THE EXPERIENCE!!! The children get an interactive, immersive experience with Santa! Because we want to create fine art portraits from the photos we capture during your visit, the photo session isn’t one like you’d normally have visiting a mall Santa or even getting “Santa Mini’s.” Our studio setting is cozy and inviting, and best of all, your visit & session are private – no public audience watching while they wait their turn in line.

Our goal for each session is to minimize the chaos and distractions found in other settings by inviting you to our studio for your family’s private, 60-minute visit. So sit back and watch the wonder unfold as you observe your children experience the magic of believing in Santa! Kindly leave your cellphones in your pockets and leave the capturing of each precious moment to our experienced photographer. No photos or videos are allowed to be personally taken on our set without the express consent and direction of the photographer.

While any other photo session with Santa might yield some nice pictures, the fine art portraits we create from your visit are designed to be enjoyed and displayed year-round, as fine art hanging on the walls sure to delight every visitor to your home. The nostalgic feel of our studio set carries through to each image we edit, to offer you custom personalized storybooks and wall art destined to become family heirlooms you will cherish for years to come. We draw inspiration from Norman Rockwell paintings for our nostalgic editing style.

Santa’s Magical Storybook Visit typically has a Visit & Session Fee of $550, which reserves your selected date & time for your 60-minute visit to our studio that includes a 30-minute photo session with Santa Claus.

Collections and individual products are purchased separately, either as pre-packaged collections designed to save you money, or as individual items that suit your family’s needs best.

In the case of special offers, the cost is all-inclusive: the session fee and all listed products are included in one exclusive package price!

Yes! If we are offering exclusive packages, those all-inclusive prices will identify everything that is included in each package.

If no packages are being offered, then your session will be secured with a separate session fee of $550 (no products or images included in the session fee). To purchase products or images, we offer five different packages which offer our most popular keepsake products! The five regularly priced collections start at $500 and go up to $4,150. Save 10% if you choose to pre-purchase your collection and pay in full before your visit. We also offer individually priced products and images.

 Our customers’ favorite product is our custom storybook, complete with portrait images from your session along with a story personalized with your children’s names throughout, that will remind them of their experience with Santa for years to come.

Additional products we offer include standard photo albums, canvas wall art in various sizes, metal wall art in various sizes, Christmas cards, a wall calendar, photo prints, and digital images. If you’d like more information about the products we offer, please schedule a consultation call or visit (if you’d like to see them in person).

Custom framed art work is available, though it carries a longer production time and pricing is quoted per customer request.

When our scheduler is open, bookings are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit our Scheduling Calendar to select the date & time that works best for your family’s schedule: https://bit.ly/Santa2023SMSV

While most folks are thinking of school starting, football, or fall festivals, at Wedow Productions Inc, we’ve already got our eye on Christmas! We are offering these sessions in fall so that your family can have your purchased products ready before the holiday season begins! We know many families appreciate having their personalized Christmas cards ready to send out by December 1st.

We lovingly hand-edit each portrait for each of our clients, so the editing process takes two to three weeks. After your images are all edited and ready for viewing, selection, and ordering, the professional lab we send our client orders to takes another two to three weeks for production (depending on the products), plus approximately three to ten days for shipping back to our studio, where we inspect each product for accuracy before your finished products are picked up or delivered.

Families with visits completed by Columbus Day Weekend should have their finished products before Thanksgiving week. Visits occurring through late October will have final products ready closer to the first week of December.

If your child or children just want an extraordinary experience of visiting with Santa, we will still choreograph and photograph your visit.

You are under no obligation to purchase any print products. Your paid Visit & Session Fee of $550 includes a $200 product credit towards the purchase of a collection or individual products, such as a digital image.

YES! Wedow Productions Inc has booked this Santa for all our sessions! Chicagoland’s Best Santa Claus has worked in the Chicagoland area for nearly four decades, providing entertainment for families, companies, and even large venues. His look and style emulate the traditional “Coca-Cola Santa,” whether in his long, red, woolen coat and hat, or in his vintage–styled work shirt and cap, along with his woolen vest and trousers. The Santa you see on our website is the only Santa we work with for Santa’s Magical Storybook Visit!

