**This post is sponsored by Ivey Studio to bring you this experience. All opinions are 100% our own!**
Apparently someone hit the fast forward button on 2017, because I’m told it’s already November. How is that even possible? That means Thanksgiving is precisely 10 seconds away, and Christmas is 25 at best. If you’re like me, you feel compelled to jam pack all holiday activities into the weeks leading up to Christmas. You feel the need to take your kids to do ALL THE THINGS. Trains at Northpark Center, Christmas lights around town, holiday plays, and of course a trip to see the Big Man in Red. Each year I try to be as strategic as possible in choosing which mall I’m going to brave and swear to myself we WILL arrive the second the lines open. Nope. Every year it’s a mad house, and I’m the hot mess-express trying to keep two kids entertained in a 2 hour-long line.
This year I’m setting the tone for what I hope to be my most stress-free holiday season yet, starting with the visit to see Santa. I recently had the opportunity to take my girls to a private photography session with Ivey Studio called, The Storybook Santa Experience. The Storybook Santa Experience is a private, one hour, interactive experience with Santa. Your kiddos will get to confirm their name on the nice list, help Santa “paint” toys for other boys and girls, share cookies & milk, and decorate his Christmas tree. And bonus, Mrs. Claus is there too!
What To Wear:
The premise of the shoot is for your children to wake on Christmas Eve to catch Santa “red handed.” I knew there would be a lot of detail at the studio so I liked the idea of doing a white, Christmas-themed nightgown for my girls. I think keeping the clothing classic and clean for this particular shoot is the way to go. If you need a suggestion, I highly recommend checking out Smocked Auctions.
What to Expect:
During our session I almost forgot Ivey Studios owner, Chris Smith, was shooting the entire thing. Chris fades into the background and captures the session so effortlessly. Not having to jump around the room like a crazy person trying to get kids to smile or not do something inappropriate was such a welcome break. The session is all about your child having an unforgettable experience, and you walking away with the most beautiful images you’ve ever seen to document the whole thing.
Now, we’ve all seen the Santa photos where the child has a look for pure terror on their face. I mean you sort of want at least one of those for your collection, but I really didn’t want our session with Ivey Studios to be THAT session. I knew my older daughter who is 6 would do great, but I was a little worried my younger daughter, (who’s just shy of 3) would be scared and potentially not enjoy the experience. Ivey Studios did an amazing job of making my girls feel comfortable from the second they walked in the room. And Santa and Mrs. Claus looked so authentic, even I started to believe again! Ivey Studios will work with any age in a Santa Experience, but they really tailor the experience for children ages 2-7.
After Your Session:
Not only are the pictures from the sessions pure magic, but once you attend your scheduled consult to review your images you can decide what kind of keepsake you would like. They offer a variety of items, but the one that stuck out to me most was definitely their Storybook photo album. These photo albums are absolutely gorgeous and similar to the type of album you would receive after choosing wedding photos. Very high quality, and each page of the album tells a story specific to the scene in the image. Each book is personalized to include your child’s name(s), and is unique to their experience with Santa.
The Storybook Santa Experience quite literally blew me away. I knew it was going to be fun and we’d walk away with really great photos, but this completely exceeded every expectation I had. It was so incredible for my girls to have extended one-on-one time with Santa, and watch as they grew more excited with each activity. The Santa Experience is so unique and like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I am so grateful we had the opportunity to experience it first hand, and I would highly recommend booking a session to anyone interested.
Ivey Studios is booking Storybook Santa Experience appointments now thru December 24th. For more information on this session and a complete list of services offered please visit them at www.iveystudio.com.
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