I would think 4 x 5's would cover for grandparents, aunts and uncles, Godparents. A 9 x 12 for the graduate (your family). I would think a couple dozen wallet size would probably do for other people.

I just had this discussion with our son since his step daughter is graduating in the spring. Told him not to go overboard since most of them will end up put away somewhere and never looked at again.

It is such an expense and I know you shouldn't do it but if you ended up needing a few more you could always scan the picture and print out what you need. I know I will get burned for that one..lol

We are going through the same thing and OMG they are so expensive. I am ordering 5 x 7's for grandparents and an 8x10 for us plus wallets. Close friends and other family members will get wallets.

The pictures I prefer to get from friends are wallet size, because even though I love my friends, including the kids, I just wouldn't have their pictures framed and grouped among family pictures in the house. I have dozens of kids photos in my purse. That way I know exactly where they are and when I carry my purse with me I can show them off if anyone is interested.

Anna's not a senior, but we ordered some of her pictures that had been made into book markers. She gave them to her Sunday School teacher and other church people.

Linda

I made the invites for youngest DD and DS with their pictures in them. Then I printed off 8X10s and 5X7s for family members. For DD's invites and announcements, I enhanced them with glitter paints. I stole the design from a company website, added her picture, and hand-decorated them. DS's also had his picture on them. Saved a lot of money.

I like getting a 5x7 for my grandkids. I have a wall with each one in their own frame. My girls always ordered about 100 wallets. They passed these to their classmates, and friends. I got one too. So, depending on the size of the class would determine how many to order there. I know they are soooo expensive. Then I asked relatives what size they'd prefer.
Leslie

Choose the size you want based on how you'll use it in your home.

ASK the grandparents what they want--many don't want the bigger pictures. Some people like to decorate with photos, others don't. It's a waste of $$$ to give someone an 8 X 10 or a 5 X 7 when they'll just stash it in a drawer, but might put a wallet sized in their wallet.

Your friends don't need pictures of your child--I get people giving me pictures of their kids (graduations, those family photo Christmas cards, etc) and I wonder, "WHAT am I supposed to do with THIS?". I just threw out a stack of those things, when going through things for our move. Most people already have too many momentoes of their immediate family. Unless a friend specifically asks for a photo, I'd avoid thrusting one on them.

I don't think there's anything wrong with scaling back in some areas--high school pictures is one place people generally overbuy, just because they feel guilty if they don't.
Wallet-sized--now those you need plenty of. I assume the kids still like to trade them with their friends, so you need to get plenty (or to copy the ones you buy with your photo quality printer--illegal, but no one's going likely to come and toss you in jail if you do it).

I like to get just wallets of the kids friends and I usually hand those on the fridge...and of my family I like 4X5's. My parents will just be getting a 4X5 since they live in there motorbus and don't have alot of room....Sydney takes hers next week and I dread the $$'s but instead of using the "studio" that they have used for ever in our town I am going with a local girl that actually took pics of the kids and I when she was going to school for this.....and she takes awesome ones...I can't hardly wait...Stacy

We bought a 11X14 for ourselves and the book that holds some of the proofs. Grandparents got 8X10's, DB and DH's siblings got 5X7's as did my closest friend. Other friends and relatives got wallets... I hope no one just threw them in the trash. That is probably the last photo they will get of my DD unless I send them a wedding picture in the (far, far) future.

DD had about 25 wallets to give away to her friends.

One was used on her grad party invite too. Hers was similar to the ones in the link. I paid about the same from a different ebay seller. EVERYBODY loved these!

Here is a link that might be useful: eBay Invites

we ordered enough wallet to enclose with every announcement. grandparents got 5x7's, we did 8x10's to hang up. it was a bit easier with my twins, lol..we sent a joint picture, in the announcements. as for closer friends, i bet they'll be taking enough at the grad parties and such...

what i did mess up on were the college. we only have snaps of the events and would have liked a formal picture...but then they were so happy to be getting out of school finally, they didn't bother with photo's, lol (all 4) i do have a 5x7 of dd1's masters...she ordered those herself...

