Why a family set is different from a couple
A couple figurine is two people in a pose. A family set is a composition, and composition is what makes or breaks it. Five figures standing in a row look like a police line-up; the same five arranged with the smallest in front, a grandparent seated, and the dog at someone's feet look like a family. That arrangement is decided at the sculpting stage from the photographs you send, which is why a group photo where everyone is already standing together helps so much — it tells the sculptor how they naturally arrange themselves.
What to send for each person
For every person in the set, a clear front-facing photo for the face and a full-length photo for build and clothing. For children, use recent photos — a caricature of a child from two years ago is a caricature of a different child. For grandparents, a photo where they are relaxed and smiling reads far better than a formal portrait. Pets need a side-on shot showing markings. If the family has a photograph together, send that too, even if it is not perfect, because it shows relative heights and how people stand next to each other.
How pricing and size scale
Each figure in a set is sculpted individually, so the price scales with the number of people rather than being a flat rate — a family of four is roughly the cost of two couple sets. The base grows to fit, and the whole piece stays around the same height as a single figurine so faces remain readable. Very large families can be split across two bases that sit together. Ask before ordering and we will quote the exact configuration; it is better to know the number up front than to be surprised.
Occasions where it lands
Parents' anniversaries are the classic — the children and grandchildren together on one base, given by the family to the couple whose marriage produced it. A grandparent's milestone birthday works the same way. A family moving abroad, where the set becomes the thing on the shelf that is home. A reunion where everyone is finally in one place. Because each figure is specific to a real person, it is a gift that cannot be bought for anyone else, which is exactly the point.
