Santa Mini Session - Session Preparation Guide
I’m so excited to see you and your family at this year’s Santa Mini Session! To help make the experience smooth, enjoyable, and magical, please review the following details before your session.
📍 Location
Peppermint Studio
631 E Southlake Blvd, C, Southlake, TX 76092
(KC Taylor on the left & HOTWOX on the right)
👨👩👧👦 Family Photos Included
While these sessions focus primarily on the children, family portraits with Santa are welcome!
We’ll typically begin with a family photo before transitioning to the children’s turn. If you have any specific photo requests, please let me know at the start of your session so we can plan accordingly.
🕒 Arrival & Waiting Area Guidelines
Arrive Early: Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow time for parking and locating the studio.
Waiting:
Families with older children who are ready to go may wait in their car until about 3–5 minutes before your session time.The studio offers ample parking directly outside with quick and easy access to the entrance. Once you enter, please take a seat on the daybed bench area to your right as you come in.
Families who need extra time for changing or preparation are welcome to proceed directly to the inner waiting room, where you’ll find a restroom and a pop-up changing tent for your convenience.
To help maintain a calm and focused environment, please stay clear of the shooting area until it’s your turn, and kindly avoid entering the line of sight of children currently in session to prevent any distractions.
👶 Preparing for Children
It’s completely normal for little ones—especially those under three—to feel shy or uncertain around Santa. A little preparation beforehand can help them feel more comfortable and excited for their visit!
Here are a few simple ways to get ready:
Talk About Santa: Read Santa-themed books or watch short holiday videos together, and show your child pictures of Santa so they know what to expect. You can also browse my previous blog posts to find photos and videos of our Santa — sharing these with your kids ahead of time can be incredibly helpful in helping them feel familiar and excited to meet him in person!
Write a Letter or Draw a Picture: Encourage your child to bring a note, wish list, or drawing for Santa! It gives them something familiar to hold and helps spark a friendly first interaction.
Practice Greetings: Role-play saying “Hi Santa!” or giving a small wave or high-five.
Set Expectations: Explain that they’ll meet Santa, smile for photos, and maybe tell him what they’d like for Christmas.
Rest & Snacks: A well-rested and fed child is a happy one—try to keep nap and meal times in mind before the session.
For older children, gentle reminders about listening and taking turns with Santa can help the session flow smoothly. The more relaxed and positive the lead-up, the more magical their expressions will be when they finally meet Santa!
👗 Wardrobe Guide — Santa’s Post Office Theme
This year’s set features a red backdrop with Santa’s cozy post office scene.
To create timeless, coordinated photos, we recommend:
Best color palette: White, cream, beige, red, or soft neutrals.
Other Christmas colors works too though.
Avoid: Bright neon colors, busy patterns, and logos.
For families: Mix textures (knits, corduroy, velvet) for depth while keeping the palette consistent. Coordinate, don’t match—think “warm family harmony” instead of identical outfits.
Shoes: Choose festive or neutral shoes. Boots are my favorite for the outdoor scene. For babies, holiday socks or bare feet are fine—please avoid colorful sneakers or sports shoes.
Accessories: Add simple festive touches such as festive hats, headbands, warm scarves, bows, or holiday toys if desired.
🎥 Session Workflow
I like to follow a general workflow during Santa Mini Sessions. Of course, I always adapt to the natural flow of each family — especially with young children or babies — but having a plan helps ensure we capture a variety of beautiful moments while keeping things smooth and stress-free. This guide will also help you know what to expect on the day of your session.
1. Family Photo First
We’ll start with a family photo with Santa.
If your baby seems afraid, we’ll first take a family photo without Santa, and Santa will gently join from behind so that your baby won’t see him for a family photo with Santa. Even if your baby cries, we already secured a good family photo.
2. Photos with Kids and Santa
After the family photo, we’ll move to individual and sibling photos with Santa.
If your baby is still nervous, one parent can stay in the frame to hold and comfort them.
Our Santa is very experienced and will engage the kids with playful conversation and fun poses.
Once they’re comfortable, we’ll take photos of the kids on their own.
3. Snow Photos 2025
Snow photos will be taken at the very end, probably the last 1-2 minutes..
The snow machine can be a bit loud, so we save this for last to minimize any startle reactions from younger children.
If your baby or child seems afraid of the sound or movement of the snow, we may choose to skip this part — and please, no regrets! Every child responds differently, and our goal is always to make the experience positive and comfortable.
4. For Older Kids
Older kids are very easy. Santa will engage them with various conversations and activities.
If there are multiple kids, we’ll also capture individual portraits with Santa, if time allows.
💧 Crying Baby Moments
Tears and giggles are both part of the magic! If your little one becomes upset, please don’t worry — it’s completely normal and part of the experience. We’ll take our time, adjust the flow, or take a short break if needed.
Some of the most meaningful images come from real, unscripted moments, even those with a few tears. They capture your child’s genuine emotions and tell the story of this special stage in their life. Every smile, laugh, and tear becomes a beautiful part of their childhood memory — and we’ll make sure it’s captured with love and care.
⚠️ Studio Safety
The studio contains various lighting equipment, props, and backdrops, so please supervise children closely at all times to prevent any accidental bumps, falls, or injuries. We also kindly ask that children avoid touching or playing with studio items to help keep everything safe and intact.
⏱️ Session Timing
Each session lasts approximately 8–10 minutes, though Santa usually only needs about five to capture beautiful images. Santa may take short breaks between sessions—thank you for your patience.
🖼️ Image Delivery
Your final images will be ready within three weeks. We appreciate your patience as we carefully cull and edit each photo to perfection.
📸 No Personal Photos
Please refrain from using phones or personal cameras during your session. This helps us keep the focus on capturing the best professional images for you — thank you for your understanding!
❤️ Final Thoughts
Santa Mini Sessions are all about creating memories—joyful, emotional, and full of holiday spirit. Whether your child smiles, laughs, or sheds a few tears, every moment tells a story worth remembering.
Thank you for reviewing these details, and I can’t wait to capture your family’s magical visit to Santa’s Post Office!
Warm regards,
Yao (Your Photographer)