This year’s Mommy + Me minis

were so much fun!

Over the course of two days we served 15 families and let me tell y’all something: THE OUTFITS DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Every single one of these mamas looked radiant, and I was so happy with how these photos turned out!

Now, if you’re not familiar with what mini sessions are, allow me to explain. Mini sessions are quick, 15-20 minute sessions, at a set location of the Photographer’s choosing during a pre-defined window of time. Sometimes there’s a set up, and sometimes there’s not, it really depends on the photographer’s preference. There are lots of different ways to run a mini session and many different offers that come along with any given mini session package. For this particular mini session, I offered my clients a 20 minute slot for a full gallery (12-15 images), a sweet little craft made by their kids, for a flat rate fee.

In the past I have lowered the price of the session for a smaller gallery with the option to upgrade, but this time I thought I would make it easier and offer a flat rate for a full gallery. I honestly can’t decide which I like better so I’d love to hear from you which option sounds more appealing in the comments below!

I wasn’t sure I was going to do a Mommy + Me, but my friend Carol asked me and the thought of hanging out with her and her kids sounded way too fun to pass up so I put this thing together QUICK! (Fun fact: Carol is the sole inspiration for the Client Wardrobe. We all owe Carol a round of applause!) Thankfully, this wasn’t my first rodeo so, I knew I could put something together quickly while not sacrificing value for my clients.

Here’s a little sneak peak at how the final images came out:

The Set-Up

This mini session included a sweet Mother’s Day set. All my clients got access to my client wardrobe in case they wanted to borrow a dress, and their kids all made them cards for Mother’s Day at the craft station. Plus, all families have access to the “Bribe Box”, which is what I like to call, “motivational sugar”. Need your 3 year old to smile? The Bribe Box can help!

Day One

Day Two

While we definitely had some bumps along the way (like the tornado fiasco on day 2 that eventually blew my floral arrangements over and broke two of my vases), we pivoted, MacGyvered, and kept pressing on until we reached the end. I was absolutely WIPED by the end of both days but it was so great to see some good friends and their families.

I absolutely could not have pulled off a successful event without the help from my husband and my two cousins who I hired to come and help at the welcome/craft table and who arranged all my bouquets for days 1 and 2 (My cousin, Carlos, also did the flowers for my wedding. The guy is INSANELY talented). It takes a team to pull off an event like this and I’m so thankful for my team’s willingness to jump in and make this event everything that it was!

Last but certainly not least, I could not have had this event be much of anything if it wasn’t for the wonderful people who trusted me with 20 minutes and their young kids! Mini sessions can be really intimidating because, well, Toddlers! They’re like these sweet, adorable, energizer bunnies who march to the beat of their own drum and don’t like strangers telling them what to do. Thus, it can be sort of scary for moms to put down some money in the hopes that they’re going to get some great photos of their most cherished gifts, and I just have to say thank you to everyone who trusted me to attempt to do that! It is not lost on me, the trust that you’re placing in me, and I’m honored that you said yes!

I want to hear from you!

Have you and your family ever done a mini session before? What scares you about it? What excites you about it? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! I did a mini session with the Diaz boys last Christmas and honestly it was THE BEST. Twenty minutes is about all the time that the boys have in them for photos anyway so it was perfect. They didn’t have to perform for long and I got some new, updated family photos. It was a total win-win.

Can’t wait to hear from you!

xo,

Jess