5 tips for ordering personalized holiday cards
By Aimee Heckel
OK, we admit it: It’s too early for the holiday music at the grocery store. But it’s not too early to start thinking about your holiday cards, especially if you want them personalized with photos of your family.
Late October is when many professional photographers begin booking up solid through the end of the year. It’s also a beautiful time of year to take family photos outside. So call your favorite local photog and get on the books.
Here are five other helpful tips when ordering personalized holiday cards:
1. Pick the right photo. Make sure resolution is high enough and that everyone feels comfortable with how they look in the photo. A close-up photo will likely make a better card than a panoramic, because your relatives will want to be able to see the faces.
2. Pick the right card company, too. Not all cards are printed equal. Look for money-saving deals from high-quality printing companies. Ask your photographer for a recommendation.
If you can’t find the right company, you can always include a print of your family in a pre-made card. Frame that print and you have an inexpensive holiday gift that your loved ones can keep out year-round.
3. Consider the tone. What mood do you want to portray with your card? Sophisticated? Funny? Spiritual? Unique? Pick a design — and a photo — that both express this and compliment each other.
4. Respect your budget. Remember that odd-shaped cards may cost more to send. Save money with postcard-style cards that don’t require envelopes. Or consider sending out Valentine’s Day cards instead, when prices may be lower and your card will have fewer to compete with on the mantel.
5. Involve the whole family. Gather everyone around for that first batch of the season’s egg nog and come up with the message on your card together. If you want to also include an annual letter updating your friends and relatives about your family’s highlights this year, now would be a good time to ask each family member what he or she wants to share. Designate one family member to compile all stories together.
Looking for more ways to personalize the holidays this year? Macy’s sells special ornaments to commemorate your first family Christmas or baby’s first Christmas. We love this Lenox silver-plate heart ornament with the year in the middle — the perfect start to a new family tradition of picking out an ornament together each year.
Best of all, this ornament is on sale for about half off, at only $19.99. Save even more money by using a Macy’s coupon. Read more helpful articles about saving money at Macy’s here.
Save money on other products for babies and kids with these coupons.
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