FAQs
We are excited for the 2026 season and we hope all of your families are doing amazing. We are happy to be able to offer our seasonal portrait sessions again this year and are looking forward to hosting you at our Meares St. Studio location.
LOCATION:
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
1024 Meares St, Victoria B.C., Canada
PARKING:
WHERE SHOULD WE PARK?
Street parking is available but will be hit or miss. Please check our parking guide below for free and paid parking options in the area, and please plan the timing of your arrival accordingly, as unfortunately, we currently do not have dedicated parking for our visitors.
WHAT SHOULD I DO ONCE I HAVE ARRIVED?
Once you have arrived, or if you can safely call ahead 5 to 10 minutes before you park, please call 250-889-4899 and let one of our helpers know that you have arrived or will be arriving shortly. As we only host one to two families in our waiting area at a time, the elves will either provide you with instructions to come to the waiting room or you may be asked to wait in your vehicle for a few extra minutes until the family that is booked before yours has vacated the waiting room and made their way to our Easter set. We appreciate your patience as we do our best to stay on time throughout the day, which can be challenging at times. In the event that you are asked to wait in your vehicle, you will receive a phone call or text from our staff once they are ready for you to join us.
TIMING / ARRIVAL PROCESS:
HOW EARLY SHOULD I ARRIVE?
We ask that you arrive 10-15 minutes prior to your scheduled session time; however, if you need to change clothes, use restrooms, touch up hair and makeup, etc, we ask that you allow yourself the extra time to complete these changes/touchups so everyone is ready for their session 5-10 minutes before their scheduled session time. (ie. Your scheduled time is at 10am. The whole family should be ready to head into the studio no later than 9:55am) We appreciate you helping us keep things running smoothly and on time. We also apologize if we are running a bit behind for your session, rest assured we are doing our best to stay on time.
PETS:
CAN I BRING MY DOG/PET OF ANY KIND?
We are excited to be offering sessions that allow pets! Please book a session and fill out the necessary intake form with your furry friend’s information. For specific pet-related inquires, reach us by email or phone here.
SUMMARY
1) We will be hosting one to two families at a time in our waiting room before their upcoming session. Upon your arrival we will have you call our head elf at (250) 889 4899. They will instruct you on the next steps which may include waiting for a short time in your car. Next, you will be invited to enter the building. You will be directed to Santa’s Waiting Room where we will have movies playing. Feel free to bring a personal item for your child or children to stay entertained while they wait for their session. Once called for your visit, please bring all personal items with you. After your portrait session is complete, we do ask that you exit the building right away.
2) We need your help! As we still need to be efficient, we may ask for your help moving little ones around our holiday set. We all know how quickly 10 minutes can go by, so if requested, please be ready to help us out. That said, sometimes it can be more helpful if you stand back, or even sneak around the corner (out of sight out of mind) we’ll keep you posted,.
3) Attendees- Only immediate family intending or willing to be photographed may attend your session unless extra sessions are booked for the purpose of extended family having portraits together.
4) Cousins, grandparents and friends- Can get portraits together but you will have to book an additional visit time to allow for these portraits.
5) Immune compromised- If your child or children are immune compromised or anyone in your family is at risk, please let us know and we can discuss options for added precaution. for example, scheduling your family as the first or last appointment of the day, or Santa wearing a mask.
6) No cameras or camera phones - As always, there will be no cameras or camera phones allowed on our holiday set, please keep your phones put away, be present with us in the moment and let us do our thing.
BOOKING WITH EXTENDED FAMILY OR FRIENDS:
CAN I BRING EXTENDED FAMILY?
If you would like portraits with your immediate family(ie. parent(s)/guardian/children), as well your extended family(ie. uncles/aunts/cousins,etc.) or friends, you must reserve 3 time slots:
- one time slot for your immediate family's portraits
- one time slot for your extended family's portraits
- one time slot for group photos of both families together
If there are more than two families, an additional time slot must be booked for each extra family. (ie. 2 families = 3 time slots, 3 families = 4 time slots, etc.)
WHY DO I NEED TO BOOK MORE THAN ONE SESSION IF I AM BRINGING EXTENDED FAMILY OR FRIENDS?
Each immediate family must have their own time slot, as the sessions are 10 minutes each and do not allow enough time to photograph more than one family without delaying the appointments to follow for the rest of the day. We thank you for your cooperation and understanding!
PAYMENTS:
WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
Credit Card
E-transfer
Cash
PayPal
YOU MUST MAKE PAYMENT AT THE TIME OF BOOKING TO CONFIRM YOUR APPOINTMENT. If you have any trouble with the online payment process, please give us a call or send an email to make other arrangements.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Due to the limited amount of portrait sessions available per season, we do not offer refunds as it is unlikely we will find someone to refill your session in time. However, if you are able to find someone to replace your family’s session, we can transfer your payment over to the new family. In the event that you are able to find a replacement, we do require that the new family contact us as soon as possible and before the scheduled session to allow us to collect their information and prepare for their arrival. We will also do our best to fill your visit time and find a new appointment time for you, if given proper notice, at which time we are happy to refund your session fee.
WE WILL NOT OFFER ANY REFUNDS or COMPENSATION FOR NO-SHOWS.