What was the inspiration?
My kids say my mum – Cathy Oliver … “Brings the spirit wherever she goes” this could be birthdays, Easter but especially CHRISTMAS! Mum’s decorations, tablescapes, food platters, gifts are like something out of Mrs Clause’s house itself!
I have big shoes to fill when it comes to hosting events, especially decorating my Santa sets in Arcadia. I’m lucky Mum is just a text message or phone call away when I’m at spotlight for the 1000th asking questions like “omgoodness is black and white gingham in this Christmas season!”
So if mum gives the tick of approval to my sets, then I know I should be able to please half of Sydney! !!
So how did my Santa photos evolve?
My outdoor, environmental, “country style” annual Santa photo shoots started in 2020 at the end of covid lockdown in the Hunter Valley.
The local country kids had not been into town since lockdown and the parents feared a massive Covid outbreak would occur over their Christmas break if everyone visited Santa!
So my friend Penny Evan’s opened her stunning property and gardens at Riverside, Vacy as part of a P&C fundraiser for the local school. Santa was invited to visit the kids in the paddocks and garden so they could put in their Christmas wishes and still have their annual Santa photo!
Well…. we all had SO MUCH FUN!
It was a genius idea really. The kids had the best time being able to approach Santa in a relaxed setting, bringing along their horse, dog, goat, parrot, you name the pet we’ve photographed it with Santa!
Santa would sit under a tree for a photo with the kids and family or if it rained we popped him in a shed surrounded by hay bales.
Santa wasn’t used to the Hunter Valley December heat which could sit around 40 degrees so he often had a beer under his feet to hydrate him through the day….. very “country style” !!!!
Yes one photo with Santa was cute and fun ….But wait…. as if this wasn’t enough… with little girls in tulle dresses flowing down the driveway and boys in checked shirts and cowboy hats we were overwhelmed with the cuteness. We are mum’s after all and couldn’t help but squeeze their little cheeks and encourage them to keep twirling or yeehaaaaaing….. so we created a few more themed sets to capture some awesome expressions while the kids engaged in their surrounds.
We soon found ourselves scrolling facebook marketplace and shopping for months ahead searching for wooden rocking horses, placing old tractors in gardens and decorating with every colour of Christmas we could find! (also maybe borrowing a lot of Mum’s Christmas decorations!)
Fast forward 5 years and I now live on my own property in Arcadia and not only do I shoot the Santa session’s in the Hunter but I have brought these unique Santa sessions “country in their style” to Sydney.
I now offer 4-5 sets all decorated differently.
Santa ofcourse is the main set, then a decorated John Deere tractor, a white Christmas set under a tree, a big round hay bale in the paddock and a swing in a tree! Oh my goodness it’s so much fun!
It’s all about the kids! It always has been and always will be.
I work so so so hard on the gardens all year round in anticipation for “Santa visiting” and I make sure every shoot is the best shoot I could possibly take for that family!!
The families who come just love love love the whole experience! Even the most nervous of children enjoy visiting Santa in the paddock so much more than Santa at Westfield.
Being on location and moving about the acreage the children’s expressions are real because the fun is real!
Over the years it has become soooo popular. I have squeezed lots of families in so everyone can have the opportunity to meet Santa in the paddock.
This year I have a knee injury that has caught up with me after a 16 year Irish dancing career in my teens. To make it sustainable for me and my dicky knee!!! I have only opened half the sessions I normally do so please book right away to make sure you don’t miss out especially if your family has been before and made this an annual tradition.
Some tips for you to fully enjoy your Santa Session:
- TIMING: Arrive 10 mins early so you and the kids are not a rushed, stressed or messy.
- DRESS: You can dress in normal casual clothes (avoid heavy patterns or colours as the sets are themed and busy enough) or dress in matching Christmas themed outfits! Christmas themed is most fun, even let the kids choose, they often come up with the best ideas!!
- Bring a letter or artwork for Santa if you wish. This helps if your child is nervous. It gives them more of a reason to get closer to Santa in case they are reluctant to approach.
- Book a double session if you’d like more time with Santa and on the property. Or if you’d like to combine two families or have Grandma or Grandpa at the session a double session is needed.
Call me if you have any questions 0484309774 more than happy to chat through the process and what I do.
Visit my page to book your photo session in arcadia with Santa: Visit Now
