As moms we spend weeks on Pinterest, Etsy and Amazon looking for all the perfect details and ideas for our children’s birthday parties. We plan what to serve for food, how to design the cake, banners, décor, outfits and invitations. We stress about the invite lists, what to give away as favors and lets not forget the actual purchasing of presents.

Needless to say, the amount of energy and expense we put forth to pull of these perfect birthday memories for our children is insane! But we do it because we love them and we want the day to be perfect.

Then the day of the birthday arrives and we run around crazy getting everything set up – hanging up decorations, setting out food, putting everything right where it needs to be. We get the kids dressed and hopefully have enough time to make ourselves look a little less ragged and somewhat presentable! All the while wondering “Where did I put my margarita??”

The party comes and goes, everyone had fun, your child blows out their candles, eats their cake, opens presents and had fun with their friends. The party was a huge success. You sit down on your couch, exhausted from the day, another margarita in hand and realize “HOLY CRAP! I didn’t take a single photograph of the day!”

Yes we have all been there, even me! We put all of our energy into throwing these parties and if we are lucky we have two or three images on our phones that are worth saving. Why? Why do we do this to ourselves???

One – as the mom we are planning and stressing over everything and sometimes it is the simplest of details we miss. And two – we think about the need for photographs, but honestly we are so exhausted and overwhelmed by the time the party starts we just don’t feel like taking pictures.

I know it is a lot to process, but don’t worry, I have your back. Below I have compiled 5 Tips that will help you ensure that all of the hard work you put in to your child’s birthday party won’t be memories that fade away, but will instead be remembered forever in the photographs you take!

5 Tips For Photographing Your Child’s Birthday Party!

1. ASSIGN SOMEONE TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS – Listen I know we think we can do it all. Sometimes we can, but on this day, your child’s birthday party, you can’t. Assign a friend, family member, husband, etc to be the one in charge of capturing all the fun memories. This way you can actually be in a few as well!
2. TAKE YOUR DETAIL IMAGES BEFORE THE PARTY – As you are setting up the decorations, the food and everything else, it is usually quiet and calm (aside from your heart racing with anxiety). Use this time to photograph all the details you spent weeks perfectly planning! It will honestly only take you 5 minutes to do, and with nobody else around they will come out perfect and be done!
3. CREATE A “MUST HAVE PHOTOGRAPH” LIST – You have lists for everything that day, so why not make a quick “must have photo list”?! Write down what is most important to you so you don’t forget! Will the grandparents be there and you want a special image with them? Did you order cute items with your child’s name on them? Balloons, cake, games, etc. It doesn’t matter what is on the list, as long as you make it and then you can check them off before the end of the party.
4. BE IN AN IMAGE OR TWO – I know you don’t want to see this on my Tips List, but I am putting it there. As the child’s mom, the planner, and the dream maker you deserve to be in the memories of the day! Stop for one minute in time, give your child a hug and ask someone to take your picture together. It doesn’t matter if your hair is mess, you have sweated off your makeup and your margarita is still in your hand. Take the picture. In 20 years, when your child is looking back at their 10th birthday party with the unicorns, confetti, 3 story cake and presents to the ceiling, the image they will most love seeing is the one taken with their mother. (see below, I do follow my own advice even when I am a hot sweaty mess!)
5. SETUP A PHOTO BOOTH – While you are glued to Pinterest, you will see lots of ideas for birthday party photo booths. This is an excellent idea!! Set one up to match the theme of the day, let people have fun taking pictures and then email out a link to a shared DropBox, Google Drive, etc for friends to upload the photos they took! Alternatively you could assign a friend/family member to monitor this area and take the photos on your camera. Now you can easily cross off your photo list “photos of everyone who came to the party”.

From one frazzled birthday party mom to another, I hope these tips help you out the next time you are planning your child’s birthday party!! The only way you can ensure all of the special moments from that day will be remembered forever, is to photograph and print them!! #printwhatmattersmost

Hugs,
Jeanine