Hi. My #3 daughter graduated last year and instead of ordering her sr. pictures from the studio that the school has under contract we went to Target and had hers done. They were a fraction of the cost and they encouraged her to bring mutliple outfits to wear(her cap and gown and a casual outfit is all she did) for the pictures. We were very pleased with both the pictures and the prices. Much nicer than the school pictures. She was required to have the school's studio do the year book picture but all the others we ordered from Target. You might want to check with them. As far as how many to order- - I think unless they are very close friends most people get so many graduate pictures that they don't really keep them. Satine

Actually, a snapshot would make me happy, or a computer copy. I do not save any such pictures, but it is nice to see how your friend's kid looks after all these years. How much they look like mom or dad, etc. Go as cheap as possible. I look and throw them out.

With my last child I only did the senior pic that went in the year book and got maybe a couple of them. On the day of his graduation I took him and his sister(they graduated 4 years apart) to a same day photo shop at the mall. I got causal pics taken of both of them in their lettermans jackets and several of him separate~~I bought lots of wallets of him to put in the thank you cards for the gifts he recieved.

I did it this way since he was my third and relized how many left over pics I had of my girls and how much different they look from the beginning of their senior year to the graduation day. I was quite happy doing it this way and saved a few bucks.

We ordered the minimum we could order for our son two years ago...it came with two 8 x 10's, four 5 x 7's, four 3 x 5's and all of his proofs without the watermark...I scanned in all the proof's and made a collage and also made 25 wallet sized so we could put one in with his invitation to graduation...believe me...they got their money (WHAT A RACKET!!) but I really just wanted his proofs...their were like 25 of those and I couldn't just pick one favorite...so I just ordered the minimum I could order just to get the proofs

I had all my kids Sr Pic made at Sears (x 2 kids), and Wal-Mart, fraction of the cost and just as good. Grandparents got 5X 7 (I prefer this for my grandkids to). I don't have the space for larger pictures. I detest the 11 X13's, both places let us trade that for 2 sheets of 5X7.
You can get those special deals that are ___ pictures for about $6 or so, you can always go back on another day to get another set if you want. The Sears even had the year #'s that were popular in that area. We have friends and family all over the country, the ones that got announcement got a "see me now" photo of youngest daughter but only because she was not expected to live to 1st birthday.

There are enough other expenses Sr year, don't spend lots on something most people will just toss.

Congratulations on a graduate!

Ellie

My daughters graduated HS in 2006 and 2007. OMG those pictures are expensive. I kept one for us, gave a 5 by 7 to Grandma and every aunt and uncle. I think I paid around $200 each for the two sets. I got the cheapest "basic" sets and added on extra 5 by 7's. Didn't bother with wallet size.

I would go with 5x7s only for grandparents and other close family. I have never been in a home where people displayed pics of their friend's kids. That seems a bit odd to me. Wallets or smaller for the grad to exchange with friends if they want.

My DD elected not to buy any pics from either High School graduation or College. She just kept a few proofs. She has several albums from those days of her friends and classmates actually doing things. Great memories. Also had lots of photos taken at the actual graduations.

DS (the rebel LOL) refused to even take a picture for the yearbook in his Senior year. He bought a full page in the yearbook and laid it out with pics of his choosing. He didn't even want to go to graduation and we didn't push it. His real life didn't revolve around high school so why pretend it did?

I agree with the people who are saying to save your money and not burden your friends with pictures they will feel guilty about throwing out....but will.

Does anyone keep photos of their friend's kids????

I'm w/ azzalea and sheilajoyce and redcurls--but I like sheilajoyce's point about sending me something less permanent.

It's nice to see what the kid looks like, but honestly it will rapidly become clutter.

Technically, it's not legal for your to scan the photo company's portrait and e-mail it to your friends--that's copyright violation.

So I'd vote for buying the bare minimum for closest family members (not even cousins), and taking your own portrait-like pic of the kid to e-mail around (and people can print them off if they want).

You could also do a poll of aunts, uncles, and godparents, to see what size they'd like. I do 5x7s for mom & dad bcs that's what they want, 8x10s for ILs (ditto), and wallets or the slightly bigger ones for godparents and aunts&uncles.

My SIL did have pics of nieces and nephews up at her house, stuck in the frame of her mirror, but no one that seemed to be just friends. I can see she might have friends' kids up for closest friends, the kids who FEEL like nieces and nephews.

Another here who would prefer an emailed photo, whether of nieces/nephews(14 of them, and they're now having kids of their own), or friends' kids.

I'm not going to put them up in my house, and if you send them, I will throw them away fairly soon.