While children of any age are welcome, the experience lends itself best to children aged 18 (eighteen) months to 12 (twelve) years who believe in Santa (or will go along with the magic of Santa for the sake of younger siblings). While we are equipped with highchair seating for infants who can sit up on their own, the experience does not play out as well for an only child who is younger than 18 months of age, but if an older sibling is present, younger infants can sit in the highchair and play with a toy while Santa interacts with their older sibling. Just know that if the youngest child is not cooperative and does not want to sit in the highchair for the full session, all the session images may not include that young child.

If you have any questions about whether this experience would be appropriate for your child or children, please contact us and we can further discuss options.

From start to finish, each photo session is choreographed to capture specific vignettes, each of which has a place in our custom-written story. While the photographer will also capture candid moments during the session, the photos for each vignette will be posed or staged, with the photographer choreographing each vignette and giving the children instructions on what to do, where to look, and how to pose. We would like to remind clients that this is not a typical “family holiday portrait” where the children & Santa all smile and look at the camera. The purpose of our photo session is to capture images that belong in a storybook – YOUR storybook!

The vignettes we stage and photograph include such activities as looking at Santa’s List of Good Girls & Boys, finding the route Santa flies on Christmas Eve, reading Santa’s favorite book, and eating milk & cookies with Santa.

Our set can snugly accommodate up to six children. The Visit & Session Fee covers the cost of the visit for children from one nuclear family, up to three children. If there are additional siblings to be included in the visit, there is an additional $50/child fee.

However, if you want to bring up to 6 (six) children where there would be cousins or grandchildren to be photographed together, that is a special circumstance. We are happy to accommodate up to 6 (six) children of mixed nuclear families, such as cousins or grandchildren, but we require that you book two back-to-back visits, for a total of two paid Visit & Session Fees. The reason for this is that it takes more time to coordinate groupings for the photos with children from more than one nuclear family. Additionally, we have found that mixed groups will always request to have “their own photos” as well as the large group photos, so we factor that request in to our extended timeline. In the event of a mixed visit, individual products could be purchased by each family, but any collections would have either images of one family’s children, or the group images, but not both sets of images mixed together.

You know your child best! If your child is terrified of strangers, this is likely not going to be the best experience for them. If your child was scared of Santa last year, only you will know if they will react similarly this year.

If you are unsure how your youngest child will react to Santa but have older children to set the example, we encourage letting the youngest “warm up” to being on the set with Santa. Understand that in such cases, the child who takes a while to warm up to Santa may not be photographed in every vignette.

If you are uncertain of how your child will react to Santa, we suggest showing them videos or reading them stories featuring Santa. “Stranger Danger” is a real thing and we do not encourage traumatizing any child with a 30-minute visit with a bearded stranger, even if you approve of the “crying photos because they will be memorable.” One or two crying photos will be about all we’ll be able to capture before your child hides in your arms and wants nothing more to do with Santa or sitting for photos.

We allow thirty (30) minutes for the photo session, with a little leeway to allow for a “warm up” period, or if necessary, time to wipe away tears and allow a few minutes for all to recompose themselves. Unfortunately, since these are timed photo sessions, we are not able to extend the length of anyone’s visit for any reason, such as a child who was unsure of Santa or crying for over half the photo session time. The photographer will have to conclude the photo session in time to allow your visit to end at the designated end time.

While the entire visit is just one short hour, we understand that schedules may change unexpectedly. If it cannot be avoided that a child either arrives after the photo session has started or has to leave before the session ends, please understand that any photos taken in that child’s absence will not include that child in the final edit. We will not digitally edit any children into images they were not present for during the session. If a child joins in late or leaves early, any images taken before they arrive or after they leave will not include them. For this reason, we strongly encourage you to ensure that all children remain for the full visit and session.

If you are running late, as may happen, please text the studio to let us know your expected time of arrival. We can accommodate late arrivals up to 15 (fifteen) minutes past the scheduled start time of your visit.

If you are more than 15 minutes late for your visit, or do not show up at all, you will forfeit your visit & photo session, without refund or rescheduling option. We have reserved the specific date & time of your visit for your family. In the event that you do not show up, we are unable to fill that time with another family’s visit, nor are we able to “move up” any visits scheduled after yours, as those guests are traveling and arriving at their designated arrival time.

