FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We believe in the magic; do you? 😉

At Picture a Christmas, we go beyond the traditional photo op—this is an interactive, story-driven encounter designed to bring Santa’s magic to life. From twinkling lights to heartfelt conversations with Santa himself, we ensure every believer leaves with a cherished memory.

Every personalized I Believe! Santa Experience™ is by appointment only and held in a conference room at the Highlands Ranch Westridge Recreation Center. Long lines, noisy crowds, and limited mall parking are a thing of the past. Truly enjoy the wonder of the season.

It’s as easy as hanging a stocking by the fire! Simply click here to fill out an inquiry and we’ll call you! Santa’s calendar fills quickly, so book early to ensure you won’t miss out on the magic.

A $250 session fee for the first three children with a $99 fee for each additional child is required at the time of booking.  In addition, we collect $500 toward your purchase of artwork up front.  Session fees are not refundable.

From the moment your family steps inside, time slows and wonder takes over. Children will:

• Present their Christmas letters to Santa.
• Share cookies and milk with Santa.
• Hear the Christmas story, straight from the Bible.
• Help Santa paint toys.

And more!

Learn more about the I Believe! Santa Experience™.

We absolutely believe that the spirit of Santa Claus and the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of Jesus Christ. However, we completely understand that not every family is Christian, but still wants the magic of an I Believe! Santa Experience™.  Just let us know in your initial consultation if a Bible reading does not align with your family values and we’d be happy to provide a Christmas picture book for Santa to read instead.

We provide beautiful pajamas for each child to wear that match the vision of Picture a Christmas artwork.

Should you wish to purchase your own pajamas for your child as an additional memento of the experience, they must be approved by Picture a Christmas—plain green or blue flannel or cotton pajamas for boys and white cotton nightgowns for girls.  Red is reserved for Santa.

We want the focus of each portrait to be your child, and not on the stripes, plaids, or other busy patterns typical of Christmas pajamas.

We want every I Believe! Santa Experience™  to be individual, personal, and special.  We encourage you to have each of your children write and bring a letter that they can give to Santa.  We also encourage you to bring sentimental props (vintage toys, family Bibles, a copper teapot, a handmade blanket, a special stuffed animal, etc.) and burial flags or pictures of deceased loved ones, if desired. These special details add extra magic to your photos.

For other ideas of personalized props you can bring, click here.

Absolutely! The holidays are meant to be shared, and we love capturing the joy of families together. Whether it’s parents, grandparents, or even a beloved teddy bear, Santa welcomes all who believe.

The bulk of the session will be exclusively for the children, but if parents or grandparents wish to have a family portrait with Santa, Santa will invite you in to help paint toys.  Please wear either neutral or traditional Christmas-colored shirts or sweaters with no or minimal pattern.  When in doubt, shoot us a text with a picture, and we’ll let you know what we think.

For grandparents who would like to meet Santa and create unforgettable gifts for their posterity, we offer the I Believe! Legacy Santa Experience™ (coming soon).

Unfortunately not. Though we recognize that pets are an integral part of many families, the I Believe! Santa Experience™ is about capturing the wonder and charm of your child at Christmas. Pets become a distraction to the children and, sadly, detract from the experience of meeting Santa Claus.

Santa has spent centuries spreading warmth and kindness, and he understands that little hearts sometimes take time to open up.  Our cozy, private setting allows children to interact at their own pace.  With so much to see and do, we are confident that it won’t take long for your child to warm up to the jolly ol’ elf.

(Coming Soon) To help introduce Santa to hesitant children, we include a QR code in every letter from Santa that will take each boy or girl to a video introduction of Santa.  We recommend playing the video several times before your session so that Santa will not be a stranger upon arrival.

Santa’s workshop stays quite busy, and reservations are required.

We do not allow any amateur photography or videography during your session.

Your images will be ready to view at a dedicated image reveal and ordering appointment within 2 weeks.  At the end of your session, we will book your appointment where you will be able to choose your images for wall art, albums, Christmas cards, and other holiday gifts, and complete your order.

We do not offer traditional photo packages.  Our clients are not one-size-fits-all and neither should their ordering options be. 

We offer portrait art in four different categories, with bonuses for ordering from three or more categories.

• Wall Art
• Albums
• Christmas Cards
• Portrait Gifts

Learn more about our Art of Christmas products.

We do not sell high-resolution digital files.  We are very particular about how our images are printed and presented.  We work with a wonderful professional lab and ensure that every portrait is beautifully—and perfectly!—printed before we deliver them to you.

We do provide sharable, low-resolution, branded digital files for each image that you invest in.  These images may be posted on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media sites to share with loved ones.

We know the holidays can get hectic!  If you need to reschedule, it is best to call Picture a Christmas  at least 10 days before your scheduled session.  Letters from Santa are mailed a week before your session and it would be incredibly disappointing for your child to receive a letter and then not be able to visit Santa.

Session fees are not refundable, but may be applied to your rescheduled session.