Before Santa Arrives

Create clarity. Create calm. Create space for magic.

Share the essentials.

Before your visit, we’ll confirm names, ages, special requests, sensitivities, and the intentions for your gathering. Santa’s ability to personalize each moment depends on the subtle details you provide.

Let us know what matters.

Please share any recent losses, family dynamics, cultural considerations, or special needs. This allows Santa to move with sensitivity, intention, and care.

If your home hosts Elf on the Shelf, sharing their names and recent antics allows Santa to continue your story seamlessly.

Ensure a seamless arrival.

If your venue uses valet service, please arrange for the attendants to discreetly receive and return Santa’s sleigh. Smooth handling preserves the illusion.

If your home requires a gate code, alternate entrance, or special instructions, please share those beforehand.

Designate one person to keep a charged phone ready for Santa’s arrival text.

Preparing Your Home

A refined environment elevates every photograph and every moment.

Perfect the seating experience.

Santa’s chair is central to the visit. It should be:

• Sturdy

• Straight-backed

• Armless

• High enough that an adult’s knees bend near 90°

This height allows Santa to safely support anyone seated with him.

Avoid folding, rolling, low, or plush chairs.

Craft the photographic scene.

Select a festive, softly lit space such as your tree, decorated wall, or holiday vignette.

Avoid:

• Direct glare from windows

• Reflections from glass backgrounds

• Placement near a lit fireplace (Santa’s suit is naturally warm)

A slightly cooler room (68–70°) prior to Santa’s arrival supports comfort and appearance.

Manage sound and space.

Set any background music to soft, instrumental Christmas melodies—light enough to be sensed rather than heard. The ambience should enhance the moment, never compete with it.

Clear walkways so Santa can move gracefully.

Please secure pets in another room—friendly or not, they may react unpredictably.

Preparing Gifts (If Santa Will Present Them)

A refined system turns gift-giving into theatre.

Place all gifts in a single large bag.

If your gifts fit in a standard trash bag, they will fit in Santa’s bag. Please gather all presents into one container and let Santa know where they will be upon arrival.

Santa has collected them from:

• the backseat of a car

• the garage

• even behind a discreet shrub near the front porch

Wherever they’re placed, Santa will retrieve them with care.

Avoid gift bags whenever possible.

Gift bags tend to tip and spill once they’re placed inside Santa’s sack. If you choose to use them, please seal them completely—a strip of tape across the top works perfectly.

Avoid attaching extra items to the outside of gifts.

Ornaments, charms, keychains, and decorative add-ons often snag or detach inside Santa’s bag. This slows the flow of the visit and requires Santa to dig through the velvet in search of the right recipient. Keeping packages clean and smooth ensures the presentation feels effortless and elegant.

Label with clarity.

Write each name directly on the wrapping in large, clear block letters. Santa reads quickly and in motion; simple, high-contrast lettering ensures every gift finds the correct hands without interruption.

Provide a few extras.

If the gathering includes multiple families, a few backup gifts ensure no child is left out. A single thoughtful item—wrapped and labeled “Friend”—is often enough to preserve the moment beautifully.

Choose your opening moment.

Some families prefer to open gifts during the visit; others wait until Santa departs and begin with a countdown. Both approaches are wonderful—the latter often creates a cinematic, high-energy ending to the experience.

Santa’s Arrival

Hospitality, rhythm, and presence elevate every moment.

Support name magic.

Adults are encouraged to use children's names naturally. Children scarcely notice—

but Santa does.

And when Santa uses a name moments later, it feels extraordinary.

Honor Santa’s adaptive style.

Santa Ben arrives with a thoughtful plan—

but he follows the children, not the schedule.

Some visits unfold exactly as envisioned; others take on a new rhythm within minutes.

This adaptability ensures the visit feels refined, unforced, and deeply personal.

Assist with gentle structure.

Help younger children stay nearby, support timid guests, and encourage smooth transitions. Santa mirrors the energy within the room.

Photography woven into the flow.

Photos are integrated into the natural arc of the visit—once children are engaged, relaxed, and fully present.

If pets are included, please inform Santa beforehand; he may ask you to hold them to protect guests he visits later with allergies.

Concluding the Visit

A graceful departure preserves the illusion.

Santa may end with a story, a blessing, or a final photograph—each exit is shaped to your gathering.

Please help ensure children remain indoors so Santa can depart without curious eyes following him in search of reindeer.

If a final balance or gratuity is part of your tradition, please place it in a sealed Christmas card and hand it discreetly to Santa at the door.

A Final Note

Every Santa and You visit is bespoke—crafted in real time, shaped by the energy of your home, and made unforgettable by thoughtful preparation.

These small considerations allow Santa to focus entirely on what matters:

Creating a moment your family will carry forward for years to come.