“I love taking family photos!” says every husband ever.
Okay… this may not be exactly true. While I believe that taking family pictures can be an enjoyable, pleasant experience, I understand that it is not everyone’s idea of a perfect afternoon.
The truth is, taking family pictures requires some work. However, with the right attitude and the right incentives, they truly can be magical and not too painful!
In light of hearing that some husbands struggle with getting on board with this, I decided to put together a list of ways to convince your husband that family photos are a good idea. There are actually TONS of good reasons to use, but I decided to start with my top 5!
Feel free to forward this link directly on to your hubs, OR pick a few of your favorites to chat with him about. Regardless of what route you go, I’m betting you can convince him! ;)
5 Ways to Get Your Husband on Board for Family Pictures
1. Let him know how much it would mean to you
This one comes with little explanation, but must be said! If getting family photos taken (regardless of your family size, ages, etc.) is important to you, open your mouth and share that desire with your husband! Chances are that they will hear your genuine emotion around the event and want to be supportive of it.
If this is not your first time taking family photos, or perhaps if family photos have been a pain point in the past, consider approaching this topic with a specific reason why they are especially important to you. Some reasons include:
Your children are at very enjoyable ages and you want to capture this special time
Your extended family has hardly seen your family throughout the year and would love photo updates
Your family will be changing soon (kids going to college, baby-phase ending, etc.) and this could be the last time to really capture you all together
You have overcome significant trials or changes in the last few years and you want to celebrate your family’s strength and unity
2. Show him pictures from past photoshoots OR memories you’ve captured from the past
Do you and your husband ever look at pictures of your children when they are in bed? What about when you send each other pictures throughout the day of the kids doing silly, sweet, or naughty things? The way you share your life with your spouse, especially when bonding over your children and through photos, is a real, amazing thing!
By pulling out past photos or memories you’ve captured previously, you can tug on your husband's heart strings to support getting updated photos taken. This is not a form of manipulation, but simply a way to remind him of the treasure that these photos are.
Keep in mind that past photoshoots might remind your husband of the struggle they may appear to be. Focus on the fact that the photos previously taken were at a different time entirely. Your family today is what you want to have captured so that you can look back fondly on this time.
3. Tell him it counts as a gift to you
We aren’t above giving our husbands a free pass for a future gift, are we? We shouldn’t be! Family photos are an investment and one that can bring serious joy for years to come. If you propose this as a gift to you, allowing them to be off the hook later (and truly allow them to be off the hook), this may just be the incentive they need to say yes!
I remember hearing of a client who told her husband that he could use this as her birthday, anniversary, and Christmas gift (she was being very generous but really wanted the photos taken!) Her husband understood simply by her offering this gift replacement that this meant a lot to her. The session was scheduled and lucky for her, he still took the time to honor and spoil his wife on those various holidays.
While your husband does not have to follow suit, keep in mind that this reason to convince him to do family pictures can work successfully as long as you are okay with that trade off. You could even include that the family photo session + frames, prints, etc. could all be used as a gift to you.
Note: We all know he will enjoy these gifts too! ;)
4. Explain what costs you will cut elsewhere to afford family photos
The best part about family photos is getting the final shots back. Oh how fun that part is! But it’s no secret that paying for the session might be the hardest part (that, or getting the dog to look at the camera for photos!)
While not something that should be overly stressful to you financially, it does require some forethought and planning to afford the associated fee. If this is a particular struggle for your husband to see, consider proposing costs you will cut elsewhere in order to afford the session.
I’ve heard of families that agree to not eat out for a few months and use that money towards that photoshoot. I’ve also heard of couples that give up Audible, Netflix, and / or subscriptions they do not absolutely need. I love couples that brainstorm together how to make it work!
5. Validate their feelings
Your husband might have feelings about the photoshoot experience that you haven’t heard, and now is the time to listen and validate! Perhaps they don’t love being in front of a camera, or they feel especially stressed with work commitments that it seems impossible to fit in anything else right now. Whatever the reason, listen and validate those feelings so they feel heard!
You always want your spouse to feel seen and listened to when it comes to big decisions, and getting family photos is one of them. If your husband feels heard when it comes to his feelings on the matter, he may be more inclined to hear your feelings on it as well. Together, I hope you can come to a decision that works for both of you.
Having taken photos of countless families, I can tell you that not a single one has regretted it. It is my greatest pleasure to provide each member of the family a positive experience and results that they all fawn over, and many of them have used these techniques above to get their husband on board!
If your husband needs any extra convincing, feel free to send them over to my feed to check out my work! I can only hope seeing such happy, beautiful families will touch his heart.