Christmas in Amsterdam is a magical time! For some reason, there’s hardly any tourists, and a lot of expats visit family abroad, so the city is quieter than usual. (Let’s not even talk about New Year’s Eve.)

The Christmas market isn’t packed too full (the truffle friets are the BEST!), you can get a good seat at the movie theater, it’s really just a quiet, cozy time. My favorite thing to do is have a warm drink and read late into the night until it starts snowing.

Back home, Christmas was a really busy time, we had family parties stacked one after another. Here in Amsterdam, we really cherish the day as a family, with a few friends coming over throughout the day. We are making our own traditions. JD makes apple cider, and I bake all sorts of cookies leading up to the big day. The boys have their Advent Calendars, and we do Sinterklaas as well. (Sinterklaas and Santa Claus are cousins, if anyone asks!)

I also do Santa Claus Sessions!

Christmas through Your Children’s Eyes

Watching my child experience Christmas is one of those magical moments that melt my heart. The soft “ooohs” as we light the tree and their little fingers paw at the ornaments gets me every time. And nothing but pure Christmas spirit could have prompted me to venture out into the freezing Amsterdam rain to go out for a Christmas tree almost six weeks before Christmas. That, and I wanted to do our own Christmas photoshoot so I could have enough time to send our Christmas cards all the way from Amsterdam.

Natural, Simple, Relaxing Christmas Photoshoot in Amsterdam

In my opinion, Christmas photoshoots, like all photoshoots, should be calming. I don’t like busy backgrounds and props and costumes, and I like them even less so at Christmastime.

I love to hand your toddler a sparkly ornament and watch their eyes twinkle as they turn it around in their chubby little fingers. My usually rambunctious toddler, who can never sit still for longer than thirty seconds, was so mesmerized by our ornaments that he sat still for almost the entire session.

I advise you to dress in pastels and neutrals, so that your printed Christmas photos match any home decor and continue to look polished and elegant as time goes on, and you treasure your Christmas memories for years to come. Be sure to bring your child’s favorite stuffed animals and Christmas books so we can capture their true smiles and their silly selves.

Our First Christmas in Amsterdam

“This year (2023) is the Sawyers Family’s first Christmas in Amsterdam, and although we arrived here only a couple of weeks ago, it feels like we have come a long way since then. When we first arrived in our apartment, we barely had any furniture or light fixtures and slept in the living room on an air mattress. We took the train all the way out to Noord to visit Action, Hema, and Decathalon, completely unaware that we had all three of these just a short ten minute walk from our apartment.

Now, just three weeks later, we have (and I mean JD has) carried a bed piece by piece from down the road, employed a courier to bring a bunk bed for the boys, and (JD) brought back kitchen chairs via bakfiets (I still can’t ride the bakfiets yet.) I haven’t fallen completely off my bike, although I have had a couple of close calls, and we should have internet tomorrow. But, in true Sawyers fashion, we have secured the Christmas tree before we have installed the last light fixture in our bedroom. Hey, we know what’s truly important.

Even though we’re miles away from our family, Christmas in Amsterdam feels almost the same as Christmas back home. Thank goodness for facetime calls and facebook.

We play music, we sing, we dance. It’s a lot of fun! Hope to see you this year!

Best,

Sim Sawyers

If you’d like to book a Christmas photoshoot this year, please use the booking tab on my website or email me directly at simsawyersphotography@gmail.com. You can also book with SANTA.