's nice.

Pastamancer · 23/12/2016 12:59

I think it is really tacky and luckily haven't received any like this. It just feels like a 'LOOK AT ME!' rather than 'We hope you have a lovely Christmas'. I probably wouldn't put the card up if I got one

ShallNotBeNamed · 23/12/2016 12:59

Maybe they are nice to give out to family or close friends but I'm not sure I'd give them out to neighbours or work colleagues Hmm

TinselTwins · 23/12/2016 13:00

FWIW the year we did one it cost less than the rip-off school photos (which we didn't buy that year because we were doing the photoshoot)

I only send christmas cards to people whose families I'm interested in, I'ld hope if anyone recieving cards from us is no longer interested in us then they'll stop sending so we can cross them off ours

AuntDotsie · 23/12/2016 13:02

We did one ourselves for DS's first Christmas last year. Strung some fairy lights over the bedstead, blankets, baubles and DS dressed in a santa suit. So cute! Chose the best one and bunged it on some cards for all the family. Not sure I'd send those to anyone who didn't know him though.

eddiemairswife · 23/12/2016 13:06

Horrible. Tony Blair did(does) this.

1horatio · 23/12/2016 13:07

I love it.

Up to now we've always uses animal charity cards.

But I'd love to do something like that next year.

MadameCholetsDirtySecret · 23/12/2016 13:12

I couldn't care less. There is no law to have the card on display if you don't like it.

NotYoda · 23/12/2016 13:13

I don't mind it. But I think they should be sent judiciously to people who won't take the piss behind your back and will appreciate seeing your children. There are some people I'd like to get that card from, but others I wouldn't. It can appear a bit self-important, like those Round Robin letters

In the past, when DCs were little I'd enclose a picture, but only to people I thought would be interested

Sadik · 23/12/2016 13:14

I don't do it myself but I have to say I really like to get a photo (either just dc or a whole family pic) with a card - doesn't bother me whether it's inside or the card itself. IME it's mainly Japanese friends who do this, I think it's a lovely thing.

dancegirl1983 · 23/12/2016 13:15

I'm not keen on the American style cheesy family portraits (or studio photo shoots in general) but one of our friends sends us a handmade card with a photo on the front either of her son or of a place that she's visited that year, and it's quite sweet actually to have that personal touch.

LeadPipe · 23/12/2016 13:19

I'm divided on this.

But I have to say my friend's photo shoot of the whole family wearing Christmas pyjamas in a big Christmas linened 4 poster bed in the middle of a fucking field reading a Christmas book, (with snow flakes photoshopped or actually dropping on them, we couldn't determine) was quiiiiite creepy. They seem to be on a mission to outdo themselves year upon year.

I wish it was ironic or sarcastic or even remotely jokey but I fear it's quite a serious matter to them.

Turbinaria · 23/12/2016 13:20

I like them you can now get Xmas cards with an insert for a small photo, friends and relies seem to like them and have said so (photos taken on iPhone and printed off at home on photo paper costing 10p a sheet which can accommodate 4 photos) of the dcs once a year - imo much more personal and efficient use of time and money than a card with another picture of a generic robin, snowman etc

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