We understand that schedules may change so we are happy to offer a complimentary one-time schedule change free of charge, provided that the schedule request is made more than 1 week prior to your originally scheduled date & time, and that there are available time slots for you to change your reservation to, wherein we will apply your paid Visit & Session Fee to another booking of your choice. The paid fee remains non-refundable.

If your schedule request comes in less than 7 days before your scheduled visit, unless we are able to book another client for your selected time, unfortunately we will be unable to apply your Visit & Session Fee to another booking. We have reserved the time & date for you and in reserving it, have restricted it from being available for booking by others. Less than 7 days is usually not enough time to fill the hole in the schedule your vacancy creates.

If no available dates are available when you want to submit your schedule request, we will be unable to offer the complimentary schedule change, as there are no new dates available. You can choose to keep your originally scheduled booking or you can find a family or friend to transfer your booking to; please contact our studio office to make such arrangements.

Please be sure to verify that all parties are willing to participate before booking your session. When you book your date & time and pay for your Visit & Session Fee, it is like purchasing tickets for a movie, theater experience, or sporting event. Those seats are reserved for you, just like we are reserving your selected date & time for your family. Whether you attend the event or skip out on it, the experience has been paid for and is non-refundable. If you would like to transfer your reservation booking to another family, where they pay you directly for your incurred out-of-pocket costs, if you make the schedule change in writing via email, our studio staff will work to coordinate with the new family to gather details to make the visit unique and personalized to them, and you will no longer be identified in our system as the client for that purchased visit & photo session at that date & time. However, the paid Visit & Session Fee remains non-refundable.

Yes! We have pajamas that have been specially selected to complement the vintage look and feel of our studio set and the final look of our edited images. Your Visit & Session Fee includes the use of our wardrobe. We have white nightgowns for our girl visitors, in sizes from 1T to 12-14 (youth). The green flannel two-piece pajama suits for our boy visitors also range in sizes from 1T to 12-14 (youth). Additionally, we have green infant one-piece jammies in sizes 0-3 mos through 12-18 mos for our littlest visitors.

While we are excited for you that your family has matching pajamas, we kindly ask that you save those for Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning, or perhaps a family mini photo session scheduled at another time. The overall styling of our visit has been coordinated to evoke a feeling of nostalgia, and we have come to know through experience that modern pajamas detract from the overall look of our vintage feel. We thank you for respecting the design of our visit by wearing the wardrobe we provide. We are happy to schedule a family mini session for you if you really want to wear those matching jammies!

Yes, we enjoy real milk & cookies during each photo session! After all, it’s Santa’s favorite snack! We are aware that some folks may have allergies or sensitivities to certain ingredients, such as dairy/lactose, wheat/gluten, nuts, eggs, or sugar. After you book your session, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire where the question is asked about any allergies. Please complete the questionnaire honestly so that there are no issues during your photo session, such as your child not being able to eat the cookie or drink the milk.

For gluten/wheat and egg allergies, we replace the cookie with rice krispie squares. For dairy/lactose sensitivities, we replace cow milk with vanilla sweet almond milk (or water, upon request). For sugar sensitivities, we can provide sugar-free cookies. We serve unfrosted sugar cookies (no sprinkles, chocolate, or nuts) although the bakery-purchased cookies are baked in a kitchen where nuts may be present. If your child has a severe nut allergy, we are happy to serve cookies you bring for them.

We agree it’s getting harder all the time to tell the difference in photos between what’s real and what’s been digitally added or edited. We are proud to say that 99% of what you see in our images is actually there in the scene! The only thing we add digitally is the magic, but that’s because you can’t see it in the first place! Our editing style is such that we transform a “regular picture” into a cherished work of art by adding some magic, as well as editing the photo just enough so that it looks less like a “real photo” and more like art work that’s been painted by hand. However, Santa, as well as each child, each chair, each toy, and every emotion is photographed right there in our studio during your visit & photo session.

