FAQs
We are excited for the 2024 holiday season and we hope all of your families are doing amazing. We are happy to be able to offer our holiday portrait sessions again this year and we look forward to hosting you at our Meares St Studio location.
LOCATION:
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
1024 Meares St Victoria BC 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 Elves know that you have arrived or will be arriving shortly. As we only host one to two families in the 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 Santa’s workshop. 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 from the elves, once they are ready for you to come inside.
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.
GIFTS:
DO I HAVE TO BRING A GIFT FOR MY CHILD/CHILDREN?
No, you do not have to bring a gift, but it is encouraged and a popular option for families. More details below but if you do plan to bring a special surprise please have it wrapped, clearly labeled with your child’s name and discretely pass it to one of our elves, they will take care of the rest. If you prefer not bring a gift to your session, Santa will let the kids know that “their gift will be coming at Christmas!”
WHAT IS THE PROCESS IF I HAVE BROUGHT A GIFT?
You should indicate that you will be bringing a gift(s) on the booking questionnaire.
If you have brought a gift for your child, it should be gift wrapped and labelled with your child’s name and then placed into a disposable bag to “disguise” it from your child as well as other children that may be leaving their session. (Paper bag, plastic bag, something that does not need to be returned to you, etc. )
Once you are in the building, you will make your way to “Santa’s Waiting Room” with your disguised gifts and check in with one of the Elves. At this point, you can discretely hand it to one of our Elves, they will take it from there!
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) A lot of our families bring a wrapped gift and sneak it to our elves for Santa to gift to the kids at the end of their visit. You are still welcome and encouraged to do this. Please ensure your present is gift wrapped and labelled with your child’s name and then placed in a bag that you do not expect to be returned like a plastic or brown paper bag. If no gift is provided, Santa will let the kids know that “their present will be coming at Christmas!”.
3) If your child has a favourite toy or toys that may help them to feel comfortable on our set, please bring it along.
4) 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.
5) 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.
6) Cousins, grandparents and friends- Can get portraits together this year but you will have to book an additional visit time to allow for these portraits.
7) 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.
8) 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.
PETS:
CAN I BRING MY DOG/PET OF ANY KIND?
Unfortunately, we are unable to allow pets. We apologize for any disappointment this may cause and thank you for your cooperation and understanding. That said, every year we toy with the idea of hosting a pet day but it does pose a lot of unique challenges. Feel free to reach out with your requests and maaaybe we can figure something out.
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.)
WHAT COLLECTION SHOULD I BOOK FOR ME AND MY EXTENDED FAMILY OR FRIENDS?
We recommend booking the Double Miracle Collection that includes two time slots, and then select one of the "Group Session" add-ons to account for your 3rd time slot.
If your family would prefer to book a collection other than the "Double Miracle Collection", you must book THREE of the preferred collections (These can be mix & matched.)
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/Venmo