While we love that moms and dads believe in Santa and want to be in the photos too, children are young for only so long and that’s what we want to capture for you! We want to create precious memories of “when they were little” and when they believe with their whole heart that they spent time visiting with Santa, the same Santa that brings them presents on Christmas Eve, delivered in his sleigh led by flying reindeer. Let this be the experience for your children, as we capture the wonder and awe in their expressions. Kids grow up so quickly these days… we are trying to help you make those moments last just a little bit longer.

If, however, you are looking to have a full family session, please contact our studio staff to discuss the possibilities. Depending on family size and session time availability, we may be able to accommodate larger family sessions at the last session of the day.

After your visit & photo session have concluded, there’s a little bit of a wait until your Image Reveal & Product Selection Consultation. This return visit to our studio can be scheduled for any time 2 days after your initial visit. You will return to our studio office for an Image Viewing & Product Selection Consultation, during which all parties responsible for selecting images as well as selecting & purchasing products should be present.

During your consultation, you will view the session images available to you (typically between 15 and 20 images). We will share one to two of your images will be viewed in their final edited version, so you can see how your images would look after being edited in our style. The images you select for your products (wall art, cards, album or storybook) will then be edited before your order is sent to our print lab for fulfillment.

While you are not obligated to purchase any products, your paid Visit & Session Fee of $550 does not include any physical products, only the $200 product credit towards the purchase of a collection or individual products.

Once you have selected the products you would like to purchase, you choose your payment options to either pay in full or in divided, interest-free payments. Please note, your selected product order will not be placed until your invoice has been paid in full. Likewise, if you are only purchasing digital images, your images will not be released for download until your invoice has been paid in full.

As you are purchasing custom products, if we place the order before they are paid for in full, if you default on any remaining balance, these are not products we can “put back on the shelf and resell to the next customer.” We appreciate your understanding this process. The purchased products are guaranteed to be delivered before the holidays arrive if paid for in full and ordered by November 15th.

The photography studio we are using for Santa’s Magical Storybook Visit this year is located in Plainfield, IL, just east of the intersection of Route 59 and 123rd Street.

The studio is located at:
23900 West Industrial Drive South, Plainfield, IL 60585
The entrance to the studio parking lot is on the north side of 123rd St (which becomes West Industrial Drive) one block east of the McDonald’s located at the intersection of Route 59 and 123rd St, and also east of the stop sign at Rhea Drive. Parking is not reserved or designated so please park in any available spots south of the building. The entrance to the studio is at the far right of the building, marked “Santa’s Magical Storybook Visit.” (As you pull into the parking lot, you will directly face the door to the studio.)

The exact location & driving directions for that business location can be found here on Google Maps. (In the spring and summer when Santa is not using this studio space, it is the studio location for Boudoir By Suzia.) Please note, other mapping software sometimes messes up the location so this link is provided for your convenience.

The studio has a front office consisting of a foyer; a consultation room where you will meet with Suzia, the photographer; a dressing area for children to change into and out of pajamas; and a private restroom. The remainder of your visit & session will take place in the rear space of the studio, where the photography warehouse studio has been transformed to resemble a North Pole cabin where the children join Santa in his living room.

We want you to enjoy watching this magical visit with Santa! Our photographer will be capturing the interactions between Santa and your child or children. However, we also understand that young children might not remember their magical visit with Santa! Parents spend so much time taking videos and photos of their children so everyone can remember those most special moments as they are growing up. We get it. We’re parents too. You want to save each precious thing they do so you can relive them later, again & again.

While we ask that you not record the entire photo session, we will give time during the session for parents to record special moments so you have something to replay for your children later when they talk or ask about their visit with Santa. You can record that first look of wonder and awe when your children see Santa come into view and greets them by name – let’s face it, there is only one “first look” and you can’t recreate those priceless expressions when kids first see Santa! After the initial greeting, we ask that your phones are put away for the storybook interactions, which our photographer will capture for the art work we create for you. Before the photo session is over, the photographer will let you know when you can bring your phone out again, so you can record your child sitting on Santa’s knee and telling him what to bring for Christmas. You can also record as Santa gives a special gift to your child – because we know it’ll be fun to rewatch at Christmas when you bring out their silver bell from Santa to hang on the tree!